# 2005 USL W-League season

The 2005 W-League Season was the USL W-League's 11th season.

## Changes from 2004 season
### Name changes

Three teams changed their name in the off-season:
| Team name | Metro area | Previous name |
| Chicago Gaels | Chicago area | Chicago Cobras |
| Mile High Edge | Boulder area | Mile High Mustangs |
| Real Colorado Cougars | Denver area | Denver Lady Cougars |

### Expansion teams

Five teams were added for the season:
| Team name | Metro area | Location | Previous affiliation |
| Atlanta Silverbacks Women | Atlanta area | Atlanta, GA | expansion |
| Central Florida Krush | Orlando area | Winter Park, FL | expansion |
| San Diego Gauchos Women | San Diego area | San Diego, CA | expansion |
| Toronto Lady Lynx | Toronto area | Toronto, ON | expansion |
| Vermont Lady Voltage | Burlington area | St. Albans, VT | expansion |

### Teams leaving

One team left for the WPSL:
* St. Louis Archers
Eight teams folded after the 2004 season:
* Asheville Splash
* Calgary Wildfire
* Columbus Lady Shooting Stars
* Edmonton Aviators Women
* Montreal Xtreme
* Rhode Island Lady Stingrays
* Toronto Inferno
* Windy City Bluez

## Standings

Orange indicates W-League title and bye into W-League semifinals. 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 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 11 | +26 | 34 |
| 2 | Central Florida Kraze | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 13 | +19 | 33 |
| 3 | Atlanta Silverbacks Women | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 20 | +10 | 25 |
| 4 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 29 | −1 | 18 |
| 5 | Richmond Kickers Destiny | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 23 | −3 | 18 |
| 6 | Northern Virginia Majestics | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 33 | −11 | 15 |
| 7 | Bradenton Athletics | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 25 | −13 | 15 |
| 8 | Carolina Dynamo Women | 14 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 37 | −27 | 5 |

#### Midwest Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Detroit Jaguars | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 13 | +25 | 33 |
| 2 | Cleveland Internationals Women | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 20 | +16 | 27 |
| 3 | London Gryphons | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 18 | +13 | 26 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Ladyhawks | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 19 |
| 5 | Fort Wayne Fever | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 36 | −12 | 15 |
| 6 | Chicago Gaels | 14 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 27 | 38 | −11 | 14 |
| 7 | West Michigan Firewomen | 14 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 45 | −24 | 10 |

### Eastern Conference
#### Northeast Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | New Jersey Wildcats | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 2 | +55 | 39 |
| 2 | Boston Renegades | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 23 | +20 | 27 |
| 3 | Long Island Rough Riders | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 24 |
| 4 | Western Mass Lady Pioneers | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 22 |
| 5 | New York Magic | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 16 |
| 6 | New Hampshire Lady Phantoms | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 56 | −42 | 6 |
| 7 | South Jersey Banshees | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 57 | −51 | 3 |
* ↑ New Hampshire was docked 3 points for violations.

#### Northern Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 7 | +57 | 39 |
| 2 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 16 | +28 | 33 |
| 3 | Vermont Lady Voltage | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| 4 | Sudbury Canadians | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 50 | −35 | 9 |
| 5 | Rochester Ravens | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 50 | −36 | 9 |

### Western Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 4 | +43 | 39 |
| 2 | Arizona Heatwave | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 17 | +23 | 31 |
| 3 | Mile High Edge | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 20 | +20 | 30 |
| 4 | Real Colorado Cougars | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 22 |
| 5 | Seattle Sounders Women | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 16 |
| 6 | Fort Collins Force | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 44 | −31 | 7 |
| 7 | San Diego Gauchos Women | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 59 | −55 | 0 |

## Playoffs
### Format

Five teams from the Eastern Conference, four teams from the Central Conference and two from the Western Conference qualify for the playoffs. All match-ups are in a one-leg format.
In the Central Conference, the division champions play the second-place team from the opposite division.
In the Eastern Conference, the division champion with the best record receives a bye, and will play the winner of the teams with the 4th and 5th-best conference records. The other division champion will play the seventh-place team, and plays the winner of the third-place and sixth-place teams.
The two teams in the Western Conference will play each other to advance to the W-League Semifinals.
The regular season champion, New Jersey Wildcats, received a bye into the W-League semifinals, with the eighth-place team from the Eastern Conference receiving a playoff berth.

### Conference brackets

Central Conference
| Central Semifinals | Central Semifinals | Central Semifinals | Central Championship | Central Championship | Central Championship |
| A1 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 6 | | | |
| MW2 | Cleveland Internationals Women | 2 | | | |
| MW2 | Cleveland Internationals Women | 2 | A1 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 0 |
| | | | A2 | Central Florida Krush | 1 |
| MW1 | Detroit Jaguars | 2 | A2 | Central Florida Krush | 1 |
| A2 | Central Florida Krush | 3 | | | |
Eastern Conference
| Eastern Quarterfinals | Eastern Quarterfinals | Eastern Quarterfinals | Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Championship | Eastern Championship | Eastern Championship |
| | | | E1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 5 | | | |
| | | | E4 | Long Island Rough Riders | 1 | | | |
| E4 | Long Island Rough Riders | 3 | E4 | Long Island Rough Riders | 1 | | | |
| E5 | Western Mass Lady Pioneers | 1 | | | | | | |
| E5 | Western Mass Lady Pioneers | 1 | | | | E1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 2 |
| | | | | | | E3 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 0 |
| E2 | Boston Renegades | 4 | | | | | | | E3 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 0 |
| E7 | New York Magic | 0 | | | | | | |
| E7 | New York Magic | 0 | E2 | Boston Renegades | 1 | | | |
| | | | E3 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 2 | | | |
| E3 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 6 | E3 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 2 | | | |
| E6 | Vermont Lady Voltage | 0 | | | | | | |
Western Conference
| Western Finals | Western Finals | Western Finals |
| W1 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 4 |
| W2 | Arizona Heatwave | 0 |

### W-League Championship bracket

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Championship | Championship | Championship |
| H | New Jersey Wildcats | 2 | | | |
| W1 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 1 | | | |
| W1 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 1 | H | New Jersey Wildcats | 3 |
| | | | E1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 0 |
| E1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 2 | E1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 0 |
| A2 | Central Florida Krush | 1 | Third Place | Third Place | Third Place |
| | | | W1 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 3 |
| | | | A2 | Central Florida Krush | 1 |