W-League Feature
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. – A year ago, the Pali Blues were seconds away from the club’s third W-League Championship, only for the Ottawa Fury to grab a late equalizer, and then take victory in a penalty shootout, to deny them.
This weekend, the Blues and head coach Charlie Naimo will aim to put the memory of that defeat behind them as they return to the W-League Championship, being held this year for the first time at the world-class facilities of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., as the Western Conference Champion.
After a strong regular season, and a convincing victory against the LA Strikers this past weekend, the next hurdle in the Blues’ path is the Washington Spirit Reserves, who arrive in Florida with a similarly motivated side after their elimination a season ago in the semifinals.
The Blues’ victory against the Strikers Sunday broke the hex LA appeared to have on Pali this season, with recent addition Katie Stengel providing the deciding goal in a 2-0 victory. The Blues have been powered offensively by a current and former standout in the Los Angeles college soccer scene, however, with former Southern Cal standout Ashley Nick recording seven goals and current UCLA standout Sarah Killion adding eight assists as the Blues emerged on top of a tough Western Conference.
Add in the defensive efforts of goalkeeper Anna Maria Picarelli, who finished the regular-season with a 0.608 goals-against average before shutting out the Strikers, and players such as Lynn Williams, Mele French and Sasha Andrews making up the spine of the team, and you would have good reason to believe the title is the Blues’ for the taking.
The Spirit Reserves, however, could be as strong as their opponent on Friday. The Blues defense will likely be tested by Hofstra standout Amber Stobbs, who led the team with 17 points on four goals and nine assists, and Ashley Herndon, who had a team-high six goals.
Washington’s defense proved as stingy as Pali’s, with only nine goals against behind a standout season from goalkeeper Dijana Haracic, who compiled a 0.608 goals-against average. Add in the abilities of Stanford’s Alex Doll, Maryland’s Danielle Hubka and the experience of Tiffany Brown, and the Spirit Reserves should pose strong questions of the Blues’ championship caliber.
If the first semifinal on Friday is a showcase for two sides looking for redemption, the second is the chance for two teams to grab the spotlight for the first time. Both the Laval Comets and Carolina Elite Cobras make their first appearance at the W-League Championship with a title on their minds.
The Comets ended the remarkable run of the Ottawa Fury, who had claimed the regular-season division title for the previous nine seasons before Laval’s triumph this summer, and then defeated the Fury in a penalty shootout to reach the championships for the first time. The best defensive side in the W-League this season, conceding only seven goals in 12 regular-season games, the Comets are led by goalkeeper Genevieve Richard and defender Kathryn Acton, both named to the W-League’s All-League Team on Wednesday morning.
Laval has more than just a strong defense, though, with a core of top young Canadians leading the club’s ascent in the Central Conference. At the forefront are Catherine Charron-Delage and Amy Pietrangelo, who each scored four goals this season, with others such as Sarah Robbins, Nkemjika Ezurike and Kylie Davis providing support.
Carolina, meanwhile, took a big step forward in its second season in the league, with a group led by former U.S. National Team player India Trotter helping the side advance from the Southeastern Conference. After a stoppage-time game-winner from Taylor Parker against the Charlotte Eagles in their final game of the season booked the Cobras’ first playoff place, they pushed on against Dayton a week ago with goals from Tiffini Turpin and Trotter earning a 2-1 win against the Dutch Lions.
Turpin will be the key player for the Cobras in Friday’s contest, with the former Atlanta Silverback bringing championship experience from the 2011 season, and now in the pursuit of another.
So who will take the crown? Who will be the difference-maker for Pali, Washington, Laval or Carolina as they seek to finish this season’s chapter for their club in the grandest style?
As the Blues know all too well, what can seem as though it is there can disappear in a moment to be replaced by disappointment, but that is why they, and their fellow contenders, keep moving and striving for the perfect end to the season.