Metuchen, NJ — The marquee weekend on the United Women’s Soccer calendar has arrived, with four elite UWS sides poised to battle it out for the UWS National Championship at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Massachusetts.
Semifinal action begins Saturday at 4:30 p.m ET with Calgary Foothills vs FC Buffalo. Chicago Mustangs vs SA Athenians is set to follow at 7:00 p.m. The winners advance to the National Championship, which is scheduled for Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
National Semi-Final 1
Calgary Foothills vs FC Buffalo
Saturday, July 23
4:30 p.m. ET
Lusitano Stadium (Ludlow, Massachusetts)
Watch Live on Eleven Sports
One of the regular presences at the UWS National Championship takes on a group of fresh faces in the first semifinal. Calgary Foothills qualified for the UWS National Championship for the third time in the last four seasons by claiming the West Conference regular-season title with a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 games. The Canadian side will be opposed by FC Buffalo, which arrives in Ludlow as East Conference Champions. In two seasons since joining UWS, FC Buffalo owns an outstanding record of 17 wins in 24 matches.
Calgary Foothills unseated defending UWS National Champions SC Blue Heat, besting their foes from Southern California twice to claim the top spot out west. Calgary Foothills boasts a roster full of players who have participated in the Canadian National Team setup at various levels, and several players who stood out in the collegiate ranks last season. The University of Memphis duo of Saorla Miller and Mya Jones paces the Calgary Foothills attack, with 11 goals between them this season.
FC Buffalo took a difficult path to the National Championship, besting a stout NE Mutiny team on the road in the first round of the East Conference playoffs before a thrilling win in extra time against Coppermine United in the conference final. The FC Buffalo roster features a mixture of veterans and talent from the college game. Captain Carissima Cutrona is the unquestioned engine for the FC Buffalo attack. She has nine goals and six assists to her name in 12 games this season, and 28 goal contributions throughout an outstanding UWS career.
National Semi-Final 2
Chicago Mustangs vs SA Athenians
Saturday, July 23
7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Lusitano Stadium (Ludlow, Massachusetts)
Watch Live on Eleven Sports
Two UWS clubs with a winning pedigree will battle it out for the second spot in the UWS National Championship final, as Chicago Mustangs meet SA Athenians. Chicago Mustangs enter this game with the strongest goalscoring record in UWS, having potted 70 goals throughout 11 matches in the regular season and playoffs. SA Athenians are familiar with the national stage after they advanced to the UWS National Championship in 2021, and will hope to nullify the opposition attack with a back line that has kept seven clean sheets in 10 games this season.
Chicago Mustangs ran the playoff gauntlet to book their tickets to Lusitano Stadium, winning three elimination games, including an exciting 4-3 clash against fellow Central Conference standouts Corktown Hawks. They’ve yet to taste defeat this season, with one draw representing the only minor blemish on what has been a stellar season to this point. Chicago Mustangs also bring an international pedigree to Ludlow, with a handful of players who have represented their nations at the youth levels. One of those players is UWS leading scorer Nina Nicosia, who has an outstanding record of 12 goals and 10 assists this season.
SA Athenians arrive in Ludlow after an outstanding regular season in the Southwest Division, emerging victorious in seven of their 10 games with only a single defeat. The San Antonio-based club fields a roster that defies borders, mixing a handful of key players from overseas with a foundation of homegrown talent. SA Athenians will be looking to use last year’s postseason experience as a platform this time around. Sierra Wannamaker leads the way with six goals on the season, followed closely by Keeley Ayala’s tally of five.
FInal
TBD
Sunday, July 24
2:00 p.m. ET
Lusitano Stadium (Ludlow, Massachusetts)
Watch Live on Eleven Sports
