2003 USL W-League season

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USL W-League
Season2003
ChampionsHampton Roads Piranhas
←
2004 →

The 2003 W-League Season was the league's 9th.

Changes from 2002 season[]

Format changes[]

The league went to the standard FIFA match points format: 3 points for a win (down from the previous 4), 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss, and eliminated bonus points for 3 or more goals scored.

Name changes[]

One team changed their name in the off-season:

Team Name Metro Area Previous Name
British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women Vancouver area Vancouver Breakers

Expansion teams[]

One teams were added for the season:

Team Name Metro Area Location Previous Affiliation
Ohio Columbus Lady Shooting Stars Columbus area Columbus, OH expansion

Teams leaving[]

Three teams went to the WPSL:

Seven teams folded after the 2002 season:

Standings[]

Blue indicates division title clinched
Green indicates playoff berth clinched

Central Conference[]

Atlantic Division[]

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Hampton Roads Piranhas 12 12 0 0 33 5 +28 36
2 Charlotte Lady Eagles 12 9 3 0 35 11 +24 27
3 Northern Virginia Majestics 12 5 7 0 16 21 −5 15
4 Asheville Splash 12 3 9 0 14 24 −10 9
5 Greensboro Twisters 12 2 10 0 8 34 −26 6
Source:[citation needed]

Midwest Division[]

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Chicago Cobras 12 10 1 1 33 8 +25 31
2 Northern Kentucky TC Stars 12 5 5 2 16 21 −5 17
3 Columbus Lady Shooting Stars 12 4 5 3 11 15 −4 15
4 Cincinnati Ladyhawks 12 4 7 1 12 17 −5 13
5 Windy City Bluez 12 3 8 1 18 29 −11 10
Source:[citation needed]

Eastern Conference[]

Northeast Division[]

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 New Jersey Lady Stallions 14 11 3 0 36 11 +25 33
2 Long Island Lady Riders 14 9 5 0 35 21 +14 27
3 New Jersey Wildcats 14 7 7 0 29 20 +9 21
4 New York Magic 14 7 7 0 33 25 +8 21
5 South Jersey Banshees* 14 1 13 0 8 48 −40 0[a]
Source:[citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ South Jersey had 3 points deducted for violations.

Northern Division[]

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Boston Renegades 14 13 0 1 60 5 +55 40
2 Ottawa Fury Women 14 11 2 1 61 9 +52 34
3 Toronto Inferno 14 6 7 1 32 31 +1 19
4 New Hampshire Lady Phantoms 14 3 11 0 21 53 −32 9
5 Rochester Ravens 14 0 13 1 4 96 −92 1
Source:[citation needed]

Western Conference[]

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Vancouver Whitecaps Women 12 10 1 1 51 10 +41 31
2 Seattle Sounders Women 12 8 3 1 35 8 +27 25
3 Denver Lady Cougars 12 6 4 2 36 24 +12 20
4 Arizona Heatwave 12 6 6 0 21 24 −3 18
5 Fort Collins Force 12 3 8 1 16 39 −23 10
6 Mile High Mustangs 12 0 11 1 5 62 −57 1
Source:[citation needed]

Playoffs[]

Format[]

Four teams from both the Central and Eastern Conferences and two from the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs. All playoff matchups were in single-leg elimination tournament format with the higher seeded team hosting until the national semifinals. Seeding was determined by league record, with Boston Renegades seeded first with 39 points. The host of the national semifinals was determined by bids at the 2002 USL Annual General Meeting.

In the Central and Eastern Conferences, the top two teams from each division played, and then divisional winners played for the conference championship and to advance to the national semifinals.

The top two teams in the Western Conference, having only one division, played each other to advance to the W-League Semifinals.

The Hampton Roads Piranhas received a bye into the W-League national semifinals as host, with the third-place team from the Atlantic Division receiving a playoff berth.[1] The W-League championship final was televised live on Fox Sports World.

Conference Brackets[]

Central Conference

Divisional Championships Central Championship
      
MW1 Illinois Chicago Cobras 9
MW2 Kentucky Northern Kentucky TC Stars 1
MW1 Illinois Chicago Cobras 3
AT1 North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles 1
AT1 North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles 4
AT2 Virginia Northern Virginia Majestics 1

Eastern Conference

Divisional Championships Eastern Championship
      
NO1 Massachusetts Boston Renegades 2
NO2 Ontario Ottawa Fury Women 3
NO2 Ontario Ottawa Fury Women 4
NE1 New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions 2
NE1 New Jersey New Jersey Lady Stallions 4
NE2 New York (state) Long Island Lady Riders 2

Western Conference

Western Finals
   
W1 British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women (AET/PK) 2 (1)
W2 Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women 2 (3)

W-League Championship Bracket[]

Semifinals Championship
      
WL Virginia Hampton Roads Piranhas 4
W2 Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women 1
WL Virginia Hampton Roads Piranhas 1
MW1 Illinois Chicago Cobras 0
MW1 Illinois Chicago Cobras 3
NO2 Ontario Ottawa Fury Women 0 Third Place
W2 Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women 4
NO2 Ontario Ottawa Fury Women 1

Divisional Championships[]

v
Referee: (USA)
v
Referee: (USA)
v
Referee: (USA)
v
Referee: (USA)

Conference championships[]

Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women2 - 2
(AET)		British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women
Frimpong Goal 42' Goal 43'
Yellow card 105'		 Report Andrews Goal 9'
Neil Goal 65'
Penalties
Penalty scored
Penalty scored
Penalty scored		 1 - 3 Penalty scored
Timko Penalty missed
Lang Penalty missed
Penalty missed
Swangard Stadium
Burnaby, British Columbia
Attendance: 4,089
Referee: Martin Reid (USA)
Chicago Cobras3 - 1Charlotte Lady Eagles
Patrice Feulner Goal 6'
Molly Greene Goal 69'
Julianne Sitch Goal 72'		 Report Christina Murphy Goal 60'
Mooseheart Memorial Stadium
Referee: (USA)
Ottawa Fury Women4 - 2New Jersey Lady Stallions
Aishatu Alfa Goal 11', 15', 53'
Eilish McConville Goal 75'		 Report[2] Esmeralda Negron Goal 30'
Sue Flamini Goal 37'
Keith Harris Stadium
Attendance: 800
Referee: (USA)

W-League Semifinals[]

Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women1 - 4Virginia Hampton Roads Piranhas
Frimpong Goal 15' Report Yellow card 3'
Goal 46' Goal 55'
Omagbemi Yellow card 55'
Goal 71'
Goal 90'
Attendance: 1,006
Referee: Chip Boatright (USA)
Chicago Cobras3 - 0Ottawa Fury Women
Kristen Graczyk Goal 12', 90'
Julianne Sitch Goal 58'		 Report[3]
Referee: (USA)

W-League Third Place[]

Ontario Ottawa Fury Women1 - 4Washington (state) Seattle Sounders Women
Alfa Goal 65' Report Frimpong Goal 2' Goal 6'
Goal 11'
Yellow card 54'
Goal 82'
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: Dan Stead (USA)

W-League Championship[]

Hampton Roads Piranhas1 - 0Chicago Cobras
Mercy Akide Goal 96' Report[4]
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: (USA)

See also[]

  • 2003 PDL Season

References[]

  1. ^ Demosphere International Inc. (August 1, 2003). "W-League Conference Finals set". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2003. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  2. ^ Demosphere International Inc. (August 3, 2003). "Ottawa wins Eastern Conference title". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2004. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Demosphere International Inc. (August 8, 2003). "Chicago advances to W-League final". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2003. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  4. ^ Demosphere International Inc. (August 10, 2003). "Piranhas win W-League title in OT". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
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