Ajax America advances to WPSL final
July, 31, 2010
7/31/10
10:51
PM PT
By Scott French | ESPNLosAngeles.com
Keri Sanchez and Leah Gallegos scored second-half goals Saturday to lead South Bay-based Ajax America past Oklahoma Alliance FC, 2-0, and into the Women's Premier Soccer League final in Richardson, Texas.
Defending champion Ventura County Fusion and Hollywood United FC lost in the Premier Development League's Western Conference semifinals in Bremerton, Wash.
Spanish national-teamer Veronica Boquete scored two second-half goals to give the Buffalo Flash its first W-League title with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Canyon High School in Canyon Country.
WPSL: Sanchez, the head coach of NCAA Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' women's team, scored on a deflected shot in the 48th minute to give two-time WPSL champ Ajax America (9-3-1) the lead, and former USC star Gallegos (Franklin HS) doubled the advantage in the 75th.
Ajax struggled in the heat, which reached 102 degrees and prodded officials to call breaks in each half, and held off the athletic Alliance (8-2-0) until the Californians' play picked up after sundown.
Ajax will face Boston Aztec Breakers Reserves (11-1-1) in Sunday's final at UT Dallas. Boston topped FC Milwaukee Nationals, 2-1, as Mandi Back headed home a corner kick in the 31st minute and Leah Blayney scored in the 81st. Laurie Nosbusch's late goal halved the deficit for FC Milwaukee (10-1-1).
PDL: The Fusion's and Hollywood United's seasons closed in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland Timbers U-23 (17-0-0), which is affiliated with the club that will jump next season from the USSF D2 Pro League to Major League Soccer, rallied from an early deficit to beat Hollywood United, 2-1.
Brent Whitfield, acquired this month from the Fusion, scored his 10th goal of the season to give HUFC (11-3-3) a fourth-minute lead, but Portland got the equalizer from Freddie Braun in the 63rd minute and the winner from Steven Evans in the 66th. Braun's pass led to Evans' goal, a 25-yard bullet that froze goalkeeper Jose Miranda.
Kitsap Pumas (12-2-3), the host of the Western Conference final four, outfired Southwest Division champion Ventura County, 5-4, on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The Fusion finish with an 11-4-2 mark.
Thunder Bay (Ontario) Chill, the 2008 PDL champion, advanced to next weekend's final four with a 2-1 victory over Michigan Bucks in the Central Conference final. The other three berths will be determined Sunday.
W-LEAGUE: Kelly Parker, bottled up by Vancouver's defense, set up two goals as Buffalo (14-0-2) rallied to halt the Whitecaps' bid for a record third W-League title at Canyon High School.
Amy Vermeulen took advantage of a defensive miscue to fire the Whitecaps (8-1-4) ahead in the 57th minute, but Parker -- a Canadian national-teamer and the W-League's MVP -- set up Englishwoman Gemma Davison in the 61st minute to tie the score.
Boquete scored the go-ahead goal three minutes later, then added the finale from a Parker feed in the 87th minute.
Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (12-2-0) finished third with a 3-0 romp over the Atlanta Silverbacks (9-4-1) in the first game Saturday.
Defending champion Ventura County Fusion and Hollywood United FC lost in the Premier Development League's Western Conference semifinals in Bremerton, Wash.
Spanish national-teamer Veronica Boquete scored two second-half goals to give the Buffalo Flash its first W-League title with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Canyon High School in Canyon Country.
WPSL: Sanchez, the head coach of NCAA Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' women's team, scored on a deflected shot in the 48th minute to give two-time WPSL champ Ajax America (9-3-1) the lead, and former USC star Gallegos (Franklin HS) doubled the advantage in the 75th.
Ajax struggled in the heat, which reached 102 degrees and prodded officials to call breaks in each half, and held off the athletic Alliance (8-2-0) until the Californians' play picked up after sundown.
Ajax will face Boston Aztec Breakers Reserves (11-1-1) in Sunday's final at UT Dallas. Boston topped FC Milwaukee Nationals, 2-1, as Mandi Back headed home a corner kick in the 31st minute and Leah Blayney scored in the 81st. Laurie Nosbusch's late goal halved the deficit for FC Milwaukee (10-1-1).
PDL: The Fusion's and Hollywood United's seasons closed in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland Timbers U-23 (17-0-0), which is affiliated with the club that will jump next season from the USSF D2 Pro League to Major League Soccer, rallied from an early deficit to beat Hollywood United, 2-1.
Brent Whitfield, acquired this month from the Fusion, scored his 10th goal of the season to give HUFC (11-3-3) a fourth-minute lead, but Portland got the equalizer from Freddie Braun in the 63rd minute and the winner from Steven Evans in the 66th. Braun's pass led to Evans' goal, a 25-yard bullet that froze goalkeeper Jose Miranda.
Kitsap Pumas (12-2-3), the host of the Western Conference final four, outfired Southwest Division champion Ventura County, 5-4, on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The Fusion finish with an 11-4-2 mark.
Thunder Bay (Ontario) Chill, the 2008 PDL champion, advanced to next weekend's final four with a 2-1 victory over Michigan Bucks in the Central Conference final. The other three berths will be determined Sunday.
W-LEAGUE: Kelly Parker, bottled up by Vancouver's defense, set up two goals as Buffalo (14-0-2) rallied to halt the Whitecaps' bid for a record third W-League title at Canyon High School.
Amy Vermeulen took advantage of a defensive miscue to fire the Whitecaps (8-1-4) ahead in the 57th minute, but Parker -- a Canadian national-teamer and the W-League's MVP -- set up Englishwoman Gemma Davison in the 61st minute to tie the score.
Boquete scored the go-ahead goal three minutes later, then added the finale from a Parker feed in the 87th minute.
Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (12-2-0) finished third with a 3-0 romp over the Atlanta Silverbacks (9-4-1) in the first game Saturday.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott French
Orange County native Scott French has been writing about soccer for more than 30 years for dozens of publications and Web sites. He was senior editor at Soccer America and was managing editor of MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine from April 2007 until summer 2009. He has covered three World Cups for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Angeles Daily News, two Women's World Cups for Soccer America, the Olympic Games, European Championship, nine MLS Cups and all five professional women's championships.
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