W-20 News Release
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – Five teams have clinched their spots at the 2013 W-20 Championship presented by Nike at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Set for the world-class facilities of IMG Academy July 25-28, the W-20 Championship will feature a total of eight women’s teams, with three spots remaining to be claimed.
Midwest Division
Kalamazoo Kingdom
Force Football Academy
The Kalamazoo Kingdom W-20s have put together an extremely strong season, collecting the most points for any W-20 team (21), scoring the most goals (38), and conceding the third fewest in the league (5). Finishing with a 7-1-0 record, Kalamazoo’s only loss came to Force Football Academy, the other qualifier out of the Midwest.
By most standards, a 6-2-0 record (18 points) and a goal differential of plus-27 should be enough to win a division. Although Kalamazoo’s sparkling season clinched the top spot in the division, Force Football Academy is another contender out of the Midwest with the talent to win the tournament. As the only team to defeat Kalamazoo, Force Football Academy is expected to make noise at IMG Academy later this month.
North Atlantic Division
Reading United AC
Harrisburg City Islanders
Northern Virginia Majestics
The Reading United AC W-20s enjoyed a season comparable to their Super-20 League counterparts. Like the Super-20s, the Reading United W-20s finished atop their division and posted the best goal differential in the North Atlantic. With 18 goals scored and only four against, Reading United (4-1-1) looks poised to make a strong run in Bradenton.
Finishing second in the North Atlantic, the Harrisburg City Islanders (4-2-0) have also punched their ticket to IMG Academy. The City Islanders appear to have an appetite for the dramatic, with four of their six games decided by one goal. Being able to win tight matches will come in handy at the championship, where goals will be hard to come by.
The Northern Virginia Majestics have also earned a spot at the W-20 Championship, posting a 3-2-1 record and accumulating 10 points. The Majestics have a plus-4 goal differential from the regular season, as they finished third in the North Atlantic Division.
Additional W-20 Championship qualifiers will emerge in the coming days as the regular season wraps up and finalists from the New England and South Atlantic divisions surface. The Ottawa Fury, New Brunswick Blizzards, FC Stars of Massachusetts, Western United Pioneers, Carolina Elite Cobras, Triangle FC, and Lake Norman SC all remain in the hunt for the final three spots.
The 2013 W-20 Championship will be held America’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex. IMG Academy hosted a myriad of soccer team training camps in recent years, including clubs such as the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United, the Columbus Crew, Sweden’s Malmö FF, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team preparing for the London Olympic Games and the Antigua & Barbuda Men’s National Team preparing for World Cup qualifying.
The 2013 W-20 Championship will serve as an important player identification event for the W-League and U.S. National Teams. W-League coaches will be in attendance to scout talent along with USL National Technical Director Peter Mellor, a longtime USSF Staff Coach.