D.C. United Women

D.C. United Women was an American soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competed in the USL W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States. The team was an affiliate of Major League Soccer club, D.C. United but operated independently by Washington Soccer Properties, LLC. To participate in the new professional National Women's Soccer League for the 2013 season, the team reformed as Washington Spirit in December 2012.

D.C. United Women

Full name	D.C. United Women
Nickname(s)	The Black-and-Red
Founded	2011
Ground	Maryland SoccerPlex
Capacity	4,000
Chairman	William E. Lynch
Manager	Michael Jorden
League	USL W-League
2012	Division: 1st Conference: 1st Overall: 2nd Playoffs: 3rd
Home colors Away colors

History

Founding

D.C. United Women were announced on March 29, 2011, as part of a partnership with some of the owners of the Northern Virginia Majestics, through a newly founded group named Washington Soccer Properties.^[1][2] As a part of the agreement in for the 2011 season, D.C. United Women competed in the Northeast Division of the W-League Eastern Conference, while the Majestics competed in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. While Washington Soccer Properties does control most aspects of the team, D.C. United does provide oversight, assistance, and support. Washington Soccer Properties purchased the W-League franchise vacated by Washington Freedom Futures when the team was disbanded following the sale of its senior team Washington Freedom who moved to Boca Raton, Florida and became magicJack. During the off-season between 2011 and 2012, Washington Soccer Properties ownership group severed ties with like owners involved with Northern Virginia Majestics, and operate entirely independently from that team as a result.

2011 season

Main article: 2011 D.C. United Women season

In their first season, D.C. United Women played 10 league games, winning five, drawing three and losing two. They ended the season with four straight victories and finished in third place in the Northeast Division. Defender and co-captain Marisa Abegg was named to the W-League All-Conference Team for the Eastern Conference.^[3] For their inaugural season, D.C. United Women's average home attendance for the 2011 season was over 800 fans, with D.C. United Women having five home games at the Maryland SoccerPlex.^[4] They won the W-League Rookie Club of the Year award for their performance during the 2011 season.^[5]

2012 season

Main article: 2012 D.C. United Women season

For 2012, the W-League's Eastern Conference expanded to a 12-game schedule, and D.C. United Women moved to the Atlantic Division where they played Dayton Dutch Lions, Fredericksburg Impact, Northern Virginia Majestics, and Virginia Beach Piranhas three times each during the regular season. They finished the regular season with eleven wins, no losses, and one draw, good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference and for a tie as W-League regular-season champions with the Pali Blues.^[6]

That status gave them hosting rights for the Eastern Conference playoffs,^[7] where they defeated the Virginia Beach Piranhas, 3–0, in the semifinals,^[8] and the Charlotte Lady Eagles, 3–0, in the final.^[9] They went on to the W-League Final Four, where they lost to the host Ottawa Fury, 1–0,^[10] then finished third by downing the Quebec City Amiral on penalty kicks, 1–1 (7–6).^[11]

The team received the W-League's 2012 Fair Play and Media Awards.^[12] Marisa Abegg, Hayley Siegel, and Mikaela Howell made the All-Eastern Conference team.^[13] Additionally, Howell made W-League history by being the first player ever to be named to the Team of the Week five weeks in a row, culminating in being named Player of the Week in Week 6 of the season.^[14]

Players and staff

2012 roster

As of July 27, 2012^[15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   USA DiDi Haracic 2 DF   USA Sarah Sample 3 DF   USA Taylor Brown 4 DF   USA Madison Brown 5 DF   USA Marisa Abegg 6 MF   USA Katie Menzie 6 MF   USA Jennifer Skogerboe 8 FW   ENG Mikaela Howell 9 FW   USA Tiffany Brown 10 FW   ENG Lianne Sanderson 11 DF   USA Becky Sauerbrunn 12 MF   USA Hayley Siegel 13 MF   USA Katy Colas 14 DF   USA Molly Menchel

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF   USA Diana Weigel 16 MF   USA Holly King 17 MF   USA Joanna Lohman 18 MF   USA Sam Baker 19 FW   USA Ashley Herndon 20 DF   USA Jerica DeWolfe 22 FW   USA Kristen Schmidbauer 23 FW   USA Ashley Manning 24 MF   USA Andi Sullivan 27 MF   USA Danielle Malagari 28 GK   USA Danielle DeLisle 31 MF   USA Carolyn Blank 51 MF   USA Katie Yensen

Coaches

•   Michael Jorden 2011–present
•   Cindi Harkes 2011–present

Season results

Season	Regular Season									Playoffs	National Women's Cup	CONCACAF	Top goalscorer(s)
	League	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts	Pos				Name	Goals
2011	W-League	10	5	3	2	15	9	19	Eastern Conference Northeast Division Runners-up				Christine Nairn Christine Welsh	3
2012	W-League	12	11	0	1	37	8	34	Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Winners	Third place

Key

Regular season GP = Games played W = Won L = Lost T = Tied GF = Goals for GA = Goals against Pts = Points Pos = Final position

League W-League = USL W-League

National Cup QR1 = First Qualifying Round QR2 = Second Qualifying Round QR3 = Third Qualifying Round R1 = First Round R2 = Second Round R3 = Third Round QF = Quarterfinals SF = Semifinals F = Final

Playoffs C-SF = Conference Semifinals C-F = Conference Finals SF = League Semifinals F = League Finals

Champions

Runners-up

Third place

Wooden spoon

References

1. . D.C. United. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
2. Boehm, Charles. . Potomac Soccer Wire. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
3. . D.C. United Women. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
4. . D.C. United Women. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
5. "DCU Women win W-League Rookie Club of the Year". D.C. United Women. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
6. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
7. Goff, Steven (July 16, 2012). "D.C. United Women complete undefeated regular season, will host conference tournament". Washington Post. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
8. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
9. "D.C. United Headed To Ottawa". USL W-League. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
10. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
11. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
12. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
13. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
14. "United Women's Howell Named POW". USL W-League. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
15. . USL W-League. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2012.

External links

• Official website