Photo by David Henry

Metuchen, NJ — Week 7 of the Summer of Soccer didn’t disappoint and gave us some clarity into the postseason.

Great Lakes Division

Tuesday, June 20

Nationals SC 2 vs MI Hawks 1

The Nationals did their job and were able to take all 3 points in a match that could have a significant impact on the Great Lakes division the rest of the way. The Hawks have their work cut out after this and an early draw this season. Can the Hawks regroup and finish strong in their last two matches while others will need to help them if they want to make the playoffs?

Sunday, June 25

MI Stars 2 vs Livonia City 0

The Stars get in the win column for the first time in 2023 by taking all three points in a shut-out of Livonia City. This was a match that could have gone either way with the way both teams were positioning themselves and in the end, one team was able to get their first win while the other will keep working hard to get theirs in the few remaining games they have.

Nationals SC 12 vs MI Burn 0

Top of the table never felt so good as Nationals SC is in control thanks to their Goal Differential and are the leaders in the Great Lakes with 3 games remaining and two of them against the Legends and Jaguars who have playoff ambitions of their own. The race is far from over for a few teams but the Nationals now control their own fate on the way to the National Championship.

East Division

Wednesday, June 21

Keystone FC 1 vs Lancaster Inferno 2

Lancaster is doing what they have to to get to the Playoffs. After starting with a loss to Coppermine and a draw with BC United, the Inferno have been on fire winning 3 straight and jumping into the picture out East, and with 3 games left in their regular season they will need to finish strong. Keystone will look to finish strong with a return match against Lancaster on July 9th with hopes of ending the season for Lancaster early.

Steel City FC 3 vs Erie Commodores 2

This match felt like a final with the way it was played and both sides left it all on the pitch. Their last match was a 2-2 draw and was a fun one to watch while the sequel was just as good if not better. With the win Steel City jumped to fifth and left the Commodores on the outside looking in on the playoffs for the time being. With 2 of the next 3 matches for Erie looking favorable, it will be interesting to see what this loss means to their season.

FC Berlin 1 vs FC Buffalo 11

Undefeated and not finished, FC Buffalo wants to make sure that there are no questions about them and their ability heading into the playoffs. With three matches left, Buffalo will perhaps look to give more minutes to players and provide them experience while also preparing to get healthy for the stretch run. The loss will see FC Berlin continue to work and finish their 2023 Summer of Soccer on a high note with two matches against Flower City 1872 coming up.

Saturday, June 24

Flower City 1872 2 vs Erie Commodores 1

Flower City hosted an Erie team controlling their own fate for a playoff spot. Flower City had other ideas and knock Erie down out of the playoff picture with two games left in their season. Flower City will look to embrace the role of spoiler going forward with a few opportunities left to drastically change the landscape out East.

Coppermine 1 vs Steel City FC 0

If you ask Coppermine, they will tell you 3 points is 3 points and that is what they got out of this very competitive match with Steel City FC. Steel City had an opportunity to shuffle the East with a win while Coppermine finds itself sitting nicely in the 3 seed as they have one game left to play. Steel City has two more matches left but could secure a playoff spot next time out against Flower City 1872.

NJ Copa FC 0 vs Lancaster Inferno 2

Three matches in seven days had no effect on Lancaster as they continued to add to their winning streak helping get them to 4th in the East. A matchup against a hungry BC United team is coming up and could determine the Inferno’s season as 3 points separate seeds 4-11. NJ Copa will continue to search for their first three points of the Summer of Soccer. 

Albany Rush 0 vs Maine Footy 1

Albany Rush played a great match and had a few great opportunities to draw level towards the end or perhaps win the match but the resilience of Maine Footy was enough to help Maine Footy continue to impress in their inaugural UWS season. Maine Footy will need to win out if they hope to continue and it won’t be an easy task as all teams are playing the role of spoiler for everyone else. Albany is in the middle of the pack for a playoff spot with 10 points but back-to-back matches against a solid Sporting CT side will be a tough task.

NE Mutiny 0 vs Sporting CT 4

Sporting CT has been a very consistent side throughout their first Summer of Soccer in the UWS with 6 straight wins and staying on the heels of FC Buffalo, while also making sure their margin of victory has been comfortable scoring 4 or more goals in each of their matches to date. The win ensures Sporting a playoff spot regardless of how they finish the regular season and a top 3 spot with two games remaining. NE Mutiny currently sits 7th in the standings and will need to win out in order to ensure a playoff spot for the second straight season.

Worcester Fuel 0 vs Scorpions SC 4

Worcester came out ready to capitalize off their last time out that saw them draw with Maine Footy while Scorpions SC wanted to get the bad taste out of their mouth from their last match that saw them lose by an uncharacteristic scoreline for them. Scorpions SC set the tone of the match with a lot of pressing and ball possession leading the way to a 4-0 win and keeping their playoff hopes alive. In order to make the postseason, Scorpions will need some help from others to jump into the top 8 as they currently are 1 point behind 8th place Maine Footy.

Sunday, June 25

NJ Copa FC 4 vs BC United 2

NJ Copa was bound to break out of an early season slump that was not what they expected as a team, but the first win is always the hardest, and now that they got those first 3 points against a quality team like BC United could it spark a late season run that ruins some plans of teams in the top 8? The match against Coppermine on July 8th is the perfect opportunity for them to really make a mess of the East going forward.

Midwest Division

Saturday, June 24

Chicago Rush 4 vs RBFC Elite 4

In a matchup between two teams looking to get their first three points of the season, they will settle for getting their first points in the Summer of Soccer 2023 by sharing one. This game was back and forth between the two all match long with both sides pushing to the end to earn all three points, yet in the end, they left it all on the pitch, including one point.

Cincinnati Sirens 3 vs Edgewater Castle 0

Cincinnati has been consistent all Summer long after an early season draw with Edgewater and this match was an opportunity for both sides to demonstrate their talents. In the end, Edgewater seemed to not be able to capitalize going forward with possession while the backline for the Sirens was strong and determined to keep a clean sheet while still maintaining the third least goals conceded in the UWS to date. The Sirens have a chance to punch their postseason ticket in their next match against Indiana Union.

Sunday, June 25

Indiana Union 7 vs Chicago Rush 0

Trying to keep pace with the Sirens has been Indiana’s ambition. After this win they have a winner take all showdown match this coming Saturday in Cincinnati for the Midwest crown. The Rush who played back-to-back matches looked good the first half but in the end, Indiana was able to continue their winning streak while Chicago gets to battle for Windy City supremacy this coming weekend with a match against Edgewater.

Southwest Division

Friday, June 23

ATX Blues 0 vs Luxoria 3

Winning has been the recipe for Luxoria to date and now they have a direct path to the playoffs thanks to a win on the road. Blues had chances but in the end, it was Luxoria who found the back of the net and have yet to concede so far this Season. With back-to-back matches against the Athenians the next two Saturdays, Luxoria will need to keep winning if it wants to keep playing this Summer of Soccer.

Saturday, June 24

SA Athenians 3 vs SA Runners 1

The early season hiccup is behind them and the Athenians have turned the corner with another “Riverwalk Derby” win. With the defeat, the Runners look to finish the season strong and perhaps help their neighbors out when they play Luxoria on July 15th in Dallas. The Athenians have won 3 straight matches and look to use that as momentum as host Luxoria this coming weekend at Soccer Central. A win will help them level on points with the match on July 8th in Dallas being the most important match for the Athenians as they look to three-peat in making the National Championship weekend.

West Division

Thursday, June 22

LASC 2 vs Calgary Foothills 1

One streak had to end and another to continue for the Wild West to perhaps, give us a Hollywood ending. When the curtain closed in LA Thursday night it was the end of Calgary’s 15 regular season win streak while LASC has continued to get the results they knew they had from the first week. The win has given hope to LASC to finish on top of the West but that will take some work from others but is not out of the equation. Calgary now has its fate in its hands and will need to win out to finish the season on top in the West.

Friday, June 23

FC Arizona 1 vs Reno Vikings 0

FC Arizona had three straight losses coming in and needed a win to get things moving in the right direction. Reno on a losing streak of their own as well came in wanting to finish their first season in the UWS on a high note. FC Arizona scored in the first half and needed to defend against a Reno attack that wanted to get points on the road. In the end, FC Arizona was able to hold off a few attacks that saw them collect all three points for their second win of the season.

Saturday, June 24

SC Blue Heat 3 vs Calgary Foothills 0

After having their 15-game win streak broken two days prior Calgary came out on their front foot looking to score early and often against a hungry Blue Heat team that remembered their defeat last time out in Canada. Blue Heat was able to find success against the high press of Calgary and score 10 minutes in thanks to Liz Worden who netted her first of three in the match while adding her second 25 minutes later to give Blue Heat a 2-0 lead at the half. In the end, Calgary had many chances to score and even draw level as Jordan Brown made some amazing saves that kept Calgary from scoring and securing all three points. Calgary will be hoping for some help from FC Arizona and Reno for the rest of the season to give them a chance for the National Championship.

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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