Saturday, July 31, 2004

 

TAMPA, FL -- The Vancouver Whitecaps became the first W-League team to punch their ticket to the W-League championship tournament in Ottawa, joining the host Fury, with a 1-0 victory over rival Seattle Saturday on a goal from Martina Franko. Meanwhile, the Montreal Xtreme and New Jersey Wildcats advanced to the Eastern Conference final with wins.

In a tense playoff encounter, the Whitecaps Women overcame the Seattle Sounders 1-0, to win the Western Conference Championship before their largest crowd of the season, 3,886, and advance to the W-League "Final Four" tournament next weekend in Ottawa.

Predictably, it was Martina Franko who was the difference, as she scored her 19th goal of the season and eighth game-winner, late in the first half. Ashley McGhee's corner kick from the left in first half-injury time was headed in powerfully by Franko.

Erin McLeod made eight saves to record her seventh shutout of the season. The win was Vancouver's 12th in a row, establishing a new team record.

Vancouver must now wait until Sunday for the other two conference finals before knowing who they will face in the W-League semifinals on Saturday, August 7. The Montreal Xtreme take on the regular season champion New Jersey Wildcats in the Eastern Final, while the Charlotte Lady Eagles face the Chicago Cobras in the Central Conference Final. The winners will join Vancouver and the host Ottawa Fury.

  
Both goalkeepers were in fine form. Seattle's Meghan Miller made a brilliant one-handed stop to push a deflected shot from Amy Apps at the 24th minute wide of the top right corner. Then at the 42nd she was at full stretch to push a low drive from Amber Allen past the post.

At the other end, Erin McLeod had to be sharp at in the 30th to parry a 15-yard blast from Tina Frimpong who battled her way through the middle, and then quickly covered up the rebound at the feet of Michelle French. And at the 47th McLeod made a superb save, pushing a blast from Chalise Baysa wide.

In the 58th, Amber Allen showed a great burst of speed to get onto a long ball and chip it past the onrushing keeper. The crowd roared with anticipation as the ball bounced towards the empty goal, but it hit post and then was cleared just before Allen could force it home.

Seattle then hit the woodwork twice in two minutes. At 75-minute mark a 22-yard blast from Rachel Rodrick was tipped against the bar by McLeod, and then in the 77th Brenda Mueller hit the post on a deflection in front.

With Seattle pressing, Franko had a breakaway down the left wing in injury time, but Miller was equal to the shot.

With her goal, Franko has overtaken Diana Artuso as the team's all-time leading scorer. Franko has 24 goals and 11 assists for 59 points over two seasons with Vancouver. Artuso, who is sidelined by injury and took part in the ceremonial "McKick" kick-off, has 24 goals and 10 assists for 58 points.

The Whitecaps were without forwards Kara Lang and Katie Thorlakson and midfielders Brittany Timko and Sari Raber who are in Japan with Canada's National Team for two exhibition games. All four got the start on Friday as Canada lost 3-0 to Japan.

In a match similar to the 6-5 overtime affair last week that ended in favor of the Long Island Lady Riders, a first-half slugfest that featured seven goals saw the Montreal Xtreme finally end the game with a goal in the second overtime period to claim a 5-4 victory over the Lady Riders in the semifinal round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

With penalty kicks looming, Marie-Claude Pinard headed in the game winner in the 117th minute to send the Xtreme into the final on Sunday where they will face the New Jersey Wildcats.

The game was an even battle with the shots finishing at 20-20. The two teams picked up right where they left off from last week with three goals in the first eight minutes. Keri McCabe opened the scoring in the fourth minute for the Lady Riders before Melissa Lesage tied the score two minutes later. Minna Mustonen regained the lead for Long Island in the eighth minute.

Lesage connected again in the 17th minute to tie the game at 2-2, but Michelle O'Brien hit in the 26th minute and Penny Stansfield scored a direct free kick nine minutes later for Long Island for a 4-2 lead.

Caroline Vanderpool capped the first-half offensive outburst when she hit for Montreal with four minutes left before the break.

In contrast to the first half, neither team could connected in the second with the exception of a rebound goal by Vanderpool in the 57th minute to tie the match. Pinard won the game for Montreal in the 117th minute when she headed in a rebound off a header by Amy Walsh.

The New Jersey Wildcats opened their postseason with a 2-0 victory over the Boston Renegades at Mercer County Community College in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Anne Makinen led the way for the Wildcats with two goals as the Wildcats won their 15th straight.

New Jersey advances to the Eastern Conference final on Sunday where they face the Montreal Xtreme at 5 p.m. at Mercer County Community College.

The Wildcats dominated the first half outshooting the Renegades 9-1 in the process but they could only manage a free kick goal by Makinen in the 18th minute.

Boston keeper Ashley Phillips stuffed Kate Sands on a breakaway in the 11th minute before Makinen put New Jersey on the board. Pichon was taken down at the top of the box and Makinen curved her free kick over the wall and in, leaving Phillips flat-footed.

Boston had its best chance of the game in the 51st minute when Kara Frederick sent a cross in from the right and Meghan Welcome redirected a shot that skimmed off the top of the crossbar.

Makinen added to the lead in the 55th minute when she buried a penalty kick into the upper left corner. Pichon once again earned the kick when she was taken down by Boston defender Maura Robertson.

Pichon nearly added one herself in the 63rd minute but her right-footed blast from 25 yards was stopped by a diving Phillips.