W-LEAGUE News Release
Sunday, July 14, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The W-League announced the schedule for its four Conference Championships today, with the Dayton Dutch Lions, Laval Comets, Pali Blues and Virginia Beach Piranhas having earned the right to host the championships beginning this Friday. Three of the four conference title games are set, with the Central Conference play-in match between the Toronto Lady Lynx and Ottawa Fury scheduled for Wednesday.
The four conference champions that emerge from next weekend’s action will travel to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida July 26-28 to compete at the 2013 W-League Championship presented by Nike.
The Virginia Beach Piranhas (10-1-1) are the regular season champions and earned the right to host the Northeastern Conference Championship, which is set for 8 p.m. ET Friday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. The Piranhas will face the Washington Spirit Reserves, who finished 7-3-2 and dropped a 2-1 result vs. Virginia Beach Saturday in a warm-up for the conference championship.
The Western Conference race was decided on the regular season’s final night as the Pali Blues (8-2-2) earned the right to host the conference championship by virtue of a 2-0 victory against the Santa Clarita Blue Heat. Pali will face the LA Strikers (8-4-0), who defeated the Colorado Rush 3-2 Sunday to finish the season with five consecutive wins and claim second place. The Seattle Sounders Women (7-3-2) dropped out of playoff position after losing 2-0 at the Bay Area Breeze Sunday.
The Laval Comets finished the regular season at 8-1-3 to capture their first Central Conference regular season crown, and will host the winner of a play-in match between the defending W-League champions, the Ottawa Fury (7-3-2), and the Toronto Lady Lynx (5-2-5), set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at the Algonquin College Soccer Complex. The winner will move on to face Laval Saturday at 4 p.m. ET at Bois-de-Boulogne Sports Center.
Ottawa closed out the regular season with a 2-1 victory against Toronto Saturday, while Laval ended K-W United’s postseason aspirations with a 4-1 win Saturday.
The Dutch Lions (5-2-3) completed a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround to capture the regular season Southeastern Conference crown. Dayton will welcome the Carolina Elite Cobras at 8 p.m. ET Friday at Beavercreek High School for the Southeastern Conference Championship. Carolina Elite (5-4-1) earned its spot in the conference title game in stunning fashion Saturday when Taylor Parker’s stoppage-time strike earned the Cobras a 1-0 win at Charlotte, vaulting Carolina Elite past the Lady Eagles and Atlanta to earn the postseason berth.
Central Conference Championship
Play-in Game
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Algonquin College Soccer Complex, Ottawa, Ontario
Toronto Lady Lynx at Ottawa Fury, 7 p.m. ET
Conference Championship
Saturday, July 20
Bois-de-Boulogne Sports Center, Laval, Quebec
Play-in winner vs. Laval Comets, 4 p.m. ET
Northeastern Conference Championship
Friday, July 19
Virginia Beach Sportsplex, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Washington Spirit Reserves vs. Virginia Beach Piranhas, 8 p.m.
Southeastern Conference Championship
Friday, July 19
Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek, Ohio
Carolina Elite Cobras vs. Dayton Dutch Lions, 8 p.m.
Western Conference Championship
Sunday, July 21
Titan Stadium, Fullerton, California
LA Strikers at Pali Blues, 12:30 p.m.