W-League News Release
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – The W-League announced its Team of the Week for Week 8 of the 2012 season today, honoring Seattle Sounders Women midfielder Veronica Perez as Player of the Week after she recorded her second hat-trick of the season Sunday in a 4-1 victory at the Colorado Rush. The standout performance by Perez came at a crucial time for the Sounders Women, who pulled six points ahead of the Rush in the race for the second Western Conference playoff spot.
Also scoring important goals to keep their teams in the playoff hunt were forwards Imen Trodi of Quebec City and Esmerelda Negron of the New Jersey Wildcats and midflielder Ashley Clarke of North Jersey. Negron tallied the winner as Quebec City closed the gap in the Central Conference with a 1-0 victory against Laval, while Negron struck twice in the second half as the Wildcats came back to defeat the New York Magic, 3-1. Clarke contributed three goals and an assist in a pair of wins as the Valkyries moved into second in the Northeast Division.
Midfielder Lianne Sanderson earned her spot on the Team of the Week with two goals and an assist as the D.C. United Women clinched the Atlantic Division crown with a 4-1 victory against the Fredericksburg Impact.
Defensively, Colorado Rapids Women goalkeeper Lauren Robertson leads the way after her 13-save shutout against the high-powered Sounders Saturday night, with defenders Haley Marks of Rochester, Mackenzie King of Northern Virginia and Courtney Wetzel of Ottawa rounding out the back line.
W-League Team of the Week
| Pos | Player | Team | Highlights |
| GK | Lauren Robertson | Colorado Rapids | Made 13 saves in 1-0 shutout win vs. Seattle |
| D | Haley Marks | Rochester | Tallied goal, assist in 3-1 win (team’s first) vs. London |
| D | Mackenzie King | Northern Virginia | Converted midfielder led Majestics to shutout tie vs. Dayton |
| D | Courtney Wetzel | Ottawa | Recorded goal, assist in shutout win vs. Hamilton |
| M | Ashley Clarke | North Jersey | 2 goals, assist in 5-1 win vs. NJ Rangers/GWG in 2-1 win vs. NY |
| M | Veronica Perez | Seattle | Hat trick was the difference in 4-1 win vs. Colorado Rush |
| M | Lianne Sanderson | D.C. United | 2 goals, assist, 8 SOG in division-clinching 4-1 win vs. FASA |
| F | Grace Hawkins | Long Island | Hat trick, assist in 6-0 win vs. NJ Rangers |
| F | Esmerelda Negron | NJ Wildcats | 2 second-half goals to overturn NY lead in 3-1 win |
| F | Jenna Richardson | Vancouver | Recorded 4 goals, 2 assists in three-game road trip |
| F | Imen Trodi | Quebec City | Tallied GWG in important 1-0 win vs. Laval |
Honorable Mention: Central SC – Stacy Huddleston; Colorado Rapids – Brooke Spence, Katrine Korsgaard; D.C. United Women – Madyson Brown; Long Island – Vaila Barsley; New Jersey Wildcats – Chante Sandiford; Northern Virginia – Emma Kruse; Pali – Lynn Williams; Rochester – Ashley Grove; VSI Tampa – Carleigh Williams;