USL News Release
Monday, January 25, 2010
TAMPA, FL – For the second consecutive year, the W-League season will open with the Hampton Roads Piranhas visiting the Charlotte Eagles in a showdown of two of the league’s oldest teams. The match on Friday, May 14 opens the 163-game schedule for the league, which wraps up regular season play on July 18.
Opening Weekend continues Saturday night with three games as the Piranhas visit the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Northern Virginia Majestics travel to face the Tampa Bay Hellenic in two more Atlantic Division clashes. The Northeast Division opens play with the other Saturday night contest as the expansion NJ Rangers host the Washington Freedom Futures, finalists a year ago. In another Northeast fixture, the Long Island Rough Riders host the New York Magic Sunday to conclude Opening Weekend.
The Midwest Division opens play Saturday, May 22 with the Kalamazoo Outrage playing host to the London Gryphons. The Great Lakes Division kicks off play a week later when the Rochester Ravens host the Ottawa Fury Saturday, May 29. The Seattle Sounders Women host the Colorado Force in the first game of the Western Conference season Friday, May 28.
The 2009 regular season champion Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues open their second campaign Saturday, May 22 on the road against Long Island.
The defending two-time league champion Pali Blues will have a long wait to begin their title defense with their first match coming Saturday, June 5 at home against the Santa Clarita Blue Heat.
The regular season closes on Sunday, July 18 with the Cleveland Internationals playing host to the Kalamazoo Outrage, the Rough Riders at home against Hudson Valley, the New Jersey Wildcats on the road against New York and the Quebec City Amiral traveling to play the Ottawa Fury.
The 2010 W-League postseason will follow the same format for the conference playoffs. The league’s regular season champion will receive and automatic berth to the league semifinal round with all three conferences hosting playoffs to determine the other three semifinalists. The next highest seed in the regular season champion’s respective division will then qualify for the regional playoffs.
In the Central Conference, the top two teams from the Midwest advance to the conference tournament with the top seed from the Great Lakes. The second and third-place teams in the Great Lakes will play midweek in a Divisional Round to determine the fourth entrant.
The top two teams each in the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions will advance to the Eastern Conference tournament and the top two clubs in the Western Conference will play for the right to play in the league semifinals.
The W-League playoffs will conclude with a Final Four formatted championship. The details of the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
