EAST REGION PLAYOFFS KICK OFF SATURDAY
The East Region Playoffs kick off Saturday with the first of two semifinal matches hosted by Niagara 1812 at Niagara University. Regional host Niagara 1812 opens play versus Sporting CT at 1 p.m. (EDT) followed by Brooklyn City F.C. versus PA Classics at 4 p.m. (EDT). The winners play on Sunday for a berth in the WPSL Championships. Kickoff for the East Region Playoffs Final is 1 p.m. (EDT).
Saturday, July 12 East Region Semifinal Niagara 1812 (Postseason 0-0-0) vs. Sporting CT (Postseason (0-0-0) 1 p.m. (EDT) Niagara University Niagara Falls, N.Y. Watch live or on-demand on the National Soccer Network
Regional Playoff hosts, Niagara 1812 out of the Great Lakes Conference take on Sporting CT from the Northeastern Conference in the first of two East Region semifinal matches Saturday.
This is Niagara’s second straight appearance in the East Region semifinal in the club’s two-year WPSL tenure. Last year Niagara fell to eventual East Region winners, Clarkstown Soccer Club.
Niagara enters the postseason as Great Lakes Conference representatives on the strength of gritty performances, including a 0-0 draw against one of the surprise teams of the season, Internationals SC.
The club is led by the goal scoring duo Arianna Zumpano and Kaitlyn Wright (Daemen University 2024- ) with four goals each.
Sporting CT, one of the surprise teams of the year, enters the East Region Playoffs after clinching the Northeastern Conference title in its first WPSL season with the only blemish on its otherwise perfect record coming in a Matchweek Seven loss to Merrimack Valley Hawks FC.
Sporting CT is fresh off a 4-3 win over RI Rogues FC to close out the regular season. Imani Jenkins (University of Hartford 2024- ), Tiffany Weimer, Abbie Burgess, and Abby Johnson scored goals in the win as Sporting looks to ride the momentum of the win into the postseason.
Sporting ran over its competition tallying a Conference high, 37 goals—ten more than its closest competition. The club is led by player/coach Weimer, with eight goals in 10 appearances for the club, followed by East Region Offensive Player of Matchweek Three, Audrey Kulpa (Penn State University 2024- ) with seven goals. Burgess and Tori Sousa are tied for third on the team in scoring with six goals each.
At the other end of the field, goalkeepers Caitlin Daley (University of New Haven 2023- ) and Emma Malone (UNC Greensboro 2022- ) allowed just 10 goals in 10 games, keeping five clean sheets.
Saturday is Sporting CT’s fist WPSL post season match.
The winner advances to the East Region Playoffs Final Sunday, July 13 at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EDT). Watch it here.
Saturday, July 12 East Region Semifinal Brooklyn City F.C. (Postseason 0-0-0) vs. PA Classics (Postseason 0-1-0) 4 p.m. (EDT) Niagara University Niagara Falls, N.Y. Watch live or on-demand on the National Soccer Network
Metropolitan Conference representative Brooklyn City F.C. makes its first foray into the postseason when it takes on Mid-Atlantic Conference winners, PA Classics in Saturday’s nightcap at Niagara University.
Brooklyn is coming off its best season in three seasons of WPSL competition in the always tough Metropolitan Conference. Brooklyn kicked off the season with a pair of wins before picking up the first of its two regular season losses to SUSA FC in Matchweek Five. Brooklyn rattled off a string of three wins before falling 2-1 to conference winners, Clarkstown Soccer Club, before finishing the season with a 2-1 win at SUSA.
Brooklyn finished the regular season tied with Clarkstown for the most goals scored over the course of the eight-match regular season with 20. The club is led by leading scorer Kayleigh Goodrich (Adelphi University 2023- ), who led the Metropolitan Conference in scoring with eight goals in eight games including the game winner versus SUSA to close out the regular season.
PA Classics are fresh off one of the most incredible WPSL conference final comebacks in recent history. Down 3-0 to Colonial Division winners, SJEB FC in the Mid-Atlantic Conference Final with half an hour to play, the Commonwealth Division representatives tallied five unanswered goals—three from Elizabeth Estrada (LaSalle University 2023- )—to win the Mid-Atlantic Conference Final in extra time.
Estrada’s conference final hat trick put her in the Postseason Golden Boot lead with three goals.
PA Classics tallied 29 goals over its 10-game regular season schedule, mostly by committee. Liza Suydam (Monmouth University 2023- ) and Estrada lead the club with seven goals: Suydam in nine appearances this season including a goal from the penalty spot against SJEB FC in the conference final, and Estrada in seven appearances.
This is PA Classics first trip to the East Region Playoffs in its four year WPSL tenure.
The winner advances to the East Region Playoffs Final Sunday, July 13 at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Yu Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EDT). Watch it here.
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