WPSL Final Four Find Fantastic Finish

Skill, speed, quickness, intensity, youth… all packed into one match signaling a future so bright for women's soccer in the United States that not only pair of slick shades may be in order, but possibly some sun screen as well. In the 2006 Women's Premier Soccer League National Championship match, hell hath no Fury like a women's soccer score-line as Long Island (10-2-2) and River Cities F.C (11-2-2) battled it out in one of the most memorable finals in WPSL history.

After 88 minutes of back and forth, side-line to side-line and end-line to end-line action, unfortunately, a team had to lose this match. From the right flank sideline, Long Island's Sue Weber whipped in a indirect free kick that River Cities failed to clear.

U-21 U.S. international and Duke University star Rebecca Moros pounced on the knockdown and registered the game-winning goal - sending the Fury into a furor that would eventually earn them the 2006 WPSL National Championship in the 1-0 win. Long Island midfielder Kelly Henderson - a freshman at Boston College this upcoming fall - would be named the Tournament MVP for her efforts.

"When we started out [this organization], we thought we may finish .500 this season," said Fury head coach Paul Riley. "That was our goal - to give a decent showing and to not let Joe Ferrara (the East Commissioner) down. In all honesty, once you get to the playoffs, it's anyone's game. Anyone in the playoffs has a chance to win a national championship and we did it.

"Anything can happen in this game. That's why they make the ball round. It was a great display by our players and they worked really hard. I thought it was going to come down to that type of goal in the end, because of all the good chances missed by both teams."

Such was true, especially for Long Island in the first half as U-21 U.S. international Bristyn Davis missed a pair of opportunities, one squashed by a fantastic 1 v. 1 save by former WUSA professional goalkeeper and All-Tourney selection Meghann Burke (6 saves). In the second half, River Cities would see more of the offensive side of the pitch, with University of Missouri's Jennifer Nobis getting free on a couple of occasions and in the 51st minute, RCFC saw a free kick fly dangerously across the face of goal with Fury keeper Becky Wachsberger helpless to defend (2 saves).

Long Island would step up the pace after that chance and with a little over 16 minutes left in the match, All-Tourney selection Moros fired a blast from the top of the penalty area that Burke just tipped wide to her right. Alaina Beyar would be sent in on another breakaway bid in the 82nd minute but Burke would come up big again, making an authoritative save while trapping the rebound.

The pace for both sides would quicken even more as overtime loomed before them, and would lead to the foul that set up the free kick opportunity. RCFC would respond admirably after Moros' goal but could not even the score in the final minutes.

WPSL CONSOLATION - San Diego 3, Ajax America 3 (Ajax wins, 4-3 in penalty kicks): Consolation matches are ironic in the fact that little of it can be achieved since every team in the Final Four wants to win the National Championship. But with that said, it did not happen in this match, as the West Conference rivals played out a fantastic prequel to the championship match.

Both sides would exchange goals through regulation, with San Diego (11-3-1) tying the match versus Ajax America (13-2) at 3-3 in the 86th minute on a goal by former Chinese international captain Ouying Zhang. With the score tied at the end of regulation, both sides went to penalty kicks with Ajax coming out on top by a 4-3 score.

Goal scorers for the Third Place side were Nicole Bucciarelli-Jacobsen (38th minute), Shannon Cross (42nd minute) and Utah native and former Arizona State star Elizabeth Bogus (71st minute). The SeaLions would get goals from Irish international Sarah Halpenny (37th minute), Valerie Strocco (47th minute) and Zhang.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Henderson, Moros, Lorraine Quinn, Alyssa Pember, Mary Schneck (LI Fury); Nobis, Burke, Kat Tarr (RCFC); Bogus, Bucciarelli-Jacobsen (Ajax); Zhang (San Diego WFC). Please visit www.wpsl.info/index.php for details.

UYSA would like to thank all of our members who came out to support the WPSL Final Four Tournament as well as our youth teams who participated in the event.