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Amateur notes: Richard, Legault-Cordisco advance to W-League final

07/27/2013, 9:15pm CDT
By ERIC ANDERSON
USL W-League

Before heading back to Wisconsin for the college women's soccer season, Genevieve Richard and Vanessa Legault-Cordisco have one huge match left for the Laval Comets this summer.

Top-seeded Laval will take on the second-seeded Pali Blues (10-2-2) in the USL W-League Championship on Sunday afternoon in Bradenton, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

The Comets (9-1-4) outlasted the Carolina Elite Cobras 3-2 after extra time in the semifinals Friday – that coming after the Blues topped the third-seeded Washington Spirit Reserves by the same score, also in extra time.

University of Wisconsin goalkeeper Richard finished with five saves in the victory, while Marquette defender Legault-Cordisco played all 120 minutes on the backline and nearly ended the match in regulation – Carolina Elite keeper Rose Hull came up with an impressive save on her shot in the 88th minute.

The Cobras nearly took the lead in the first 15-minute period of extra time as Rachel Baer's curling shot in the 95th clanged off the crossbar, and Richard then stormed off her line to deny Claire Joyce 2 minutes later. Valerie Sanderson ended up finding the game-winner in the 110th for Laval, which is unbeaten in 11 matches (9-0-2) heading into the final.

  • Richard, who led the league with six shutouts in 11 games and ranked second with a 0.545 goals-against average during the regular season, was honored as the W-League Goalkeeper of the Year on Saturday.

USL PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE

Marquette defenders Paul Dillon and Axel Sjoberg both played the full 90 minutes as the host Thunder Bay Chill posted a 1-0 victory over the Michigan Bucks (9-3-2) in the Central Conference semifinals Saturday in Ontario.

The Chill (13-1-1), who won the Heartland Division and had the best record in the league this season, will face Forest City London (10-2-3) in the conference final at 5 p.m. Sunday – the Great Lakes Division champions outlasted the Real Colorado Foxes 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw in Saturday's second semifinal. 

It's a rematch of last year's Central final: FC London won that matchup 1-0 and went on to claim the PDL championship.

Tag(s): News