2003 USL W-League season

USL W-League
Season2003
ChampionsHampton Roads Piranhas (1st Title)
Regular Season titleBoston Renegades (1st Title)
Best PlayerPhebe Trotman Vancouver Whitecaps Women
Top goalscorerCarrie Kveton Boston Renegades
Jeanette Akerlund Ottawa Fury Women
(14 goals each)
Best goalkeeperMeredith Flaherty Hampton Roads Piranhas
← 2002
2004 →

The 2003 W-League Season was the 9th season of the USL W-League, the second-highest division of women's soccer in the United States. The Boston Renegades were the defending champions. The Hampton Roads Piranhas were crowned champions after defeating the Chicago Cobras in the Championship game.

Changes from the 2002 season

Format changes

The league went to the standard FIFA match points format: 3 points for a win (down from the previous 4), 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss, and eliminated bonus points for 3 or more goals scored.[1]

Name changes

One team changed their name in the off-season:[1]

Team nameMetro areaPrevious name
British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps WomenVancouver areaVancouver Breakers

Expansion teams

One team joined the league ahead of the start of the season:[1]

Team nameMetro areaLocationPrevious affiliation
Ohio Columbus Lady Shooting StarsColumbus areaColumbus, OHExpansion

Teams leaving

Two teams left to join the WPSL:[1]

Eight teams folded after the 2002 season:[1]

Standings

Blue indicates division title clinched
Green indicates playoff berth clinched

Central Conference

Atlantic Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Hampton Roads Piranhas121200335+2836
2Charlotte Lady Eagles129303511+2427
3Northern Virginia Majestics125701621−515
4Asheville Splash123901424−109
5Greensboro Twisters122100834−266
Source: [2][1]

Midwest Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Chicago Cobras121011338+2531
2Northern Kentucky TC Stars125521621−517
3Columbus Lady Shooting Stars124531115−415
4Cincinnati Ladyhawks124711217−513
5Windy City Bluez123811829−1110
Source: [2][1]

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1New Jersey Lady Stallions1411303611+2533
2Long Island Lady Riders149503521+1427
3New Jersey Wildcats147702920+921
4New York Magic147703325+821
5South Jersey Banshees*141130848−400[a]
Source: [2][1]
Notes:
  1. ^ South Jersey had 3 points deducted for violations.

Northern Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Boston Renegades141301605+5540
2Ottawa Fury Women141121619+5234
3Toronto Inferno146713231+119
4New Hampshire Lady Phantoms1431102153−329
5Rochester Ravens140131496−921
Source: [2][1]

Western Conference

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Vancouver Whitecaps Women1210115110+4131
2Seattle Sounders Women12831358+2725
3Denver Lady Cougars126423624+1220
4Arizona Heatwave126602124−318
5Fort Collins Force123811639−2310
6Mile High Mustangs120111562−571
Source: [2][1]

Playoffs

Format

Four teams from both the Central and Eastern Conferences and two from the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs. All playoff matchups were in single-leg elimination tournament format with the higher seeded team hosting until the national semifinals. Seeding was determined by league record, with the Boston Renegades seeded first with 39 points. The host of the national semifinals was determined by bids at the 2002 USL Annual General Meeting.

In the Central and Eastern Conferences, the top two teams from each division played, and then divisional winners played for the conference championship and to advance to the national semifinals.

The top two teams in the Western Conference, having only one division, played each other to advance to the semifinals.

As hosts, the Hampton Roads Piranhas received a bye into the W-League national semifinals, with the third-place team from the Atlantic Division receiving a playoff berth.[3] The W-League Championship final was televised live on Fox Sports World.[3]

Conference Brackets

Central Conference

Divisional ChampionshipsCentral Championship
      
MW1Illinois Chicago Cobras9
MW2Kentucky Northern Kentucky TC Stars1
MW1Illinois Chicago Cobras3
AT1North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles1
AT1North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles4
AT2Virginia Northern Virginia Majestics1

Eastern Conference

Divisional ChampionshipsEastern Championship
      
NO1Massachusetts Boston Renegades2
NO2Ontario Ottawa Fury Women3
NO2Ontario Ottawa Fury Women4
NE1New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions2
NE1New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions4
NE2New York (state) Long Island Lady Riders2

Western Conference

Western Finals
   
W1British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women (AET/PK)2 (1)
W2Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women2 (3)

W-League Championship Bracket

SemifinalsChampionship
      
WLVirginia Hampton Roads Piranhas4
W2Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women1
WLVirginia Hampton Roads Piranhas1
MW1Illinois Chicago Cobras0
MW1Illinois Chicago Cobras3
NO2Ontario Ottawa Fury Women0Third Place
W2Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women4
NO2Ontario Ottawa Fury Women1

Divisional Championships

Illinois Chicago Cobras9 − 1Kentucky Northern Kentucky TC Stars
Sitch 14'
Cooper 18', 49', 59'
Grubb 28' (pen.)
Feulner 66'
Graczyk 67', 83', 89'		ReportHoffbauer 69'
Mooseheart Memorial Stadium
Mooseheart, Illinois
North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles4 − 1Virginia Northern Virginia Majestics
  • Timbers 39', 47', 62'
  • Swinehart 66'
Report
  • McBean 45'
Attendance: 523
Massachusetts Boston Renegades2 − 3Ontario Ottawa Fury Women
Totman 40'
Rahko 87'		ReportVermeulen 44' (pen.)
Alfa 79'
Akerlund 82'
New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions4 − 2New York (state) Long Island Lady Riders
Negron 16'
Mathelier 47', 56'
Sinram 77'		Report Report 2Forde 28'
Bracco 45'
Attendance: 100

Conference championships

British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women2 − 2
(AET)		Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women
Andrews 9'
Neil 65'		ReportFrimpong 42', 43'
Penalties
Hicks soccer ball with check mark
Timko soccer ball with red X
Lang soccer ball with red X
Potis soccer ball with red X		1 − 3soccer ball with check mark McIntosh
soccer ball with check mark Rodrick
soccer ball with check mark Van Blommestein
Attendance: 4,089
Referee: Martin Reid (USA)
Illinois Chicago Cobras3 − 1North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles
Feulner 6'
Greene 67'
Sitch 72'		ReportMurphy 60'
Mooseheart Memorial Stadium
Mooseheart, Illinois
Ontario Ottawa Fury Women4 − 2New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions
Alfa 11', 15', 53'
McConville 75'		ReportNegron 30'
Flamini 37'
Attendance: 800

W-League Semifinals

Virginia Hampton Roads Piranhas4 − 1Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women
Borski 46', 55'
Hibbs 73'
Ritchie 90'		ReportFrimpong 15'
Attendance: 1,006
Referee: Chip Boatright (USA)
Illinois Chicago Cobras3 − 0Ontario Ottawa Fury Women
Graczyk 12', 90'
Sitch 58'		Report

W-League Third Place

Ontario Ottawa Fury Women4 − 1Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women
Frimpong 2', 6'
Mueller 11'
Milyak 82'		ReportAlfa 65'
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: Dan Stead (USA)

W-League Championship

Virginia Hampton Roads Piranhas1 − 0Illinois Chicago Cobras
Akide 96'Report
Attendance: 1,237

Season statistics

Awards

The W-League Championship All-Tournament Team was announced on August 10, 2003:[8]

F: Tina Frimpong (Seattle Sounders Women), Kristen Graczyk (Chicago Cobras), Mercy Akide (Hampton Roads Piranhas)
M: Melissa Bennett (Seattle Sounders Women), Florence Omagbemi (Hampton Roads Piranhas), Darci Borski (Hampton Roads Piranhas), Kelly Parker (Ottawa Fury Women)
D: Jenna Szyluk (Hampton Roads Piranhas), Fanta Cooper (Chicago Cobras), Josha Krueger (Chicago Cobras)
G: Meredith Flaherty (Hampton Roads Piranhas)

All-League and All-Conference Teams

The All-Conference Teams were announced on August 1, 2003.[9] The All-League Team was announced on August 4.[4]

Central Conference

G: Meredith Flaherty (Hampton Roads Piranhas) *
D: Fanta Cooper (Chicago Cobras) *, Deanna Kriedel (Charlotte Lady Eagles), Erin Showalter (Cincinnati Ladyhawks)
M: Florence Omagbemi (Hampton Roads Piranhas), Elizabeth Ramsey (Chicago Cobras), Julianne Sitch (Chicago Cobras) *, Sarah Wall (Columbus Lady Shooting Stars)
F: Mercy Akide (Hampton Roads Piranhas) *, Andrea Cunningham (Cincinnati Ladyhawks), Annette Kent (Windy City Bluez)

Eastern Conference

G: Meghan Frey (Boston Renegades)
D: Linda Consolante (Ottawa Fury Women), Francesca DeCristoforo (Long Island Lady Riders) *, Caitlin Fisher (Boston Renegades)
M: Sue Flamini (New Jersey Stallions), Kelly Parker (Ottawa Fury Women) *, Melissa Shulman (Long Island Lady Riders), Stacey Stocco (Boston Renegades) *
F: Jeanette Akerlund (Ottawa Fury Women), Carrie Kveton (Boston Renegades), Jessica Reifer (New York Magic) *

Western Conference

G: Megan Miller (Seattle Sounders Women)
D: Sasha Andrews (Vancouver Whitecaps Women) *, Shannon Forslund (Seattle Sounders Women), Amy Gray Denver Lady Cougars
M: Kacy Beitel (Denver Lady Cougars), Tara Kidwell (Fort Collins Force), Andrea Neil (Vancouver Whitecaps Women), Tracey Spinelli (Arizona Heatwave) *
F: Janelle Munnis (Seattle Sounders Women), Carolyn Theurer (Denver Lady Cougars), Phebe Trotman (Vancouver Whitecaps Women) *

* denotes All-League player

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "USA - United States Women's Interregional Soccer League (W-League)". RSSSF. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Team Standings". USL W-League. Archived from the original on October 11, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "W-League Conference Finals set". United Soccer Leagues (USL). August 1, 2003. Archived from the original on December 14, 2003. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e "PDL and W-League All-League Teams, Statistical Awards announced". United Soccer Leagues (USL). August 4, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "W-League - Top 10 Stats Leaders". United Soccer Leagues (USL). Archived from the original on December 9, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  6. ^ "W-League, PDL MVP's announced". United Soccer Leagues (USL). August 7, 2003. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Defender, Rookie and Coach of the Year awards announced for PDL, W-League". United Soccer Leagues (USL). August 6, 2003. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Piranhas win W-League title in OT". United Soccer Leagues (USL). August 10, 2003. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "W-League All-Conference Teams released". USL W-League. August 1, 2003. Archived from the original on November 28, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
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