Chicago Red Eleven Press Release

July 19, 2010

CHICAGO, Ill. – With the regular season completed, the Chicago Red Eleven now turns its focus to the W-League playoffs, set to get underway with the conference finals Friday and Sunday (July 23-25) in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Red Eleven (8-2-2), who finished second in the Midwest Division behind the host Flash (10-0-2), take on the top seed out of the Great Lakes Division in the Ottawa Fury (8-1-3) on Saturday at 8 p.m.. The winner advances to Sunday’s conference final against the winner of Buffalo and either the Toronto Lady Lynx (7-2-3) or Laval Comets (6-3-3).

The 2010 W-League Final Four is scheduled for July 29-31 in Santa Clarita, Calif.

Chicago established itself as one of the most dynamic teams during the regular season, scoring 32 goals and surrendering just eight. The offensive output put CRE second in the 29-team W-League with 2.67 goals per game. The team’s +24 goal differential was also second.

The offense was paced this season by Sarah Campbell and Kate Megna, while Kara Kabellis proved to be a driving force in the midfield. Campbell scored a team-high seven goals and finished tops on the squad with 16 points. Both those totals rank near the top in the league, as she finished the season tied for fifth in goals and sixth in points.

Megna was one of just two Red Eleven players to play in all 12 games this season. She scored 10 points on four goals and two assists. Her points and goals were second on the team only to Campbell. A veteran midfield presence, Kabellis was the other player to appear in all 12 games. She led the league with six assists and added a goal of her own for eight points.

All told, 16 different players scored goals for Chicago and three more added assists.

The Red Eleven also found strength in goal, where Erin Kane and Alexa Gaul combined on eight shutouts and a 0.67 goals against average. Kane saw the bulk of minutes in goal, starting 10 games and posting eight clean sheets.

Gaul spent time away from the team with U.S. U23 National Team duties, but was perfect in a pair of games.

Speaking of national team experience, Chicago looks to be at full strength for a playoff run, as Gaul, Jackie Carron and Rachael Sloan will be with the team full-time after the completion of the most recent U23 stint for each.

Gaul and Carron accompanied the team to the Four Nations Tournament in England July 7-12, helped the U.S. to a first-place finish. Both players played every minute in the tournament and anchored a defense that conceded just two goals. Sloan got her first taste of the U23 national camp prior to the trip.

Chicago and Ottawa met in the first game of the 2009 playoffs as well, with the Fury coming away with the 4-2 win.