|
Penalty Kicks Do In
Wildcats
Scoreless Championship Game Decided in
Shootout
OTTAWA, CA - The New Jersey Wildcats saved their best defensive effort of
the season for last, but unfortunately they couldn't put the ball in the
back of the net at the other end of the field as the Vancouver Whitecaps
Women claimed the W-League Championship with a 4-2 shootout victory after
the two teams played to a scoreless draw at Keith Harris Stadium.
Vancouver put together a fine defensive effort of their own shutting down
Wildcats leading scorer Marinette Pichon and the Wildcats' league leading
offense.
Anne Makinen and Pichon
were the best players for the Wildcats over the second half of the season,
but their penalty kick misses in the first two rounds of the shootout gave
the Whitecaps their first-ever W-League title. Martina Franko, Andrea
Neil, Kara Lang, and Erin McLeod buried their penalty kicks for the
Whitecaps while Tasha St Louis and Manya Makoski hit for the Wildcats.
Officially, the Whitecaps
outshot New Jersey 13-11 though regulation and overtime but nearly all the
Whitecaps' chances were from 25 yards and further. New Jersey had the
majority of the possession in the game and dominated the first two thirds
of the field but the Wildcats couldn't counter the strength and size of
Vancouver's backs. The Whitecaps were content to drive long balls up the
field at every opportunity but New Jersey's backs were well organized and
won the air balls well.
New Jersey had the most
dangerous chances of the game starting in the 22nd minute when Makinen
curled a pass into the path of Pichon and her left-footed shot rolled just
wide of the right post. Pichon also had a free kick chance from the top of
the box in the 41st minute, but her swerving shot was easily saved by
McLeod.
Vancouver's first
dangerous chance came in the 61st minute when Franko's 25-yard shot went
right at Wildcats keeper Amanda Brown. Pichon came up with back-to-back
chances within one minute but neither could beat McLeod. Her right-footed
shot in the 71st minute was grabbed by McLeod and another right-footed
crack went wide left one minute later. Vancouver finally got behind the
Wildcats' defense in the last minute of regulation but Franko popped her
shot over the goal.
Brown came up with the
save of the game in the 102nd minute. Amber Allen broke in behind the
backs into the box but Brown kicked away her chance with her right foot.
New Jersey came close twice in the second overtime period as Makinen's low
free kick from 35 yards went just wide left in the 115th minute and
Makoski could get off a solid shot after getting behind one minute
later.
In the shootout, Makinen
stepped up first and rolled her shot wide left and after Franko hit the to
the left side, Pichon missed the upper right corner of the goal by a wide
margin. Neil hit into the left side before St Louis nailed her kick just
under the bar. Lang hit into the upper left and Makoski scored up the
middle before McLeod came out of goal and sealed the win with a shot into
the lower left.
The loss was the first of
the season for the Wildcats, who went 14-0 in the regular season and won
their first three playoff games. The trip to the championship game ended
what was easily New Jersey's best season ever. Vancouver became the first
Canadian team ever to win the W-League title. In their only other trip to
the final, the Whitecaps lost 5-1 to Boston in 2001.
LINEUPS:
VANCOUVER
WHITECAPS: Erin McLeod, Andrea Neil, Sasha Andrews, Amy Apps
(Sara Maglio 120), Randee Hermus, Martina Franko, Liz Conner (Ashley
McGhee 120), Brittany Timko, Clare Rustad, Kelly Haxton (Amber Allen 73),
Kara Lang.
NEW JERSEY WILDCATS: Amanda Brown, Janine Willis,
Beth McNamara, Kim Brandão, Rochelle Willis,
Maura Gallagher (Katie Ludwig 45, Tasha St Louis 119), Anne Makinen, Kim Francis,
Tobin Heath (Manya Makoski 112), Kate Sands (Bonnie Young 89, Cara Hammond
119), Marinette Pichon.
SHOOTOUT ATTEMPTS:
VAN –
Franko (G), Neil (G), Lang (G), McLeod (G)
NJW – Makinen (NG), Pichon
(NG), St Louis (G), Makoski (G)
SAVES:
VAN –
McLeod 5; NJW – Brown 11
SHOTS:
VAN –
13, NJW – 11 | 
