Third Place Game

In the third place game, the New Jersey Lady Stallions slipped by the Maryland Pride 1-0 in a shootout on the game-winning attempt of U.S. Women's National Team midfielder Christie Pearce, who chipped Pride goalkeeper Kate MacFarland for the deciding shootout goal.

In the most evenly-played part of the tournament, the Maryland Pride and the New Jersey Lady Stallions battled it out end to end to a scoreless tie at halftime. New Jersey, who was outshot 8-5, withstood two shots that clanged off the crossbar and were quickly cleared. Maryland forward Lara Powlow led the Pride with four shots in the half.

In the second half, it was New Jersey that took control of the match, outshooting the Pride 7-1 and presenting numerous scoring chances. Lady Stallions' leading scorer Nickie Kelly, W-2 goal leader Kristen Kurzynowski, and defender Kathleen Sinram combined for eight of the team's 14 total shots in regulation and overtime.

New Jersey Lady Stallions	Maryland Pride
1	0
Shootout
1 2 OT SO F Maryland 0 0 0 2 0 New Jersey 0 0 0 3 1
Scoring: none in regulation or overtime
Shootout Summary
Maryland	New Jersey
Desfosses (goal) Shermeta (goal) Andersch (save) McDonough (save) P. McCarthy (wide right)	Foster (wide right) V. Rubio (goal) A. Rubio (goal) Pearce (goal)
Lineups
Kate MacFarland Staci Wilson Danielle Desfosses Jenny McMahon Maureen McDonough Peggy McCarthy Tania Shermeta Megan McCarthy Nancy Rohrman Lara Powlow (Samantha Andersch 76) Jamie Dykes	Amy Pseja Vanessa Rubio Dana Zonkle Kathleen Sinram Dawn Dickten Jeanette Mason (Tracy Foster 46) Kimberly Faust (Kerri Schembari 50) Christi Pearce Andrea Rubio Nickie Kelly Kristen Kurzynowski (Krissy Jeremian 72)
MD NJ Shots 10 14 Saves 9 3 Fouls 10 10 Offsides 0 1 Corner Kicks 1 4

August 17, 1998
W-2 Finals

Fort Collins Wins First Ever W-2 Championship

August 8, 1998 The #3 seed Fort Collins Force' player Maren Hendershot scored two goals in two minutes from to help beat the Hampton Roads Pirhanas 3-1 to win the W-League's first ever W-2 Championship.

Fort Collins 3 -- Hampton Roads 1

After the teams spent much of the first half playing a back-and-forth game in the midfield, Fort Collins midfielder Kelley Poole opened up the scoring in the 29th minute when she controlled a bad clearance in the box, and shot into the lower left corner of the goal.

Although they out shot the Pirhanas 8-0 in the first half, the Force had just a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Tournament MVP Maren Hendershot, who scored two goals in the Force's 4-0 rout of the host Miami Gliders on Friday, scored the game-winning goal in the 57th minute off a pass from midfielder Amy Hamamoto.

After Hampton Roads put the ball in play following the goal, Hendershot again found herself streaking towards the goal, this time dribbling through three defenders and beating goalkeeper Amanda Fox to score her second goal of the night and her fourth of the tournament.

Hampton Roads, who beat the New York Magic 2-1 Friday to advance to the finals, spoiled the Force's shutout bid when forward Jen Gillsepie blasted an unexpected shot from 25 years out that left second half substitute goalkeeper Tracy Frost reaching in vain to attempt the save. Comments "I can't believe it. It's shocking, coming in here third and pulling it off," said an ecstatic Jamie Hemingway, the coach of the Force. "I gave the players a lot of freedom all year long. I know we had the quality of players to do it. It's incredible."

"This is unbelievable," said Hendershot, upon winning the W-2 Championship MVP award along with winning the National W-2 Title. "This is one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt, and this is one of the best teams I've ever played on." "It was our goal just to get here," said Hampton Roads defender Allison Ankerson. "We're not used to an offense coming down our throats non-stop. It took us out of our game."

Third Place Game

New York 3 -- Miami 0

New York Magic redeemed itself by taking it to the Miami Gliders, scoring three goals in the first half and hanging on for a 3-0 win to take third place.

New York scored early in the half, beginning with a goal in the third minute by star forward Jessica Reifer, who finished third in the W-2 in scoring with 11 goals and eight assists. Reifer jumped to block a ball that Miami goalkeeper Danielle Dion was trying to clear. She gathered the ball after it deflected off of her back, and beat Dion to the right.

Later in the half,Noelle Meeke bent a beautiful corner kick across the goal mouth, where it glanced off the inside of the far post past a stunned Dion in the 32nd minute to put the Magic up 2-0. Reifer put the game out of reach when she scored on a 2-on-1 situation.

Miami, who led the W-2 with 51 goals in the regular season, finished the tournament scoreless while dominating the second half in each of their losses.

Comments

"If we'd started last night's game the way we finished tonight, we would've been playing in the final," said Miami midfielder Nikki Grant, one of four Scottish National Team players on the Gliders roster.

"We were very honored to be able to host the W-2 Championship," said Miami General Manager Graziella Marandi. "I know everyone had a wonderful time, and we'd love to host the event again."

August 17, 1998
1998 W-2 League Coaches' Awards

All awards were voted upon by W-2 coaches. The following is the complete listing of the awards for the 1998 W-2 season:

MVP - Jessica Reifer, F, New York Magic

Reifer, who finished the regular season third in the W-2 in scoring with 11 goals and eight assists, led the second-year Magic to a 9-2 record and a goal differential of 33-2, both of which led the W-2. She scored five goals and added an assist in a 10-0 rout of New Hampshire to be named W-League Player of the Week for Week 10. Reifer, a three-time All-American at the University of Hartford, was presented the award Saturday after a 3-0 win over Miami in the third place game of the W-2 Championship, in which she scored two goals and was named to the All-Tournament team.

Coach of the Year - Kim Shaw, Cleveland Eclipse

Cleveland Coach Kim Shaw, who also serves as the team's president and general manager, led the Eclipse to a 9-3 record and first place in the W-2 Central Division. Their 9-3 mark, which tied them with the Miami Gliders for the second best mark in the W-2, included a 5-1 record at home.

Defender of the Year - Ingrid Wagner, Cleveland Eclipse

Cleveland defender Ingrid Wagner was the force behind an Eclipse defense that allowed just 20 goals in 12 games, making them one of the top five defenses in the W-2. Wagner was named to the W-League Team of the Week in Week 7.

Leading Scorer (Points) - Nickie Kelly, F, New Jersey Lady Stallions

New Jersey forward Nickie Kelly did it all this year, piling up goals and assists everywhere for a total of 34 points (11 goals, 12 assists) on the season.

Top Goal Scorer - Kristen Kurzynowski, F, New Jersey Lady Stallions

When it came to scoring goals this year, Kurzynowski was far above the rest. The dangerous forward notched 16 goals in 14 games, five better than New York's Reifer and teammate Nickie Kelly.

Top Assist Leader - Nickie Kelly, F, New Jersey Lady Stallions

Kelly's 12 assists were four better than Reifer and Miami's Pauline MacDonald, who tied for second place.

Goalkeeper of the Year - Amy Pseja, New Jersey Lady Stallions

Pseja finished the regular season having given up just nine goals in 1194 minutes, good for a league-best goals against average of 0.68.

August 17, 1998
1998 W-1 League Coaches' Awards

Most Valuable Player: Charmaine Hooper, F, Chicago Cobras

Chicago Cobras forward Charmaine Hooper led her team to an 11-3 record, first place in the W-1 Central division and won the W-1 scoring title. Hooper, a star forward with the Canadian National Team, was the most consistent scorer in the league and helped the Cobras score 54 goals in 14 games, good for second among all 30 W-League teams. On three separate occasions, she received W-League Player of the Week honors and once scored nine goals in a single weekend.

Coach of the Year: Bill Palladino, Raleigh Wings

Palladino, who also serves as the assistant coach at the University of North Carolina, assembled a team overflowing with talent and expertly guided them to a W-League record 17-0 mark and the first ever W-1 Championship in jtheir first season as a team.

Leading Scorer (points): Charmaine Hooper, F, Chicago Cobras

Hooper's point total of 52 (23 goals, six assists) was almost twice that of six of top eight scorers that trailed her. The mark sets a W-League record for points in a season and eclipsed last year's mark of 28 points (by Atlanta's Jenny Crawford).

Top Goal Scorer: Charmaine Hooper, F, Chicago Cobras

When it came to putting the ball into the back of the net this year, Hooper was alone at the top of the league. She scored 23 goals in 14 games, six better than Denver's Mikka Hansen and nine more than Charlotte's Ali Lord.

Top Assist Leader: Kim Yankowski, Raleigh Wings

Yankowski's 10 assists were one better than Hansen.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Kim Wyant, Long Island Lady Riders

Wyant, who has established herself as the best goalkeeper in the history of the W-League, won her fourth consecutive Goalkeeper of the Year award. She finished the regular season having given up 13 goals in 1204 minutes, good for a league-best goals against average of 0.97. In 1997, she led the W-League with an astonishing 0.36 goals against average and guided the Lady Riders to the 1997 W-League Championship.

1998 W-league Standings
Final Standings

August 4, 1998
W-1 Regular Season Ends And W-2 Championship Field Set

The New York Magic and Fort Collins Force advanced to the first ever W-2 Championship, where they will join Hampton Roads and the host Miami Gliders.

The W-2 Final Four Championship begins Friday, August 7th. in Miami Beach, Florida. #1 seed New York against #4 seed Hampton Roads in Game One at 6:00 p.m. The #2 seed Miami meet #3 seed Fort Collins in Game Two at 8:00 p.m. The third place game and W-2 Championship game will be played Saturday night at 6 and 8 p.m., respectively.

The story of the W-1 regular season is the Raleigh Wings amazing 14-0 record. The Wings' unbeaten mark gave them a 15-point first place lead in the W-1 South, while the two other divisions were decided by 5 points or less. The Atlanta Classics locked up the second spot with a 2-0 win over division rival Tampa Bay Saturday. The Classics will face the Wings in the W-1 South Division Playoffs this weekend.

In the Central, the Denver Diamonds and New Jersey Lady Stallions wins vaulted them into a tie for first place with the Chicago Cobras. The Diamonds received a 1-0 forfeit victory over the new-defunct Buffalo Ffillies, while the Lady Stallions won 2-1 against Maryland. Chicago and Denver using a tiebreaker will advance with the most goals scored (54 and 45 goals, respectively).

Nothing changed in the W-1 North, where the Maryland Pride and Long Island Lady Riders will battle this weekend to advance to the W-1 Championship and join the first-place Boston Renegades -who qualify automatically as the host of the three-day event.

July 30, 1998
No Surprises As W-2 Playoff Teams Decided

Chicago Jumps to Top of W-1 Central With One Week Left

TAMPA, Fla. (July 27, 1998) - The Midwest was best in Week 12 of W-League play, as the Indiana Blaze helped close out the W-2 regular season with a pair of wins and the Chicago Cobras moved to the top of the W-1 Central with two blowout wins and just one week remaining in the W-1 regular season.

Indiana (5-7, 13 points) went out in a Blaze of glory this weekend, finishing their season with two big wins and moving into third place in the five-team Central division. The Blaze defeated rival Rockford 4-2 Saturday and then pulled off a 2-1 upset of first-place Cleveland yesterday.

Despite their efforts, the Blaze failed to qualify for the playoffs, as Central front-runners Cleveland (9-3, 23 points) and Fort Collins (7-5, 21 points) advance. Cleveland clinched the regular season title last week, while Fort Collins is coming off a 2-1 upset win over the W-1 New Jersey Lady Stallions.

The New York Magic (8-2, 24 points), currently the team to beat in the W-2, and the Finger Lakes Heartbreakers (6-6, 16 points) go through to the playoffs from the North division. The Magic and Heartbreakers, who are both expansion teams this year, both head to the post-season having won their last regular season game.

The South presents a unique picture, as the Miami Gliders (9-3, 27 points) automatically qualify as the host of the W-2 finals. The Hampton Roads Piranhas (5-7, 13 points) thereby fill the second spot from the South as the second-place team in the division.

W-2 North	W-2 Central	W-2 South
New York (8-2, 24)	Cleveland (9-3, 23)	Miami (9-3, 27)*
Finger Lakes (6-6, 16)	Fort Collins (7-5, 21)	Hampton Roads (5-7, 13)
*automatic qualifier as host

The top two teams from the North and Central division will compete in the division playoffs this weekend, with game dates and times to be announced tomorrow. The two winners will then join the Hampton Roads Piranhas and the host Miami Gliders to compete for the first ever W-2 Championship, which will be played Aug. 7 and 8 in Miami's South Beach at Flamingo Park.

In W-1 action, Chicago (11-3, 33 points) also went out with a bang, blowing out two W-2 opponents on the way to first-place in the Central. The Cobras rocked Rockford 6-0 Friday and crushed Kalamazoo 5-0 Saturday to finish with a league-high 54 goals scored.

Chicago has a slim three-point lead on both Denver (10-2, 30 points), who has two games still to play, and the New Jersey Lady Stallions (10-3, 30 points), who finish their season against Maryland Saturday.

Boston (11-2, 33 points) and Maryland (10-3, 28 points) both won this weekend to remain 1-2 in the North, with the Renegades defeating the defending champion Long Island Lady Riders (9-4, 21 points) 2-1 Saturday. But since Boston is hosting the W-1 Championship, the Pride and the Lady Riders qualify as the top two teams in the division.

Things are a bit more complex in the South, where the Atlanta Classics (8-5, 21 points) appear to have won the three-team race for second place over the Tampa Bay Extreme (6-7, 18 points) and Jackson Calypso (6-6, 18 points), who lost both of their matched this weekend. Tampa Bay could still play the spoiler role, as a win over Atlanta Saturday accompanied by two Jackson wins would tie the Calypso with the Classics. Of course, the first-place Raleigh Wings (13-0, 39 points) have dominated from beginning to end this season, so it's no shock that they take the top spot.

The W-1 playoff picture with one week remaining:

W-1 North	W-1 Central	W-1 South
Boston (11-2, 33)*	Chicago (11-3, 33)	Raleigh (13-0, 39)
Maryland (10-3, 28)	Denver (10-2, 30)	Atlanta (8-5, 24)
Long Island (9-4, 21)	N.J. L.Stallions (10-3, 30)	Jackson (6-6, 18)
*automatic qualifier as host

July 6, 1998

Wings Become First W-league Team To Win Ten

Lady Stallions Make Jump to W-1
The Raleigh Wings became the first team to reach the 10-win mark with a 1-0 victory over the Hampton Roads Pirhanas (W-2) Friday.

Kim Smith netted the only goal of the game on an assist from former University of North Carolina standout Robin Confer. Wing goalkeeper Tracy Ducar was only called upon to make one save as Piranha goalkeeper recorded four.

The Wings sport a record of 10-0 with 30 points which puts them 15 points ahead of Jackson, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay, who are all tied for second in the W-1 South.

The Calypso and Classics met Friday in Atlanta with the home team coming out on top by the score of 4-1. Four different players scored for the Classics, Rakel Karvelson, Nicole Roberts, Kerry Gragg and Nancy Auguatyniak.

The Miami Gliders split their weekend games, but continue to extend their lead in the W-2 South. After a 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay Friday, the Gliders rebounded to pound the Orlando Ladyhawks Sunday 10-1 as Pauline MacDonald scord a hat trick and added two assists.

The Cliders are 7-2 with 21 points and own an 11 point lead over second place Hampton Roads (4-5, 10 pts), while the Cleveland Eclipse won two this weekend to take a five point lead in the W-2 Central over Fort Collins.

The New Jersey Lady Stallions, who have been one of the teams to beat in the W-2 this season, are replacing the Buffalo Ffilles in the W-1 Central division, W-League Manager of Operations Rui Farias announced today.

The Ffillies, who have been a member of the W-League since 1996, announced last week they would be unable to fulfill their responsibilities for the remainder of the season. The Lady Stallions (7-2, 21 pts) move to third place in the W-1 behind Chicago and Denver.

With the Lady Stallions moving up, the New York Magic now hold a five-point lead in the W-2 North with 21 points and a 7-1 record.

June 16, 1998
Maryland Pride Raise Record To 4-1 In W-league Play

By Rick Crow

The Maryland Pride overcame an afternoon of frustration with a 2-1 sudden-death overtime victory over the Jackson Calypso in a W-League match played at Rockville's Richard Montgomery High School on Sunday. The Pride was rewarded with the golden goal when a Calypso player deflected Jamie Dykes' shot into her net for an own-goal.

Jackson took the lead at the 33rd minute when Shelley Marusak slammed a shot off the crossbar and Ashley Kirkland knocked the rebound past Pride goalkeeper Tina Pihl. In the second half, the Pride launched an all-out attack that produced a 35-3 advantage in shots, but could not find the equalizer until Peggy McCarthy served a through-ball to Jamie Dykes who beat the Jackson keeper one-on-one at the 71st minute. Collette Cunningham had her four-game scoring streak broken after missing a penalty kick and banging a shot off the post. Cunningham, though, started the sequence that led to the winning goal when she launched a corner kick that found McCarthy. McCarthy shot low, and a Jackson defender redirected the ball past the goalkeeper.

With the victory, the Pride upped its record to 4-1. This Saturday, the Pride travels to New England to face the Boston Renegades, followed by road matches on June 26 in Buffalo and June 27 in Rochester, New York. The team returns to Maryland to face the Charlotte Speed on July 4 at Catonsville Community College. A starting time for the Maryland-Charlotte match had not been set at press time.

For further information about the Maryland Pride, contact the Amateur Sports Group at (410) 729-1100.

Five Of Six First Place Teams Win In Week 6

Five of six first place teams, Maryland, Chicago, Raleigh, New Jersey, and Miami, won this weekend.

Maryland Pride, the 1996 W-League champions, needed overtime to down the Jackson Calypso 2-1 Sunday and move into a tie for first place in the W-1 North with the Boston Renegades, who did not play this weekend. The Pride, at 4-1 with 12 points, are one point ahead of long Island, who beat Rochester in a shootout to remain unbeatedn at 5-0 with 11 points.

The Chicago Cobras, who own the W-1 Central with a 6-1 record for 18 points, wona pair of matches this weekend. Chicago defeated intrastate rival Rockford 2-0 Saturday and slipped by third-place Colombus 2-1 Sunday to increase their lead to six points over Denver, who beat the Fort Collins Force 5-3 Saturday.

The Raleigh Wings continued their undefeated season by blasting the Hampton Roads Piranhas 8-0 Saturday. Raleigh forward Wendy Gabauer, who scored two goals in the win, helped the Wings earn their seventh consecutive victory and increase their lead in the W-1 South to 12 points. Raleigh also defeated the Under-20 U.S. Women's National Team 1-0 in an exhibition Friday.

The four teams trailing Raleigh--Jackson, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Charlotte--each won this weekend, but still sit in a tie for second place with 9 points each. The New Jersey Lady Stallions continue to lead the W-2 North, pounding division rival Rhode Island 6-1 Sunday to improve to 4-1 with 12 points. The Lady Stallions, have outscored opponents in their first year in the W-League.

Another1998 expansion team Miami Gliders, who still have sole possession of first place in the W-2 South with a 4-2 record and 12 points, beat Orlando 6-1 Saturday.

Three games--Cleveland at Indiana (6/12/98), New York at Boston (6/13/98) and Buffalo at Toronto (6/13/98) were postponed due to inclement weather.

June 2, 1998
W-league Play Heats Up In Week Four

The Boston Renegades and Chicago Cobras both won on the road to go to the top of their respective divisions this week, which was marked by 10 shutouts in W-League play.

Boston beat the New Jersey Wildcats 4-0 on Friday, and the Delaware Genies 3-1 on Sunday to move into first place in the W-1 North Division with seven goals by six different players.

Chicago won 6-1 against Buffalo on Saturday, and 4-1 against Rochester on Sunday. The Cobras' Charmaine Hooper is an early favorite for W-League MVP after scoring five goals this weekend to add to her four goals and two assists in week 3.

In other W-1 action, Raleigh and Long Island remain undefeated this season.

With a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay Friday, the first-year Wings are 4-0 and in first place in the W-1 South.

The Lady Riders edged Maryland 3-2 Saturday.

After being down 2-1 at halftime to the W-2 Cleveland Caps, Columbus battled back to score four unanswered goals and earn a 5-2 victory.

Fort Collins watched the first episode of Denver's "Hansen and Neaton Show," as Mikka Hansen notched two goals and an assist and Natalie Neaton added a goal and an assist of her own in the Diamonds' 4-0 win over the Force.

In W-2 action, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all won this weekend and are in a three-way tie for the first place in the North Division.

New York whipped Finger Lakes 5-0 Saturday, New Jersey trounced New Hampshire 6-1 on the same night, and Connecticut slipped by Rhode Island 3-2 Sunday.

The Miami Gliders and Hampton Roads remain 1-2 in the South, as they both picked up their third wins of the `98 campaign. Miami shut out Orlando 2-0 Saturday to stay in first with nine points, while Hampton Roads sneaked by Central Jersey 1-0 to give them seven points.

May 13, 1998
Expansion W-2 team Miami and new W-2 Team New Jersey Lady Stallions win in first week of W-League play.

W-2 division expansion team Miami Gliders made a mockery of the "elite" label given to W-1 division teams when they beat the W-1 Tampa Bay Extreme 4-1 at flamingo Park Stadium on Saturday, May 9. Michelle Smith scored a hat trick for the Gliders.

In the other game on Sunday, May 10 at Toms River High School North Stadium, New Jersey, between two first year W-2 teams, N.J. Lady Stallions beat Orlando 4-0.

Press Release From USISL
(December 20, 1996)

Started as a pilot program in 1994, the W-League completed its third season in 1996, when it had 24 teams across the U.S. from California to Rhode Island. In 1997, the W-League will grow larger then ever, with between 28 and 34 teams in its field of dreams. There are more than 125 teams in 38 states and three Canadian provinces in the five adult leagues in the USISL system.

Although the W-League is amateur in status, it is currently the highest level of competitive soccer for women in the U.S. - there are presently no professional leagues.

Over the last few years, the popularity of women's soccer has grown almost exponentially, fueled in part by the tremendous success of the U.S. Women's National Team, which captured the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

The growing player pool breeds excitement about the future of the W-League. Dozens of colleges and universities have recently added - or will be adding - women's soccer to their intercollegiate athletic programs, assuring the continued success of the W-League as it taps into the ever-increasing talent base.

Some Facts About the W-League

Name: W-League

Within The USISL System: The W-League is an outdoor women's amateur-level soccer league and the only national outdoor soccer league for adult women in the U.S. It is one of four outdoor leagues (the other three are men's leagues) operated by the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL).

Affiliations: The W-League is affiliated with the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA).

How The W-League Was Formed: USISL, Inc. founder Francisco Marcos recognized the need for an adult women's soccer league and began the W-League as a pilot program in 1994 with a handful of teams. The W-League played its first championship season in 1995 and completed its second full season in 1996.

What Not To Call The W-League: United States Women's Interregional Soccer League - Formerly the official name of the W-League, this name was dropped after the 1996 season. Also, do not put quotations around the W; we referred to the league as the "W" League in 1996, but for the sake of consistency with other USISL leagues (A-League, I-League, Y-League), we now use a hyphen. It is OK, but not necessary, to refer to the W-League as the USlSL's W-League. Other names that have been dropped: Select League, United Stales International Soccer League and United States Interregional Soccer League.

Logo: The new W-League logo was unveiled prior to the 1996 season and underwent subtle changes that were unveiled Nov. 14. It features a predominant, three-dimensional "W" with the word "league" spelled out in reverse type on the right side and the USISL's familiar flaming ball draped over the left side. The letters "USISL" have been added to the ball and a cross, which when combined with the ball resembles the international women's symbol, has been added to the bottom of the ball.

Governance: Francisco Marcos, who founded the USISL in 1986, is president of USISL, Inc. A six-member W League executive committee makes policy decisions at the league level. USISL, Inc. is governed by a five-member board of directors.

Number Of Teams: The W-League will include between 28 and 34 in 1997. Eighteen states are represented by the 28 teams confirmed to play in 1997, with four additional states represented by the six tentative entrants. All 23 of the W-League teams which completed the 1996 season will return for l997. The other five confirmed entrants are expansion teams for 1997, as are all six of the tentative entrants.

Conferences/Divisions: The W-League will have five divisions - West, Midwest, South Central Northeast and Central Atlantic - in 1997. Due to an uneven number of teams and geographic considerations, there will be between six and seven teams in each division. Teams are assigned as follows:

---

Reigning Champions: The Maryland Pride defeated the Dallas Lightning 3-0 at Love's Park, Ill. on Aug. 11 to capture the 1996 W-League championship.

Number Of Games: W-League teams will play a total of 10 league games in 1997, with at least one game against each team in their division. Some teams may play additional "non-league" games against other W-League teams, any of which could be substituted for any of the 10 league games that is not completed due to weather, travel problems or other extraordinary circumstances.

Playdates: The W-League schedule is currently under formulation and will be announced soon, but the 1997 season will start in the middle of April and the playoffs will end on Aug. 2 or 3.

Game Clock: W-League games are 90 minutes long, divided into two 45-minute halves.

Overtime: Games tied after 90 minutes will be followed by a 15-minute sudden-death overtime period.

Shootout: Games remaining tied after a 15-minute overtime period will go to a shootout. Teams will alternate five scoring chances each in which an offensive player has five seconds to dribble, shoot and score one-on-one against the opposing goalkeeper from 35 yards out.

Standings: Only the 10 designated "league" games will count in the final W-League standings, but any of the "non-league games" could be substituted for one of the 10 games that is not completed due to weather, travel problems or other extraordinary circumstances. The NLG Selection Process, if necessary, will be conducted as a blind draw at the end of the regular season by the USISL league office. The blind draw assures that teams must be competitive in their NLGs because they won't know which NLG game could be substituted for one of the 10 games that was not completed. Three points are awarded for a victory in regulation or overtime, one point is awarded for a shootout win and no points are awarded for a loss, including shootout losses. This scoring system is exactly the same as Major League Soccer and will only be changed if MLS alters its scoring system.

Playoffs: The top two teams from each division will qualify for the post-season playoffs - a total of 10 teams. Five division playoff winners will emerge and advance to the "Swizzlin' Six" National Tournament, where they will be joined by the host team, which receives a bye to the Swizzlin' Six. The Swizzlin Six host and format will be announced at a later date.

Competition Rules: The laws of the game as dictated and administered by FIFA, the international sanctioning body of soccer based in Zurich, Switzerland, apply to the USISL, with three notable exceptions:

1) A team has the option of a kick-in when the ball goes out of play over the touchline within 35 yards of its offensive goal;

2) A defensive wall must be set back at least 15 yards (instead of the usual 10 yards) on all free kicks that occur within 35 yards of the offensive goal;

3) Re-entry of substituted players is allowed as follows:

First half: No re-entry;

Second half: One re-entry;

Each overtime period: No re-entry in the same period;

Goalkeepers: Unlimited re-entry in all periods providing they re-enter as goalkeepers and not as players in other positions;

Injured players: May be substituted for and re-enter the game in any period if the injury was caused by an opposing player who was cautioned or ejected in conjunction with the injury;

Bleeding injuries/blood on uniform: A player required to leave the field of play because of a bleeding injury or blood on the uniform may be substituted for and re-enter the game (after being beckoned by the referee), provided the appropriate medical personnel have given clearance. Both the injured player and the substitute shall be exempt from the normal substitution restrictions.

Television: Prime Network, which broadcast separate shows about the A-League and the USISL in 1996, is expected to televise about 20 A-League games in 1997, several of them live. A new contract between the USISL and Prime is currently being negotiated. Program offerings may be enhanced to include broadcasts, or at least highlights, of W-League games, but the details have yet to be finalized. Sponsor/outfitter: Umbro is the official sponsor and outfitter of the USISL.