METUCHEN, NJ - It is a very intriguing weekend in the West Conference of United Women’s Soccer (UWS), as one match will decide the tenor of the remainder of the regular season. The Santa Clarita Blue Heat are on the cusp of capturing the West crown for the second consecutive campaign. But if Calgary Foothills Women’s FC can pull off the road upset over the defending UWS champions, the race will go on not only for CFWFC but possibly for the Houston Aces as well. As the third conference winner, the West champion qualifies for the 2017 UWS Championship, but with a wild card spot open for the fourth team, there is still much to play for. 

SATURDAY, JULY 1

Houston Aces vs. Real Salt Lake Women
7:30 PM CDT - Houston Sports Park (Houston, TX)

After a two-week layoff, the Houston Aces (1-3 West) return to conference action in a much different climate than the last time they took the pitch. The stakes are as do-or-die as ever, which is something they are used to especially after their late yet unsuccessful run for the title last season. But if Houston wants to capture the West crown this season, they will need to win out their remaining four games while at the same time hoping that Santa Clarita (5-0 West) loses their last three games. And than the Aces would have to wait out the tiebreak procedure as well. If results go Houston’s way this weekend, the Saturday, July 15th rematch against Santa Clarita could be a cracker. 

For the Real Salt Lake Women (3-3-1 West), Saturday’s road match will serve as their 2017 season finale. There were high hopes for Real Salt Lake going into this year, but after a 2-0 loss to So Cal Crush FC (1-4 West) to start the campaign, the team was not able to get on a roll. Santa Clarita can be thanked for that, as the RSL Women suffered two close 1-0 losses to the defending UWS champions. For fans of the sport, they can hope that this RSL v. Houston rematch will be as exciting as their first encounter. On Saturday, June 10th, the Real Women came back from a 2-1 deficit and scored three unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes of the match to secure a 4-2 home win.

Santa Clarita Blue Heat vs. Calgary Foothills WFC
6:00 PM PDT - Master's Univ. (Santa Clarita, CA)

When it comes to postseason implications, its simple math for both teams in Saturday’s match between the Santa Clarita Blue Heat (5-0 West) and Calgary Foothills Women’s FC (2-2-1 West). If Santa Clarita wins, they capture the West crown for the second straight season and will go on to compete in the 2017 UWS Championship (July 21-22). If the Blue Heat are victorious in any of their remaining three games, they win the conference. For Calgary, they need to win out their remaining three games for a shot at the postseason: on one hand, CFWFC still have a chance to win the West but need the Blue Heat to stumble; on the other, if they don’t capture the conference crown, a 5-2-1 final record will put them in position for wild card consideration in the league championship.

The rubber match of the season series between these two teams could be an exciting one. In their first meeting on Saturday, June 10th, Calgary hosted Santa Clarita north of the border and they went toe-to-toe for all 90 minutes. Forward Chandra Eigenberger’s first half goal would prove to be the decider, as the Blue Heat came away with the 1-0 win. It was not only an even match (10-9 shots in favor of the visitors) but a physical one as well with a total of 24 fouls called. In the 25th minute, Eigenberger took advantage of a loose ball in the penalty area and finished her shot past CFWFC goalkeeper Sarah Dilling (nine saves) for the eventual game-winner.

SUNDAY, JULY 2

So Cal Crush FC vs. Calgary Foothills WFC
1:00 PM PDT - Crescenta Valley H.S. (La Crescenta, CA)

If Calgary can pull off the upset against the defending UWS champions on Saturday, they will have a tough turnaround to deal with for their rematch against So Cal Crush FC (1-4 West) on Sunday afternoon. The one thing in CFWFC’s favor is they tallied their highest single-game goal total this season against SCCFC, and that was in last Sunday’s 3-0 win at home. Forward Joelle Gosselin netted her team-leading third goal while goalkeeper Sarah Dilling (three saves) notched the shutout. In the 18th minute, Gosselin put her stamp on the match after she collected a pass from midfielder Chelsie Oddan and fired a rocket inside the upper 90 from the top of the penalty area. The So Cal defense held firm until the 53rd minute, when Calgary forward Jordan Smith doubled the lead and midfielder Sarah Kinzner assisted on Arielle Roy-Petitclerc’s goal in the 61st minute for the final score.

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.