Metuchen, NJ — With many teams halfway through their schedules, the playoff picture around UWS is taking shape.
Two teams that are on different ends of the table in the Great Lakes division with an opportunity for each to keep their season alive. This was a hard-fought and well-played match the Legends were able to capture all three points to help sit second on the table in a tough division. This was a great game for Futsal Factory who had their chances throughout but in the end, are still searching for their first three points of the campaign.
The Nationals came into this match wanting to keep pace with the top teams in the Great Lakes division and the end found a way to do so. It is a tight race at the top of the table and Nationals SC will need to keep going forward as they prepare for a Michigan Hawks team that looks to help itself heading into the hottest part of the Summer of Soccer in Michigan. Livonia City meanwhile will look to change their fortunes as well and play spoiler the rest of the way in hopes of making the playoffs.
A Wild one in the Great Lakes division as the Hawks and Jaguars left a point on the pitch in this goal-filled draw. This game offered a glimpse into the firepower of both of these sides but also showed that their defense could be left to itself if they push too much into the attacking third. With the draw, the Jaguars hold the top spot in the division as they prepare for a match against Livonia City on Sunday.
Sporting CT showed what it is made of, keeping their inaugural season in the UWS perfect with a solid result against a very good Maine Footy side. Tiffany Weimer has been great for Sporting CT as a player/coach scoring and helping lead a good Sporting CT side along the way to a great start so far.
BC United has been a team that hasn’t been talked about much but with 2 wins and a draw after this result, they find themselves sitting around the top of the East division. NJ Copa came out wanting a win to get their season going but will need to wait a week to get that elusive W in 2023.
CT Rush earned their first 3 points of the season with an exclamation point by putting 7 in the net against a Worcester Fuel team still in search of their first win of the season. Can the Rush make this the beginning of a good run of form heading halfway through their schedule? Can Worcester find the positives from this match to get them heading in the right direction?
Redemption is defined as the action of regaining or gaining possession in exchange for something. This was a redemption match for Lancaster and they kept the fire burning all the way into extra time where they secured the win.
Each week the rest of the way will be considered a playoff game for Steel City and with their run of form being so good recently fans will circle their June 24th match with Coppermine and July 8th match against FC Buffalo as those two matches will be crucial to their late season dreams.
After a draw their last time out, the Mutiny rebounded nicely to earn a 2-0 win against a very determined Albany Rush team who looked to keep their undefeated start going. In the end, a 56th-minute goal by Catherine Berry and a late insurance goal from Chandler Pedolzky helped get the Mutiny back to their winning ways and sitting 6th in the East. The loss drops Albany to 7th with 3 points separating them from 9th in the East. They need to regroup for Friday as they host the Mutiny in what looks to be a critical matchup for both teams.
FC Buffalo continues to flex with another win and more points from the Cutrona and Barbaric combo to help them sit alone atop the East division with 4 left to play in the regular season. Erie Meanwhile looks to pop back up as they are not out yet and sit 9th in the East based only on goal differential with matchups against FC Berlin and Flower City 1872 coming up.
After losing the day before Maine Footy rebounded against a very tough Scorpions team to grab a point in what could have been a very tough weekend for them. Two losses in a row could have ended the season for Maine Footy but by grabbing a point they are still in contention in the East. Two draws from their first two matches isn’t how Scorpions envisioned the start of their season but with 6 games left to play, they have enough time to regroup.
If ever a time to get three points this was it. With FC Buffalo racing off to a hot start the Mutiny responded with a shutout against a very good Scorpions side who wanted to get their first win of the season. Naya Lipkens made 5 saves with a backline of Lewis, Jacobs, Cunningham, and Marchini holding the line in front of her to help keep the Mutiny on the right side of the table heading into the home stretch.
Goals came in all types of ways in this match as the Union needed to stay on the toes of Cincinnati in a division that is yet to be decided. Indiana looks to make this a two-team race as they match up with Edgewater next weekend which could define their season. The Elite meanwhile continue to look for their first goal of the season and have their work cut out for them with the Sirens on deck this coming weekend.
The Rush were greeted like most teams have been this season by Cincinnati and that is with no mercy. The only blemish on the Sirens season is an opening 2-2 draw with Edgewater Castle, who I am sure wants to send their message on June 24th when they visit Cincinnati with all to play for left in the Midwest division. The Rush gets some time between watches to work on things before their next match on June 24th. Look for them to rebound as they have back-to-back games against RBFC Elite.
It is early in the Southwest, but if there was a team that looked like it had control and knew what was at stake it is Luxoria. With the Athenians being everyone’s early-season pick in the division Luxoria seems to have taken offense to that and is looking to change the narrative in Texas. The Blues will take this match as a learning opportunity as they look to change their fortunes and playoff dreams with a Friday matchup against the Athenians, who look to avenge an opening 1-0 loss to the Blues.
The “Riverwalk Derby” didn’t disappoint as both teams needed to walk away with points to keep pace with Luxoria atop the division. 0-0 coming out of the break and it was going to come down to who would strike first as both teams had chances in the first half. That chance was seized by the Athenians who would get the lone goal of the game from Argentinian International Chiara Singarella securing all three points for the Athenians.
The “Hollywood Derby” has lived up to the billing this season with the last match being decided later the the Blue Heat would have liked. This match however was also for a member of the community, In a heartfelt gesture, 50% of all ticket sales were dedicated to supporting Zoe Suder, a young soccer player whose journey took an unexpected turn in 2022 – when what initially appeared to be a sports-related injury revealed itself as a battle against cancer in her treatment. This match-up was a different story as Jamaican International Sade Adamolekun got the hosts off to an early start in the 42nd minute. After the break, the visitors grabbed on back thanks to a 49th-minute goal by Karla Chin to level the score. It would take some time to break the deadlock but in the 78th minute, Esme Rudell played a beautiful cross in for Alex Wood to calmly head in for SC Blue Heat and Adamolekun would add a late insurance goal from the spot to give Blue Heat bragging rights in LA.
14 straight regular season wins over the past two years is an impressive feat for teams especially when you play in a very tough division. It doesn’t matter if they are traveling thousands of miles, or staying in town, Calgary Foothills has found a way to win matches in any fashion as they get ready to host SC Blue Heat in what could be a division-tilting heavyweight bout this Saturday. FC Arizona will return home to face an LASC in search of points as Arizona looks to recover after two hard losses to Calgary and looking to find a way back into the playoff picture in the West.
United Women’s Soccer (UWS) is a national pro-am league founded in December 2015 on the basis of providing equality, opportunity, and respect for the women’s game. UWS has proven to be an innovative league that has paved the way for the further advancement of women’s soccer. Eighty-plus teams based in the United States and Canada comprise two distinct levels of competition: UWS and UWS League Two (UWS2).
With over 38 NWSL draftees & 100 professional contracts to its name, UWS provides high-level competition for college players, aspiring & former professionals, and international stars. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship.
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