USL News Release

Sunday, August 5, 2007

ROCHESTER, NY – United Soccer Leagues announced Jersey Sky Blue striker Lara Dickenmann as the 2007 W-League Most Valuable Player Saturday at the W-League Championship Banquet.

Expansion Jersey Sky Blue head coach Charlie Naimo has had numerous international stars playing under his guidance since he returned to the W-League four years ago with the New Jersey Wildcats such as Brazil’s Formiga, England’s Kelly Smith, France’s Marinette Pichon, Americans Cat Reddick and Kacey White, and Canadians Charmaine Hooper and Karina LeBlanc. It was Swiss international Lara Dickenmann, however, that was the first to earn the W-League MVP honor Saturday as she accepted the award in Rochester in addition to her statistical and All-League honors.

After playing in the shadow of Brazilian star and current Sky Blue teammate Formiga last year, the Swiss international had a superb 2007 season that saw her dominate the league in nearly every statistical category to sweep the W-League offensive honors for the year.

Dickenmann finished the season with a league-leading nine assists, 18 goals and 45 points to win the Assist Leader, Goal Scoring and Scoring Championship honors respectively. She finished 14 points ahead of Washington’s Ali Andrzejeski, who also finished second in goals with 13. The assist race was closer as she edged out the Freedom’s Lori Lindsay and Michigan’s Melissa Dobbyn, the 2005 league MVP.

Dickenmann, who helped lead Switzerland to the 2002 Under-19 European Championship and was the 2003-04 Swiss Player of the Year, will return to Ohio State for her senior season this fall after earning NSCAA Second-Team All-American honors in 2004 and 2005.