From USISL site:

Cobras Claim W-1 Championship In Third Attempt

RALEIGH, N.C. (Sunday, August 13, 2000) – The Chicago Cobras had one goal entering the 2000 season.

From the start, the two-time runners-up were intent on finally claiming the W-1 championship. Sunday afternoon, they did. The Cobras defeated the Raleigh Wings, 4-2, in penalty kicks after 90 minutes of regulation time and two 15-minute sudden-death overtime periods ended with the score tied 1-1 in front of 1,528 fans at Championship Field at the WRAL Soccer Park.

The victory gave Chicago its first championship in their five-year history and a bit of revenge against the Wings, who had defeated them here in a shootout last season after coming back from a two-goal deficit. The loss for the Wings was their first-ever in the postseason and also the first they have suffered against a W-1 opponent in their history.

"We bent again this game, like we did last year, but this time we didn’t break," said Chicago Coach Mike Nesci. "Heart and desire was the difference. Their goal from day one was to get back into this situation and win it this time. This was the best year from them to win, considering this is the last time the Cobras will be the same core group of players."

The game went to penalty kicks after two scoreless overtimes and the 2000 Goalkeeper of the Year took the spotlight. After Wendy Gebauer and Megan Jeidy were successful on Raleigh’s first two attempts and Ann Cook, who was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Charmaine Hooper also scored, Chicago’s Danielle Dion saved successive attempts by Kim Yankowski and Kelly Cagle, while Krista Davey and Becky Myers scored from the spot to finish off the Wings.

"I don’t really feel like a hero, it took every single person on this team to get to that point," Dion said. "When it comes down to penalties, you just don’t know, either team can win."

The Cobras can consider themselves fortunate that the game did come down to the tiebreaker, as they were outshot, 10-4, and faced 14 Raleigh corner kicks in 120 minutes. Dion had three saves and watched several Wings attempts sail either high or wide of the net, including Thori Bryan’s header that skimmed just over the crossbar late in regulation.

Chicago also found itself in need of an equalizer after Kim Yankowski scored after just eight minutes. Last season, the Cobras went ahead by a pair of goals in the first half only to

watch the lead evaporate. This time, they faced a deficit when the three-time assist leader took things into her own hands and launched a 25-yard shot from the right side that dipped under the crossbar and just above the outstretched hands above Dion.

But, eight minutes into the second half, Canadian Women’s National Team star Charmaine Hooper drew the Raleigh defense to her on the right side, then sent a long ball into the path of streaking forward Becky Myers. As the Wings defenders tried to recover, Myers sent a right-footed shot past Kathryn Clewley into the right-side netting to tie the game.

"We were definitely the underdog, but we expected to win," Nesci said. "This is a team that has tradition on its side and a ton of things in their favor, but we battled real well against that."

The Cobras finished as the runners-up last season and in 1997, when they were defeated by the Long Island Lady Riders, 2-1, in a shootout, and also participated in the Swizzlin’ Six in Rockford in 1996, but had only regular season awards and a 5-5 postseason record entering the 2000 W-1 National Championship tournament. As women’s soccer enters a new era with a new professional league on the horizon, Chicago can finally call itself a champion.

RENEGADES PUT OUT INFERNO IN THIRD PLACE GAME – After falling behind by a goal, the Boston Renegades responded with six unanswered strikes in the second half to defeat the Toronto Inferno, 6-1, in the 2000 W-1 National Championship Third Place game.

Ronnie Fair and Paulina Miettinen each scored a pair of goals and Nathalie Geeris and the league’s Most Valuable Player, Kerry Connors each added a goal to lead the Renegades.

"Once we scored, you saw a little bit of how we can play," said Boston Coach Peter Bradley. "It’s a little disappointing to stand here and watch this performance and think of what could have been."

The Renegades were sent to the consolation game Friday after losing, 3-0, to the defending champion Raleigh Wings. A fourth straight goal was allowed Sunday, before the Northeast Conference champions finally exploded.

2000 W-1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Ann Cook Chicago Cobras

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