2003 USL W-League season

Last updated

USL W-League
Season2003
Champions Hampton Roads Piranhas
Top goalscorerCarrie Kveton
Jeanette Akerlund
(14 goals each)
← 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.

Contents

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
Flag of British Columbia.svg Vancouver Whitecaps Women Vancouver area Vancouver Breakers

Expansion teams

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

Team NameMetro AreaLocationPrevious Affiliation
Flag of Ohio.svg Columbus Lady Shooting Stars Columbus area Columbus, OH Expansion

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
1 Hampton Roads Piranhas 121200335+2836
2 Charlotte Lady Eagles 129303511+2427
3 Northern Virginia Majestics 125701621−515
4 Asheville Splash 123901424−109
5 Greensboro Twisters 122100834−266
Source: [2] [1]

Midwest Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1 Chicago Cobras 121011338+2531
2 Northern Kentucky TC Stars 125521621−517
3 Columbus Lady Shooting Stars 124531115−415
4 Cincinnati Ladyhawks 124711217−513
5 Windy City Bluez 123811829−1110
Source: [2] [1]

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1 New Jersey Lady Stallions 1411303611+2533
2 Long Island Lady Riders 149503521+1427
3 New Jersey Wildcats 147702920+921
4 New York Magic 147703325+821
5 South Jersey Banshees*141130848−400 [lower-alpha 1]
Source: [2] [1]
Notes:
  1. ↑ South Jersey had 3 points deducted for violations.

Northern Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1 Boston Renegades 141301605+5540
2 Ottawa Fury Women 141121619+5234
3 Toronto Inferno 146713231+119
4 New Hampshire Lady Phantoms 1431102153−329
5 Rochester Ravens 140131496−921
Source: [2] [1]

Western Conference

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1 Vancouver Whitecaps Women 1210115110+4131
2 Seattle Sounders Women 12831358+2725
3 Denver Lady Cougars 126423624+1220
4 Arizona Heatwave 126602124−318
5 Fort Collins Force 123811639−2310
6 Mile High Mustangs 120111562−571
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 Championships Central Championship
      
MW1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 9
MW2 Flag of Kentucky.svg Northern Kentucky TC Stars 1
MW1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 3
AT1 Flag of North Carolina.svg Charlotte Lady Eagles 1
AT1 Flag of North Carolina.svg Charlotte Lady Eagles 4
AT2 Flag of Virginia.svg Northern Virginia Majestics 1

Eastern Conference

Divisional Championships Eastern Championship
      
NO1 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Boston Renegades 2
NO2 Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 3
NO2 Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 4
NE1 Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Lady Stallions 2
NE1 Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Lady Stallions 4
NE2 Flag of New York.svg Long Island Lady Riders 2

Western Conference

Western Finals
   
W1 Flag of British Columbia.svg Vancouver Whitecaps Women (AET/PK) 2 (1)
W2 Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women 2 (3)

W-League Championship Bracket

Semifinals Championship
      
WL Flag of Virginia.svg Hampton Roads Piranhas 4
W2 Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women 1
WL Flag of Virginia.svg Hampton Roads Piranhas 1
MW1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 0
MW1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 3
NO2 Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 0 Third Place
W2 Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women 4
NO2 Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 1

Divisional Championships

Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 9 − 1 Flag of Kentucky.svg Northern Kentucky TC Stars
Sitch Soccerball shade.svg14'
Cooper Soccerball shade.svg18', 49', 59'
Grubb Soccerball shade.svg28' (p)
Feulner Soccerball shade.svg66'
Graczyk Soccerball shade.svg67', 83', 89'		 Report Hoffbauer Soccerball shade.svg69'
Mooseheart Memorial Stadium
Mooseheart, Illinois
Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 3 − 2 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Boston Renegades
Vermeulen Soccerball shade.svg44' (p)
Alfa Soccerball shade.svg79'
Akerlund Soccerball shade.svg82'		 Report Totman Soccerball shade.svg40'
Rahko Soccerball shade.svg87'
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Lady Stallions 4 − 2 Flag of New York.svg Long Island Lady Riders
Negron Soccerball shade.svg16'
Mathelier Soccerball shade.svg47', 56'
Sinram Soccerball shade.svg77'		 Report Forde Soccerball shade.svg28'
Bracco Soccerball shade.svg45'

Conference championships

Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women 2 − 2
(AET)		 Flag of British Columbia.svg Vancouver Whitecaps Women
Frimpong Soccerball shade.svg42', 43' Report Andrews Soccerball shade.svg9'
Neil Soccerball shade.svg65'
Penalties
McIntosh Soccerball shad check.svg
Rodrick Soccerball shad check.svg
Van Blommestein Soccerball shad check.svg		1 − 3Hicks Soccerball shad check.svg
Timko Soccerball shade cross.svg
Lang Soccerball shade cross.svg
Potis Soccerball shade cross.svg
Swangard Stadium
Burnaby, British Columbia
Attendance: 4,089
Referee: Martin Reid (USA)
Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 3 − 1 Flag of North Carolina.svg Charlotte Lady Eagles
Feulner Soccerball shade.svg6'
Greene Soccerball shade.svg67'
Sitch Soccerball shade.svg72'		 Report Murphy Soccerball shade.svg60'
Mooseheart Memorial Stadium
Mooseheart, Illinois
Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 4 − 2 Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Lady Stallions
Alfa Soccerball shade.svg11', 15', 53'
McConville Soccerball shade.svg75'		 Report Negron Soccerball shade.svg30'
Flamini Soccerball shade.svg37'
Keith Harris Stadium
Ottawa, Ontario
Attendance: 800

W-League Semifinals

Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women 1 − 4 Flag of Virginia.svg Hampton Roads Piranhas
Frimpong Soccerball shade.svg15' Report Borski Soccerball shade.svg46', 55'
Hibbs Soccerball shade.svg73'
Ritchie Soccerball shade.svg90'
Landstown HS Stadium
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Attendance: 1,006
Referee: Chip Boatright (USA)
Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras 3 − 0 Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women
Graczyk Soccerball shade.svg12', 90'
Sitch Soccerball shade.svg58'		 Report
Landstown HS Stadium
Virginia Beach, Virginia

W-League Third Place

Flag of Ontario.svg Ottawa Fury Women 1 − 4 Flag of Washington.svg Seattle Sounders Women
Alfa Soccerball shade.svg65' Report Frimpong Soccerball shade.svg2', 6'
Mueller Soccerball shade.svg11'
Milyak Soccerball shade.svg82'
Landstown HS Stadium
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: Dan Stead (USA)

W-League Championship

Flag of Virginia.svg Hampton Roads Piranhas 1 − 0 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Cobras
Akide Soccerball shade.svg96' Report
Landstown HS Stadium
Virginia Beach, Virginia
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

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "USA - United States Women's Interregional Soccer League (W-League)". RSSSF . Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Team Standings". USL W-League. Archived from the original on October 11, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 "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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