Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., will be site of 2011 WPSL semifinals, final from July 30-31
CHICAGO (July 14, 2011) -- The Chicago Red Stars are proud to announce that they will host the 2011 Women's Premier Soccer League Championship and Semifinals from July 30-31 at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex in Lisle, Ill.
The semifinal matches take place at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, and the WPSL Championship kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 31, at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, in Lisle. Benedictine has served as the Red Stars' home pitch during Chicago's first WPSL season.
"We are thrilled to be able to host the WPSL Championship in Chicago," Red Stars Owner and General Manager Arnim Whisler said. "We've had a couple good years of practice staging big games for the Red Stars and wanted to make sure the WPSL teams and players had a nice championship experience. It was a tough call to commit to hosting when we couldn't yet be certain our Red Stars will be in the semifinals, but we are hopeful and confident we'll be playing that weekend."
The National Championship is the showcase event of the WPSL season, and WPSL Commissioner Jerry Zanelli is thrilled to have Chicago as the host team of this year's championship.
"It's been great working with Arnim and the Red Stars this year, and hosting our national championship is a class move on their part," Zanelli said. "With the quality of their organization, we know they'll do a fantastic job as hosts for the four teams who will compete for our championship."
The Red Stars have high expectations of playing in this year's WPSL Championship, and they will need to continue their winning ways. Chicago posted an 8-1-0 record to win the Midwest-North Division and is in the midst of an eight-game winning streak.
"We owed it to our Red Stars players to host the WPSL Championship in Chicago and give them a chance to win a couple more times in front of our dedicated fans," Whisler said. "Regardless of who the final four teams are playing, we'll be watching some tremendous matches."
The Red Stars open the playoffs this Saturday. Chicago, the top seed in the Midwest-North, battles the No. 2 seed of the Midwest-South Division FC Indiana at 6 p.m. at Dublin Jerome High School, 8300 County Highway 2, in Dublin, Ohio. Host Ohio Premier Women's SC, the top seed in the Midwest-South, faces the No. 2 seed of the Midwest-North, FC Milwaukee Nationals, at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The winners of these two semifinal matches then square off for a Midwest final at noon Sunday at Dublin Jerome H.S.
Weissenhofer earns award: Red Stars forward Michele Weissenhofer (Naperville, Ill.) was named Co-WPSL Player of the Week for posting one goal and four assists over a two-game stretch against the Iowa Rush and Minnesota Kings FC to guide the Red Stars toward first place in the Midwest-North. Weissenhofer posted a league-leading eight assists to go along with six goals and 20 points in nine games during the regular season. She shared the weekly honor with San Diego SeaLions midfielder Judy Christopher. Weissenhofer's honor marks the second straight week that a Red Stars player was recognized by the WPSL. Red Stars midfielder Amanda Cinalli (Cleveland, Ohio) earned co-player of the week accolades the week before.
About the Chicago Red Stars:
The Chicago Red Stars are playing in their first season in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) after spending the 2009 and 2010 seasons in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The Red Stars play their public home games at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex in west suburban Lisle, Ill. The Red Stars have qualified for the WPSL Playoffs and are hosting the WPSL Championship and Semifinals on July 30 and 31. For more information about the Red Stars, visit www.ChicagoRedStars.com .
About the Women's Premier Soccer League:
The WPSL is a 60-plus-team national league for the Summer 2011 season and is the largest women's soccer league in the world. The league is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The WPSL's mission is to provide the highest level of soccer in our effort to: bring affordable and quality family entertainment to the community; display positive role models for our youth; while, being a stepping stone for aspiring professional and international-level players.
For more information, visit our official website at www.wpsl.info, phone us at 1-800-854-0913 or contact us via email at media@wpslsoccer.com . You can also keep up with our league on our social media networking sites on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Eurosport & SOCCER.COM is a Proud Partner of the WPSL, who feature a wide selection of top-of-the-line soccer merchandise. For more information, visit their official website at www.soccer.com . Molten is the Official Championship Ball of the 2011 WPSL Championship and Semifinals. Visit their official website at www.moltenusa.com for more information on their full line of products.
