WPSL forms Elite Women's Soccer League

Discussion in 'US Women's Lower Divisions' started by MRAD12, Feb 9, 2012.

  1. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    SPRINGFIELD, MA (02/29/12) - The New England Mutiny are pleased to announce that they have hired Kristin Shaw as General Manager for the 2012 season. For this upcoming campaign, the team has made the upgrade to WPSL Elite - the top tier of competition in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) - and the current Smith College Head Coach & former Mutiny standout has been put in charge to lead the organization.

    "I want to thank [Team Owner] Joe Ferrara for the opportunity to become the General Manager of the New England Mutiny," said Shaw. "I am very excited to once again be apart of the Mutiny family. This is an incredible opportunity with an unbelievable organization. I could not be more excited to begin this journey.

    "There is a definite standard for excellence here with the Mutiny, and I look forward to working with the entire staff to continue that tradition."
     
  2. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MUTINY HIRE FAMILIAR FACE AS HEAD COACH
    Tony Horta returns to the New England bench for the 2012 WPSL Elite season
    SPRINGFIELD, MA (03/02/12) - The New England Mutiny are pleased to announce that Tony Horta (pictured right) has been named Head Coach for their 2012 season competing in Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Elite. Horta returns to the New England bench after a two-year absence, when he guided the team for three seasons from 2007-2009.

    "I am very excited to welcome Tony Horta back to the Mutiny family," said Mutiny General Manager Kristin Shaw, who worked under Horta as a player for the 2007 & 2008 seasons. "Tony is an outstanding coach and a fantastic addition to the organization. He has been successful at every stop during his career, including leading the New England Mutiny to two straight WPSL National Championship appearances.

    "His proven track record as a leader speaks volumes and I am confident he will guide the Mutiny in a positive direction."

    Horta oversaw what could arguably be the most successful run in team history in the 2007 & 2008 seasons, when the team won 20 matches while losing only four & drawing three (overall record: 25-11-3). New England qualified for the WPSL National Championship in both those campaigns, losing to F.C. Indiana in the 2007 Final. Tony will be able to make up for that loss this summer, as FCI are also a part of the newly-formed WPSL Elite League.

    During his tenure, Horta was named the 2007 WPSL East Coach Of The Year and many of his Mutiny players would also reel in the accolades. He coached five players who were named All-WPSL (Meghan Schnur, Stephanie Labbe, Erin O'Grady, Mary-Frances Monroe & Jenny Maurer) including Labbe who was named 2007 WPSL East Goalkeeper Of The Year & 2008 WPSL East Player Of The Year Monroe as well.

    Horta will be put right to work as tryouts for the 2012 New England Mutiny WPSL Elite Roster will be held on Saturday, March 10th (6:00 PM) at American International College. Players must PRE-REGISTER to attend. For more information, contact the team by e-mail at Info@MutinySoccer.com or by phone at (413) 330-9775. Stay tuned as we will announce the full coaching staff for the 2012 season soon.

    Horta coached at the collegiate level for the Quinnipiac women's soccer team for nine years, developing a nationally-ranked program while winning three Northeast-10 Conference Championships while being named Conference Coach of the Year in 1994. Tony was an assistant for the nationally-ranked women's programs at the University of Connecticut (under Len Tsantiris) and the University of Hartford (under Austin Daniels).

    Horta has been involved with the Connecticut Olympic Development Program (ODP) and serves on the CJSA Premier Board of Governors. Tony is President of Academica Futebol Club (AFC), a premier program in Connecticut. He has also coached at the professional level and in 1987, was named Coach of the Year in the LASA league. Most recently, he guided Academica F.C. in the Arena Soccer League (ASL).

    About the New England Mutiny: The New England Mutiny are a charter member of the WPSL East Conference, winning five East titles while reaching the WPSL National Final on two occasions. The Mutiny will compete in WPSL Elite in 2012, competing against the Boston Breakers, Aztec MA, WNY Flash, Chicago Red Stars, F.C. Indiana, ASA Chesapeake and the Philadelphia Fever. For more information on the team, please visit http://www.MutinySoccer.com or send an e-mail to Info@MutinySoccer.com. AAA (American Automobile Association) of Pioneer Valley is the Official Team Sponsor of the Mutiny. Visit their official website at http://www.pioneervalley.aaa.com to purchase tickets, book special travel discounts, apply for an auto loan, receive auto insurance discounts and much, much more! You can also follow our team on Twitter and Facebook.
     
  3. justdoit

    justdoit Member

    Aug 11, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Great hire for Mutiny but they finished in 4th or so in WPSL division last year. How will they compete with the likes of WPS teams?
     
  4. SuperSoccer1978

    Barcelona
    Nov 24, 2011
    Club:
    Celtic FC
  5. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    With so many stars joining WPSL this should be a very good year for WPSL Elite.
     
  6. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Waiting for the Schedule.

    Hurry up.
     
  7. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Definitely better than last year. ;)
     
  8. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    It seems to me that both Boston Breakers and Chicago Red Stars are building strong teams.

    Chicago signed Lauren Fowlkes who IMO was the engine behind Notre Dame's National Championship win in 2010.

    If WNY Flash get Brittany Bock back and Sinclair, Nikki Marshal, Beverly Goebel and other strong players, we haven't heard much news of the other WPSL Elite teams but this is developing into a 3 horse race as of now.
     
  9. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  10. Ben James Ben

    Ben James Ben Member

    Apr 28, 2009
    The official announcement:
    http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php/?cat=1&id=1443
     
  11. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    ...DANGNABBIT. I spent a huge amount of time yesterday making various season articles on Wikipedia... rawrshmagargle.... *headdesk*:mad:
     
  12. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hey just do a search change for Aztex to Fury :D :)
     
  13. Ben James Ben

    Ben James Ben Member

    Apr 28, 2009
    This last-minute change doesn't inspire much confidence in the league. It makes the league look "semi-pro", in the pejorative sense of the term.

    I wonder what the real story is. Up through last week the Aztec seemed to be making steady progress towards this season (hiring coaches, signing players, rebranding web site and social media, etc.). It doesn't seem likely that there would be "schedule conflicts" of such severity at this stage. Were the Aztec pushed out? Did they willingly bow out to allow the Fury to join?

    The press release states that the Aztec owner has been made an Assistant Commissioner of the WPSL and that his team would be in the WPSL Elite in 2013. However, he didn't seem to be a authorial participant in the announcement. And, we haven't yet seen any press release from the Aztec with their side of the story. The Fury's decision to join seems to have come rather quickly, and Riley was quoted in the press release. The other teams (BOS, IND) seem to have been blindsided by the announcement.

    I wonder how this affects Riley's professional players "Supergroup" training camps also scheduled during the WPSL Elite season.
     
  14. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well WPSL "Elite" is totally semi-pro in every sense of the word. Think of it as cheaper/less expensive WPS :eek:
     
  15. Ben James Ben

    Ben James Ben Member

    Apr 28, 2009
    The full WPSL Elite 2012 schedule was released today in a press release:
    http://www.soccernation.com/womens-soccer-news-wpsl-elite-league-2012-schedule-cms-2529

    The Chicago Red Stars also published their schedule:
    http://chicagoredstars.net/2012/03/...2-wpsl-elite-schedule-season-ticket-packages/

    The league schedule lists a DC United vs. Boston Breakers game on May 12, 2012 in Maryland. I'm not sure if that was a mistake.

    The Philadelphia Fever home game locations are divided among locations in PA and NJ, though exact venues aren't listed. The Western New York Flash will again be playing in Sahlen Stadium. The Chicago Red Stars are split among three different locations in Illinois. In one schedule, one of the Indiana FC's home games was listed as being at IUPUI (Indiana University-Perdue University Indianapolis). Indiana lists the Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium at IUPUI as their home stadium. According to the IUPUI web site, the grass field is being replaced with synthetic turf.

    Based on information culled from the four schedules, I believe that this is the 2012 WPSL Elite schedule, as much as is known so far. More schedule updates are to come:
    Code:
    week,date,day,home,away,venue,time,score,attendance,
    01,2012-05-10,THU,CHE,BOS,,,,,
    01,2012-05-12,SAT,NE,NY,,,,,
    01,2012-05-12,SAT,DC United,BOS,SoccerPlex (MD),,,,
    01,2012-05-12,SAT,WNY,IND,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),7:00 PM,,,
    02,2012-05-18,FRI,BOS,IND,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),7:00 PM (ET),,,
    02,2012-05-19,SAT,NE,CHE,,,,,
    02,2012-05-19,SAT,WNY,NY,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),7:00 PM (ET),,,
    02,2012-05-20,SUN,CHI,IND,North Central College (Naperville),3:00 PM (CT),,,
    02,2012-05-20,SUN,PHI,NE,TBA (NJ),,,,
    03,2012-05-24,THU,NY,BOS,,6:00 PM,,,
    03,2012-05-25,FRI,IND,CHI,IUPUI (Indianapolis),,,,
    03,2012-05-26,SAT,BOS,WNY,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),6:00 PM (ET),,,
    03,2012-05-27,SUN,PHI,CHE,TBA (PA),,,,
    04,2012-05-31,THU,NY,PHI,,,,,
    04,2012-06-01,FRI,IND,BOS,,,,,
    04,2012-06-02,SAT,NE,PHI,,,,,
    04,2012-06-03,SUN,CHI,BOS,North Central College (Naperville),5:00 PM (CT),,,
    04,2012-06-03,SUN,NY,WNY,,,,,
    05,2012-06-08,FRI,CHI,NY,(TBA),6:00 PM (CT),,,
    05,2012-06-08,FRI,IND,CHE,,,,,
    05,2012-06-09,SAT,WNY,NE,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),7:00 PM (ET),,,
    05,2012-06-10,SUN,CHI,CHE,North Central College (Naperville),3:00 PM (CT),,,
    05,2012-06-10,SUN,IND,NY,,,,,
    05,2012-06-10,SUN,PHI,BOS,TBA (PA),,,,
    06,2012-06-13,WED,WNY,CHI,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),,,,
    06,2012-06-14,THU,IND,NE,,,,,
    06,2012-06-16,SAT,CHE,WNY,,,,,
    06,2012-06-16,SAT,CHI,NE,Northwestern University (Evanston),3:00 PM (CT),,,
    06,2012-06-17,SUN,PHI,WNY,TBA (PA),,,,
    06,2012-06-17,SUN,CHE,NY,,,,,
    07,2012-06-20,WED,BOS,NE,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),7:00 PM (ET),,,
    07,2012-06-22,FRI,CHE,CHI,,,,,
    07,2012-06-22,FRI,WNY,PHI,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),6:30 PM (ET),,,
    07,2012-06-23,SAT,BOS,NY,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),6:00 PM (ET),,,
    07,2012-06-24,SUN,PHI,CHI,TBA (NJ),,,,
    07,2012-06-24,SUN,NE,WNY,,,,,
    08,2012-06-28,THU,NY,CHE,,,,,
    08,2012-06-29,FRI,PHI,IND,TBA (PA),,,,
    08,2012-06-30,SAT,NY,NE,,,,,
    08,2012-06-30,SAT,BOS,CHI,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),6:00 PM (ET),,,
    08,2012-07-01,SUN,CHE,IND,,,,,
    09,2012-07-05,THU,IND,PHI,,,,,
    09,2012-07-06,FRI,BOS,CHE,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),7:00 PM (ET),,,
    09,2012-07-07,SAT,CHI,PHI,Northwestern University (Evanston),6:00 PM (CT),,,
    09,2012-07-07,SAT,NE,BOS,,,,,
    09,2012-07-08,SUN,WNY,CHE,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),4:00 PM (ET),,,
    10,2012-07-11,WED,CHE,NE,,,,,
    10,2012-07-12,THU,IND,WNY,,,,,
    10,2012-07-14,SAT,BOS,PHI,Dilboy Stadium (Somerville),6:00 PM (ET),,,
    10,2012-07-14,SAT,CHI,WNY,Benedictine University (Lisle),7:00 PM (CT),,,
    10,2012-07-15,SUN,PHI,NY,TBA (NJ),,,,
    11,2012-07-19,THU,NY,IND,,2:00 PM,,,
    11,2012-07-19,THU,NE,CHI,,,,,
    11,2012-07-21,SAT,NE,IND,,,,,
    11,2012-07-22,SUN,NY,CHI,,,,,
    11,2012-07-22,SUN,WNY,BOS,Sahlen Stadium (Rochester),4:00 PM (ET),,,
    11,2012-07-22,SUN,CHE,PHI,,,,,
     
  16. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Depends on what kind of 'mistake' you mean. With eight teams hosting seven games each, there should be 56 total games; that schedule lists 57, with the Breakers being the away team eight times instead of seven. So it's not that they mis-entered the home team for that game when it's supposed to be a league game; looks like it's a random game that got added into that list.
    FWIW, while the schedule on BOS's website has updated to match the 'full' league schedule, Fury in for Aztecs and all that, the DCU game doesn't appear to be mentioned anywhere.
     
  17. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Are you guys from St. Louis going to make it to a Red Stars game maybe? The Boston Breakers game may be a good one on June 3rd.
     
  18. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    5yr/$200,000per with another 5 yr option

    I don't think Joe is looking to play anywhere else, and I'm sure getting Morgan back and the WPS rebooted is at the top of his list.
     
  19. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    It's being discussed on the Laclede's Army FB page, but I personally won't likely be going - I'm going to be busy this summer shifting from undergrad to grad school (unless I get an insane offer in the next day or two, I will be a Terp - which actually puts me a lot closer to the core of the WPSL EL).
     
  20. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Interesting. It doesn't contradict DCU's W-League schedule - it would be a preseason exhibition for the DCU Women - and makes sense in terms of timing. But I find it hard to believe that it has the sanctioning of either league. I'll see if I can find out anything from this end.
     
  21. pasoccerdad

    pasoccerdad Member

    Mar 17, 2008
    KOP
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    many of these teams are playing exhibitions... I Know Rileys supergroup is playing against some of the WPSL Elite...
     
  22. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    You are assuming that getting WPS back IS at the top of all their lists. I'm not so sure, but we will see.

    I'll say it again, the WPS that may come back, if it does comes back, will look nothing like the WPS of the first three years. Too much money was spent and lost. The owners IMO, will not go through losing ridiculous amounts of money again. AND the WPS will need at least 8 owners to be on board. I don't think USSF will sanction a WPS with 5 teams only again.

    The WPS again, IMO, will be closer to WPSL Elite then former WPS.

    newsouth, you seem to obsess with individual players. Morgan is a popular player but if Alex Morgan demands too much money, she will not be on his list.
    Also, how do you know Morgan will want to come back to WNY? Her boyfriend plays for Seattle Sounders. So if she can make a steady paycheck with the USWNT and a little playing for Sounders women, why would she live 2,000 miles away from her boyfriend?

    Also, if WPS does come back, the teams will all have very different rosters.

    newsouth, get used to WPSL Elite being the top league in the US for a while, Morgan or no Morgan. Press or no Press.
     
  23. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I emailed Chris Hummer, GM of the DCU Women, and he confirmed that the match is happening, though the announcement was supposed to come tomorrow, not buried in the WPSL schedule.
     
  24. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    WHOOPS X-D That can't be good for inter-league relations. :rolleyes:
     

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