# 2009 USL W-League season

The 2009 W-League Season was the league's 15th. The regular season began on May 8 with the Hampton Roads Piranhas defeating the Charlotte Lady Eagles 2–1 in Charlotte. The season ended with 10 games on July 19. The playoffs began on July 22 and ended on August 7.
Pali Blues repeated as W-League champions, defeating the Washington Freedom Reserves in come-from-behind fashion 2–1, which was also how they had won their previous title. Iris Mora was named the Playoffs MVP.
FC Indiana's Laura del Río finished with the most points (40) and goals (18), while her teammate Mónica Ocampo led the league in assists (11). Shannon Lynn, also of FC Indiana, led the league in GAA (0.116) and shutouts (10), and only allowed 2 goals the entire regular season.

## Changes from 2008 season
### Name Changes

Six teams changed their name in the off-season:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Previous Name |
| Cary Lady Clarets | Research Triangle area | Carolina RailHawks Women |
| Chicago Red Eleven | Chicago area | Chicago Gaels |
| Colorado Force | Fort Collins area | Fort Collins Force |
| Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues | northern New Jersey area | Jersey Sky Blue |
| Rochester Ravens | Rochester area | Rochester Rhinos Women |
| Washington Freedom Reserves | Washington, D.C. area | Washington Freedom |

### Expansion Teams

Two teams were added for the season:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation |
| Buffalo Flash | Buffalo area | Buffalo, New York | expansion |
| Quebec City Amiral SC | Quebec City area | Quebec City, Quebec | expansion |

### Teams Leaving

Six teams folded after the 2008 season:
* Bradenton Athletics
* Carolina Dynamo
* Fredericksburg Lady Gunners
* Michigan Hawks
* Vermont Lady Voltage
* West Virginia Illusion
Jersey Sky Blue and Washington Freedom both have expansion teams in Women's Professional Soccer. Washington have chosen to keep their reserve squad in the W-League, while Jersey has sold the rights to their W-League team to New York-based Quickstrike FC, which became Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues.

## Standings

Orange indicates W-League title and bye into W-League semifinals. Purple indicates division title clinched Green indicates playoff berth clinched

### Central Conference
#### Great Lakes Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 9 | +31 | 35 |
| 2 | Buffalo Flash | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 40 | 10 | +30 | 30 |
| 3 | Quebec City Amiral SC | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 17 | +12 | 28 |
| 4 | Toronto Lady Lynx | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 22 |
| 5 | Laval Comets | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 22 |
| 6 | London Gryphons | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 33 | −10 | 11 |
| 7 | Hamilton Avalanche | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 35 | −21 | 11 |
| 8 | Rochester Ravens | 14 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 61 | −56 | 1 |

#### Midwest Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC Indiana | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 63 | 2 | +61 | 32 |
| 2 | Chicago Red Eleven | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 6 | +31 | 31 |
| 3 | Minnesota Lightning | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 11 | +26 | 23 |
| 4 | Cleveland Internationals Women | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 28 | −13 | 14 |
| 5 | Fort Wayne Fever | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 40 | −21 | 11 |
| 6 | Kalamazoo Outrage | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 39 | −28 | 8 |
| 7 | West Michigan Firewomen | 11 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 61 | −56 | 1 |

### Eastern Conference
#### Atlantic Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Atlanta Silverbacks Women | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 3 | +21 | 31 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Hellenic | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 7 | +17 | 27 |
| 3 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 21 |
| 4 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 18 | +6 | 18 |
| 5 | Cary Lady Clarets | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 16 |
| 6 | Northern Virginia Majestics | 12 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 21 | −18 | 4 |
| 7 | Richmond Kickers Destiny | 12 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 41 | −33 | 4 |

#### Northeast Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 9 | +31 | 38 |
| 2 | Washington Freedom Reserves | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 49 | 9 | +40 | 37 |
| 3 | Boston Renegades | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 16 | +19 | 25 |
| 4 | Long Island Rough Riders | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 19 |
| 5 | New Jersey Wildcats | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 19 |
| 6 | Connecticut Passion | 14 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 14 |
| 7 | New York Magic | 15 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 45 | −37 | 6 |
| 8 | Western Mass Lady Pioneers | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 44 | −36 | 0 |
* ↑ The Boston Renegades qualified for the Eastern Conference playoffs but declined to participate, so the Charlotte Lady Eagles joined as the next most qualified team.
* ↑ Western Mass forfeited a 1–0 victory to New York due to an ineligible player, and was docked an additional three points.

### Western Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Pali Blues | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 9 | +16 | 30 |
| 2 | Colorado Force | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 13 | +3 | 18 |
| 3 | Real Colorado Cougars | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 15 | +1 | 15 |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders Women | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 15 | −3 | 15 |
| 5 | Vancouver Whitecaps Women | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 19 | −4 | 14 |
| 6 | Ventura County Fusion | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 22 | −9 | 11 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Legends | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 9 |

## Playoffs
### Format

The Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues earned a bye directly to the W-League Semifinals. The Washington Freedom Reserves were moved into the top spot in the Northeast Division, and the Charlotte Lady Eagles received the division's second playoff spot (the Boston Renegades were the original holders of the second spot, but declined to enter).
The Central Conference will have 5 playoff spots. The second and third place teams from the Great Lakes Division will play each other. The winner will play the Midwest Division champions, while the Great Lakes Division champion will play the second place team of the Midwest Division. The winners of those games will play to determine the conference champion. The Eastern Conference division champions will play the second place team of the opposite division, the winners facing off to determine who goes to the W-League Semifinals. The Western Conference will have their top two teams facing off to determine their conference champion.
The W-League Semifinals will put the regular season champion against the lowest seeded conference champion, and the higher-ranked conference champions against each other. The winners of these games will play in the championship, while the losers will play in the Third Place game.

### Conference Brackets

Central Conference
| Central Divisional Round | Central Divisional Round | Central Divisional Round | Central Semifinals | Central Semifinals | Central Semifinals | Central Championship | Central Championship | Central Championship |
| | | | MW1 | FC Indiana | 3 | | | |
| | | | GL2 | Buffalo Flash | 0 | | | |
| GL2 | Buffalo Flash | 5 | GL2 | Buffalo Flash | 0 | | | |
| GL3 | Quebec City Amiral SC | 0 | | | | | | |
| GL3 | Quebec City Amiral SC | 0 | | | | MW1 | FC Indiana | 1 |
| | | | | | | GL1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 2 |
| | | | GL1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 4 | | | |
| | | | MW2 | Chicago Red Eleven | 2 | | | |
Eastern Conference
| Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Semifinals | Eastern Championship | Eastern Championship | Eastern Championship |
| NE1 | Washington Freedom Reserves | 2 | | | |
| AT2 | Tampa Bay Hellenic | 1 | | | |
| AT2 | Tampa Bay Hellenic | 1 | NE1 | Washington Freedom Reserves | 2 |
| | | | NE2 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 1 |
| AT1 | Atlanta Silverbacks Women | 1 | NE2 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 1 |
| NE2 | Charlotte Lady Eagles | 2 | | | |
Western Conference
| Western Finals | Western Finals | Western Finals |
| W1 | Pali Blues | 5 |
| W2 | Colorado Force | 2 |

### W-League Championship Bracket

| Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Championship | Championship | Championship |
| NE1 | Washington Freedom Reserves (AET/PSO) | 0 (3) | | | |
| GL1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 0 (1) | | | |
| GL1 | Ottawa Fury Women | 0 (1) | NE1 | Washington Freedom Reserves | 1 |
| | | | W1 | Pali Blues | 2 |
| WL | Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues | 0 | W1 | Pali Blues | 2 |
| W1 | Pali Blues | 4 | | | |

### W-League Championship
## Awards

The finalists for W-League MVP, U19 Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Defender of the Year were announced on August 3, 2009, with the winners to be announced on August 5. The Goalkeeper of the Year was announced on August 3.

### Most Valuable Player Finalists

* Angelika Johansson, F, Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (Winner)
* Laura del Río, F, FC Indiana
* Amber Hearn, F, Ottawa Fury Women

### U19 Player of the Year Finalists

* Chanté Sandiford, G, Washington Freedom Reserves (Winner)
* Sarah Chapman, M, Tampa Bay Hellenic
* Fortuna Velaj, F, Connecticut Passion

### Defender of the Year Finalists

* Brittany Taylor, Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (Winner)
* Ashleigh Gunning, Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues
* Ria Percival, Ottawa Fury Women

### Goalkeeper of the Year

* Michelle Betos, Atlanta Silverbacks Women

### Coach of the Year Finalists

* Fabien Cottin, Quebec City Arsenal (Winner)
* Tony Anglin, Chicago Red Eleven
* George Fotopoulos, Tampa Bay Hellenic
* Jesse Kolmel, Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues

## All-League and All-Conference teams
### Central Conference

F: Laura del Río*, IND; Amber Hearn*, OTT; Caroline Smith, MIN M: Gemma Davison*, CHI; Jennifer Hance, OTT; Fatima Leyva, IND; Rosa Tantillo*, BUF D: Jenny Jeffers, CHI; Ria Percival*, OTT; Clare Rustad, TOR G: Shannon Lynn, IND Honorable Mention: Margaret Allgeier, D, FW; Haley Ford, D, CLE; Christina Julien, F, LAV; Melissa Lesage, F, QC; Heather MacDougall, M, HAM; Courtney Nash, M, WMi; Anna Stinson, M, KAL; Jenn Wolbert, G, LON; Casey Zimney, D, ROC

### Eastern Conference

F: Angelika Johansson*, HV; Jen Parsons, WAS; Brittany Tegeler, WAS M: Lindsay Ozimek, CHA; Christina Rife, CHA; Megan Tomlinson, ATL D: Casey Brown, BOS; Ashleigh Gunning*, HV; Philisha Lewis, TB; Brittany Taylor*, HV G: Michelle Betos*, ATL Honorable Mention: Mary Casey, G, NV; Brooke DeRosa, M, LI; Shaneka Gordon, F, HR; Robyn Jones, G, NJ; Courtney McMahon, M, NY; Rachel Richards, M, WMa; Fortuna Velaj, F, & Lindsay Vera, F, CON; Jennifer Woodie, D, RIC

### Western Conference

F: Iris Mora, PAL; Jodi Ann Robinson, VAN M: Michelle French*, SEA; Tobin Heath, PAL; Nikki Marshall, COL; Carmelina Moscato, VAN; Nikki Washington*, PAL D: Jenea Gibbons, LA; Kelli Smith, SEA; Leah Tapscott, PAL G: Katie Hultin, SEA Honorable Mention: Kay Hawke, G, VEN, Taryn Hemmings, M, RC
* denotes All-League selections.