Ottawa Fury News Release - www.ottawafury.com
Sunday, July 24, 2011
OTTAWA, Ontario - The Ottawa Fury Women are W-League Central Conference Champions for the second time in three seasons following a decisive 6-0 victory over the Quebec City Amiral on the shoulders of a hat-trick from Jessica Shufelt. Ottawa will now advance to the W-League Championship Final Four in Seattle where they will face the host Seattle Sounders in the Championship Semi-Final.
Quebec City looked to be the better team inside the first four minutes controlling the pace early before the Fury attack began to take over. Jessica Shufelt was put clean through and after get a touch on the ball collided heavily with Marie-Pier Bilodeau who dove out to punch the ball away catching Shufelt instead. Bilodeau’s aggressive goalkeeping would prove to be her undoing a few plays later when Teresa Rynier sent a long ball through to Mallory Outerbridge that saw Bilodeau come flying outside of the 18-yard box only to miss the ball allowing Outerbridge to tap the ball into the empty goal for her second of the post-season and 19th of the season. Seven minutes later Teresa Rynier made a tremendous tackle in central midfield to thwart a Amiral attack, switched the ball quickly to Melissa Busque who fed Jessica Shufelt who turned the defender and potted her first goal of the playoffs to make it a two-goal Fury lead. Six minutes before halftime the Fury all but appeared to have punched their ticket to Seattle when Ashely Seal made a great run forward and slid the ball through to a streaking Shufelt who netted her second of the game and 11th of the season sending Ottawa to the dressing room ahead 3-0 at halftime.
Just as the Fury did against Toronto in the semi-finals they pushed early in the second half and found a goal to ensure their victory when Lydia Hastings found a seam in the Amiral defence and Jessica Shufelt ran onto the ball, eluded Bilodeau in goal to complete her hat-trick and help the Fury extend their home unbeaten streak to 25-games (23-0-2). With a 4-0 lead to work with Fury head coach Dom Oliveri was able to utilize his entire bench. One of the substitutes was Canadian International striker Christina Julien who fresh off the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany flashed her speed and experience early and often. In the 83rd minute Teresa Rynier found the Canadian International with a perfect pass and Julien, clear in on the breakaway, beat Bilodeau to give Ottawa a five-goal lead. Seven minutes later with the final whistle nearing Julien was again put through on a breakaway by her James Madison University teammate Rynier and beat Bilodeau five-hole to solidify a convincing 6-0 victory for the Fury. When the final whistle went Fury captain Jasmine Phillips was mauled by her teammates following the shutout as the W-League’s Goals Against Average lead collected her 6th clean sheet of the season and 13th win.
The Fury’s magic number is now 2 - two more wins to cap off a perfect season and capture the W-League Championship. Ottawa will now board a plane destined for Seattle where they will face the host Seattle Sounders on Friday, July 29 at 7:00p.m.