 |
 |
| |
|
| Event Spotlight: Wambach Leads Freedom Over Charge, 4-2 Washington Forward Scores Twice In Win Wednesday, July 9, 2003
By Greg Wiley
Philadelphia Charge Correspondent Melanie Hoffmann and Stacey Tullock scored the Charge's only goals of the game, as the club lost to the Washington Freedom 4-2 Wednesday night at a rain-soaked RFK Stadium. Philadelphia (3-7-4, 13 pts) fell to 0-2-2 in its last four games overall, while Washington (6-4-3, 21 pts) ended a five game winless skid (1-3-2). Abby Wambach scored two goals for the Freedom, who moved to 2-0-2 in their last four versus the Charge. Earlier this season, Wambach recorded the first-ever hat-trick against the Charge in a 4-1 Washington win on May 10. The second-year University of Florida product now has seven goals for 14 points lifetime against Philadelphia, tying New York's Tiffeny Milbrett for the all-time lead against the club in both categories. Lindsay Stoecker and Lori Lindsey also scored for Washington, which is 3-3-2 all-time against the Charge. Melissa Moore finished with a season-high 10 saves for Philadelphia, which remains in last place in the eight-team WUSA standings. The 10 saves ties her career best, which was set in Carolina on June 19, 2002. Hoffmann has recorded two goals and two assists for six points in her last four games. Tullock has scored in two straight games. Rain soaked the turf at RFK for hours leading up to the contest and continued into the start of the game, raining periodically throughout the match. As a result, the field was full of puddles and extremely difficult to play on. Philadelphia also had to play tonight's game with six players on the injured list and another, Emily Burt, sidelined with a hip flexor injury. Reigning league MVP Marinette Pichon, who missed her first game after suffering a bruised sciatic nerve in back, highlighted the Charge injured list. Her absence forced rookie walk-on player Trina Maso de Moya into the starting lineup for the first time this year. Charge supplemental player Darci Borski, a native of Northeast Philadelphia, saw her first action since being signed on June 26. Borski came on in the second half for Hoffmann, becoming the first City of Philadelphia native to ever play for the Charge. Borski was originally drafted by the Freedom in the third round (20th overall) of the 2003 draft. The Charge next travel to Boston to take on the Breakers on Sunday, July 13 at 6 p.m. Fans can follow the action on the web at PhiladelphiaCharge.com. Philadelphia is 0-1-1 against the Breakers this season, most recently playing to a 2-2 tie on June 28. Philadelphia returns home on Wednesday, July 16 when it faces the Atlanta Beat at 7 p.m. The first 2,000 fans 14 & under to the game will receive a Charge sports visor courtesy of Utz. The Freedom struck first in just the fifth minute. After a free-kick service into the box by Washington, the Charge's Mary McVeigh managed to strip the ball loose from a Freedom attacker deep in the penalty area. However, due to the wet conditions on the field, McVeigh's clearance attempt from the left corner of the penalty area went only a few yards and right to Stoecker, who turned and from a tough angle beat Moore to the far side of the net. The goal for Stoecker was her fourth of the season. Philadelphia struck back just three minutes later. Hoffmann collected the ball at midfield, dribbled it to the center of the field while heading towards goal and from 25 yards out beat Freedom goalkeeper Siri Mullinix low and to the netminder's left. Washington got back on top in the 27th minute when Wambach scored her first goal of the game. A combination of passes that resulted in Moore making a spectacular diving stop of a Steffi Jones shot. Although, Moore couldn't hold on to the rebound and Wambach was there for the tap-in goal. Wambach then extended the lead to 3-1 when she headed home a cross from Kelly Golebiowski in the 30th minute. The Charge sent the game into halftime 3-2 when Tullock knocked home a loose ball from the top of the penalty area. Tullock one-timed the bouncing ball to the left of Mullinix just one minute after the Freedom had taken a two-goal lead. Moore and her defensive teammates did their best to keep the Charge in the game heading into halftime. Moore made two outstanding saves during a 40th-minute flurry in front of the net, and McVeigh was forced to clear a potential goal off the goal-line in the 44th minute. The second half was much different than the first, seeing only one goal scored. In the xxth minute Lindsey caught Moore off her line and from 30 yards away used a slick surface to skid the ball past Moore. The Charge and Freedom meet one more time this season on Wednesday, August 6 at Villanova Stadium. For Charge ticket information call 215-467-GOAL.
WAS -- Lindsay Stoecker 4 (unassisted) 5 Philadelphia Charge -- Melissa Moore, Jenny Benson, Rachel Kruze, Mary McVeigh (Karyn Hall 78), Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo, Lorrie Fair, Anne Makinen, Erin Misaki (Beth McNamara 56), Stacey Tullock, Melanie Hoffmann (Darci Borski 80), Trina Maso de Moya. TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Melanie Hoffmann 2, Trina Maso de Moya 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Melanie Hoffmann 2); FOULS: 11 (4 tied with 2); OFFSIDES: 2 (Trina Maso de Moya 2); CORNER KICKS: 3 (Jenny Benson 2); SAVES: 10 (Melissa Moore 10) Washington Freedom -- Siri Mullinix, Carrie Moore, Jennifer Grubb, Sandra Minnert, Skylar Little, Lindsay Stoecker (Casey Zimny 80), Kelly Golebiowski, Steffi Jones, Jacqui Little (Lori Lindsey 59), Mia Hamm (Sarah Kate Noftsinger 82), Abby Wambach. TOTAL SHOTS: 20 (Abby Wambach 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 14 (Abby Wambach 5); FOULS: 11 (Kelly Golebiowski 5); OFFSIDES: 2 (Mia Hamm 1, Abby Wambach 1); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Mia Hamm 7); SAVES: 2 (Siri Mullinix 2) Misconduct Summary: Referee: Rachel Woo All Statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial |
||||||||||||||||
| ©2003 South Jersey Sports Online Inc. |