The Raleigh Wings won their second consecutive W-League title with a dramatic 3-2 shootout win over the Chicago Cobras in front of a team record crowd of 2,260 fans in Raleigh, N.C.
Megan Jeidy scored the clincher in the sixth round of the tiebreaker, and Raleigh goalie Siri Mullinix made the save on Chicago's Courtney Linex to give the Wings the title.
"Sure, there was a lot of pressure on me when I had to go up there, but we've been practicing these," Jeidy, a former standout at N.C. State, said in the Raleigh News & Observer. "I hit a couple good ones in practice this week. I just tried to block out the pressure."
The Cobras took a 2-0 lead in regulation on goals by midfielders Marci Miller, and Ann Cook, but the Wings struck back, reducing the arrears just before halftime through forward Wendy Gebauer, the ABC/ESPN broadcaster, who scored off a cross from tournament MVP Kim Yankowski.
Raleigh's U.S. national team striker, Cindy Parlow, scored the equalizer in the 66th minute.
Raleigh coach Bill Palladino credited his defense, in particular Thori Bryan, who put the clamps on Cobras star striker, and Canadian international, Charmaine Hooper.
"I think Thori pretty much kept us in the game in the first half," Palladino said in the News & Observer. "Chicago has a lot of respect for Kim [Yankowski], and they may have overshifted a little bit. Thori was able to do the job Kim usually does for us."
Aug. 13 in Raleigh, N.C.
Chicago 4 Atlanta 1. Goals: Krzykowski 9, Hoelter (Cook) 38, Hoelter 71, Hooper 88; Burkett 43.
Chicago -- Dion, Krueger, Stewart, Loehr, Myers (LePeilbet, 79), Miller, Cook (Hertz, 85), Burt (Skibski, 75), Krzykowski, Hoelter (Feulner, 75), Hooper.
Atlanta -- Rudge, Huelsing, McHugh, Yarem, Brickner, Lewis (Campbell, 46), McCurry, Gray, Burkett, Aiken, Gragg.
Raleigh 4 Maryland 1. Goals: Parlow (Yankowski) 33, Baggett (Bryan) 41, Parlow 45, Whelchel (Walbert) 49; Ricker (Wycinsky) 57.
Raleigh -- Mullinix (Ducar, 46), Fettig, Bryan, Wilson, Whelchel (Clifton, 71), Yankowski, Walbert, Jeidy, Burtini (Baggett, 39), Gebauer (Rosenberg, 79), Parlow (Fletcher, 46).
Maryland -- Sullivan, Desfosses, Pitera, Brunt (Sheremeta, 59), Raveia (Jones, 52), McCarthy (Pawlow, 73), Rohrman, McCollough, Ricker, Cunningham, Wycinsky.
Att.: 1,865.
Aug. 15 in Raleigh, N.C.
Maryland 3 Atlanta 0. Goals: Cunningham 50, Sheremeta (Wycinsky) 67, Wycinsky (McCarthy) 84.
Maryland -- Sullivan, Desfosses, Pitera, Raveia (Jones, 46), Brunt (Sheremeta, 53), Rohrman, McCarthy, McCollough (Jimenez, 86), Cunningham, Ricker (Pawlow, 86), Wycinsky.
Atlanta -- Rudge, Huelsing, McHugh, Yarem, Brickner, Lewis (Campbell, 53), McCurry, Gray, Burkett, Aiken, Gragg.
Att.: 2,110.
Aug. 15 in Raleigh, N.C.
Raleigh 2 Chicago 2 (Raleigh wins shootout, 3-2). Goals: Gebauer (Yankowski) 44, Parlow (Whelchel) 67; Miller (Cook) 35, Cook (Miller) 40.
Raleigh -- Ducar (Mullinix, 46), Fettig, Wilson, Bryan, Whelchel (Fletcher, 120), Yankowski, Jeidy, Walbert, Baggett, Parlow, Gebauer.
Chicago -- Dion, Krueger, Loehr, Stewart, Miller, Krzykowski (Skibski, 67), Myers (Linex, 120), Burt (Hertz, 81), Hooper, Cook, Hoelter (Feulner, 73).
Att.: 2,260.
Goalkeeper -- Danielle Dion (Chicago).
Defenders -- Nel Fettig (Raleigh), Josha Krueger (Chicago), Staci Wilson (Raleigh).
Midfielders -- Sara Burkett (Atlanta), Lisa Krzykowski (Chicago), Peggy McCarthy (Maryland), Marci Miller (Chicago), Kim Yankowski (Raleigh).
Forwards -- Cindy Parlow (Raleigh), Missy Wycinsky (Maryland).
MVP: Kim Yankowski (Raleigh).
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