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 After two months of dominating victories, the Chicago Red Stars ran into two similarly talented teams at the Women's Premier Soccer League National Championships.
The host Red Stars got past Tampa Bay Hellenic 2-1 in the semifinals Saturday, but lost to the Orange County Waves 2-1 after extra time in the championship match Sunday afternoon at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill.
Midfielder Kara Kabellis (UW) and UW-Milwaukee goalkeeper Jamie Forbes started both matches for Chicago (11-2-0), and defender Elise Weber (UW) played in the final after missing Saturday's game due to a previous personal commitment. Kabellis was the team captain Saturday, with Weber wearing the armband Sunday.
The Red Stars needed an 88th-minute goal from Illinois' Julie Ewing to force extra time against the Waves (14-1-3), who are coached by Abner Rogers and Brian Boswell. Rogers guided the Los Angeles Sol to the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer title and was named WPS Coach of the Year, while Boswell led Ajax America to five straight WPSL national semifinals, two league titles and is a four-time WPSL Coach of the Year.
Tanya Taylor scored the game-winner for Orange County, staying onside, running onto a ball from former Red Stars midfielder Brittany Klein and slotting a shot past Forbes (five saves) in the 101st minute that eventually ended the Red Stars' 11-game winning streak. Chicago outscored foes 45-4 in the streak.
The Waves beat defending champion Boston Aztec Breakers Reserves 3-0 in the other semifinal, thwarting the affiliate of the WPS team in its quest to become the first repeat winner in the WPSL's 14-year history.
USL W-League
Amy Vermeulen (UW) and the Vancouver Whitecaps lost to the Atlanta Silverbacks 3-1 in the semifinals Friday and beat the host Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the third-place match Sunday in Tukwila, Wash.
Vermeulen came on in the 56th minute in the semifinals and had a shot at an equalizer in the 68th, but her drive was right at Silverbacks keeper Ashley Baker. On Sunday, Vermeulen got the start and took aim at the tying goal in the 31st, but was denied by Sounders keeper Elizabeth Ruiz. Vermeulen was subbed off at halftime and Vancouver scored twice in the second half to win.
NPSL
Finals MVP Tommy Krizanovic capped his hat trick with an 87th-minute winner as Jacksonville United (8-4-0) got past Hollywood United 3-2 in the championship game Saturday night in Madison, Ala.
It was the eighth straight win to close the season for the Florida side, which lost its first four NPSL matches but won the Southeast Division title on a tiebreaker and became the first team from the region to win the league title.
Arturo Albarran scored both goals for West Division champion Hollywood (14-3-1), netting equalizers in the 28th and 76th minutes, the latter coming on a penalty kick. However, Albarran also slammed a penalty kick in the first half off the crossbar for the Hitmen, who beat the Midwest Division champion Milwaukee Bavarians 3-0 in the semifinals Thursday.
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Hartford's Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) and North Carolina's Carlos McCrary, both from the Madison 56ers, started for the NPSL All-Star team in its 3-1 loss to NPSL side Rocket City United on Friday night. The team's scheduled match against the Carolina Railhawks Under-20 team on Sunday was canceled, but they will play the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League on Tuesday in Georgia.
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In an interview with the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog in Huntsville, NPSL commissioner Dan Trainor said adding teams to the Midwest Division is among the league's top objectives. This season, there were seven teams in the division. Watch the interview here.
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