FC Milwaukee fell 2-1 to eventual WPSL champion Boston Breakers Aztecs Reserves in their semi-final matchup on July 31. FC Milwaukee created several very good scoring chances early in the game but couldn't convert them before falling behind 1-0 on a corner-kick from the Aztecs in the 31st minute. The score would remain the same going deep into the second half as FC Milwaukee pushed to get an equalizer -- with Boston clearing a ball off of the goalline and surviving several other good scoring opportunities from FC Milwaukee. Boston scored to make the game 2-0 on a counter in the 81st minute, off a great individual run. While FC Milwaukee was able to get an injury time goal from Laurie Nosbusch to pull closer, time ran out shortly after the goal.

As FC Milwaukee's WPSL Team prepares for today's semi-final in the WPSL Final Four in Dallas, TX, the team is being lauded as the youngest team in the Final Four. The team faces a tough challenge in facing the Boston Aztecs, the reserve team of the professional WPS Boston Breakers, and a team that includes several players from the Breakers professional roster. While covering the Final Four, Dallas Soccer News has recognized the youth of the FC Milwaukee team, and the role of the club's youth development system in preparing players for competition at this level. (See http://www.dallassoccernews.com/sections/amateur2.php?article_id=3834.)

For a pre-game interview with coach Christian Lavers, and a discussion of the youth development structure of FC Milwaukee, see http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Womens-Premier-Soccer-League/119856760337?ref=ts. FC Milwaukee's game against Boston Aztecs kicks off at 5:00 PM Central at the University of Texas - Dallas

FC Milwaukee WPSL player, and long-time youth player, Laurie Nosbusch has been featured by the WPSL in a Question & Answer session in preparation for the WPSL Final Four this weekend in Dallas. The interview describes Laurie's impressive list of playing accomplishments over her career, and gives Laurie's thoughts on the FC Milwaukee WPSL season this year. The interview is below, and the full article can be found at www.wpsl.info.

In recognition of their WPSL Midwest Conference Championship and WPSL Final Four berth, FC Milwaukee led the 2010 WPSL All-Midwest Team with 2 Midwest Player of the Year Honorees, 3 other All-Midwest Selections, and Midwest Coach of the Year. It was a sweep for FC Milwaukee for Player of the Year awards, as forward Sarah Hagen was named the Midwest Player of the Year for her impressive goal-scoring form, and goalkeeper Leslie Deebach was named the Midwest Co-Goalkeeper of the Year after FC Milwaukee only conceded 6 goals in 8 regular-season games. Joining Hagen and Deebach on the All-Midwest First Team were forward Laurie Nosbusch and midfielder Sarah Talbert, while Katie Hishmeh was recognized for her tremendous defensive contributions and named All-Midwest Honorable Mention. Finally, coach Christian Lavers was recognized as the Midwest Coach of the Year.

On a beautiful Saturday evening in Germantown, FC Milwaukee earned a spot in the 2010 WPSL Final Four with an emphatic 3-1 victory over FSA Freedom from Miami, FL. The win continues an impressive string of 9 straight victories in the WPSL for FC Milwaukee, including 3 play-off wins. In its first season in the WPSL FC Milwaukee will now represent the Midwest / South in the WPSL Final Four in Dallas, Texas this weekend.

Several members of FC Milwaukee's WPSL team were honored for their performances in the WPSL play-offs this weekend as Sara Hagen was named the Co-Player of the Week and Sarah Talbert was named to the Team of the Week. Hagen led FC Milwaukee into this week's WPSL Quarter-Final match with 3 goals in the final regular-season game against Madison 56ers to clinch home field for the play-offs, 1 goal in the first round defeat of Ft. Wayne, and both goals as well as the game-winning penalty kick against Ohio Elite for the Midwest Conference Championship. Talbert anchored the FC midfield over the weekend, playing every minute in the win over Ohio Elite. This is the second WPSL honor for both players. "Congratulations to both players for this recognition," said coach Christian Lavers. "At the same time, individual honors rarely come without team success -- and the performance of the entire team was tremendous over the past 4 games." For the full WPSL team of the week, see www.wpsl.info.

SEATTLE (July 19, 2010) – The 2010 ECNL National Championship came to a close Saturday at 60 Acres Soccer Complex in suburban Seattle, as teams from three different clubs earned national championships, three additional clubs won Challenge B championships, and PDA was crowned the overall ECNL National Club Champion.

The event, held July 15-17, was the culmination of the inaugural season of the ECNL and included all 120 teams from the 40 current ECNL clubs. The teams were competing for age group championships and promotion and relegation between the Challenge A and B flights in each age group for the 2010-11 season.

Illustrating the competitiveness of play across all three age groups, two of the three national championship games needed penalty kicks to decide the winner. The excitement was not just limited to the championship brackets either, as teams fought hard to earn promotion and avoid relegation, as well as to earn points in the overall National Club Champion standings.

“The National Championship games provided a great end to the first season of the ECNL,” said ECNL President Christian Lavers. “For the first time in girls’ soccer in this country, we have national champions that were determined by their performances in league competition over an entire year, and we have an overall club national champion. The environment for the games was fantastic, the players provided tremendous performances all weekend, and I think we saw that the future of the ECNL, and the future of youth girls’ soccer in general, is very positive.”