On paper, it seemed that ACF Torino USA and the ASA Chesapeake Charge were the teams to look out for in the South Atlantic Division of WPSL’s Eastern Conference. But that doesn’t mean much if you can’t make it happen on the field. This past weekend, both teams made it clear that they could do just that.

Lauren Badalamente (left, two goals), Sophie Jones (center, two goals), and Amanda Olson (right, goal and assist) were among the key figures in Torino's opening win

Midfielder Lauren Badalamente picked up the third goal in the 28th minute with some help from Kelly Whittaker. Then in the last few minutes of the first half, veteran midfielder Emily Janss was tripped in the box. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Olson put it away easily. Two minutes after that, Ali Andrzejewski got a through ball on the flank and sent in another well-placed cross that forward Diana Barrera sent in.

Badalamente scored again six minutes into the second half, heading in yet another cross from Andrzejewski. The goal of the match, though, has to go to Jones, who from the top of the box with her back to goal and a defender right on her twisted sharply to the right and managed to fire a shot past the goalkeeper.

Nine minutes later Andrzejewski would get a goal herself as the ball came to her off a corner kick clearance at the top right corner of the box. She sent the ball back in without a drastic amount of pace on it, but what looked as if it should have been a routine play for the goalkeeper somehow slipped just inside the right post.

With a 7-0 lead, Torino seemed to relax a bit at that point, and the Lions Swarm managed some significant though unproductive possession in their attacking end. But even so, in the last few minutes Kimbrough scored the final goal off another cross, this one from midfielder Rachel Lindenfeld.

“We’ve been doing cross after cross in practice,” Olson said after the match. “He’s got me leading all the free kicks. I’m in charge of most of the free kicks on dead balls, PKs, and corners.”

Despite the margin, one shouldn’t make too much of the result, as the Lions Swarm is a very, very young and inexperienced team. I looked up who I thought was one of their better players, Asia Fort, and found that she was all of 15.

The players seemed to accept that. Said Jones: “It was a good team performance all-around, first game for everyone. I think we could have picked the tempo up a bit more. It was a bit slow in parts. Just went through the motions after we scored more goals.” And Kimbrough: “We’re pleased with the outcome but know we’ll be having much better competition in future.”

And head coach David Jones made a point of putting it all into perspective: “This result and performance won’t mean anything at all if we don’t build on it.”

Defender Jess Hnatiuk shadows forward and team captain Laura Kane in a practice a few days before their successful opener (Photo courtesy of Ken Harriford)

The next night, the ASA Chesapeake Charge took on their former WPSL-Elite rivals the Philadelphia Fever and dispatched them easily, 5-0.

It took only 12 minutes for the Charge to get on the board, as – appropriately enough – forward and team captain Laura Kane redirected a free kick into the net. Two minutes later Alexis Prior-Brown, who mostly played right flank midfielder, rocketed a shot in from outside the right corner of the box to double the lead.

Four minutes later Kane fired a shot in from about 12 yards out that went off the crossbar and down but then out. The third goal would not come until the 44th minute, when forward Cheyenne Skidmore broke through the back line and drew the defense to the left side of the box. She fired a shot that Fever goalkeeper Kendra Griffith blocked but couldn’t save. A second shot was blocked by a defender, but then Madison Clemens – who played for the Fever last year – collected that rebound and sent it in.

The Charge had most of the attack in the early part of the second half but couldn’t quite sync up in the final third. It took until the 72nd minute for the fourth score, and that came off of a corner kick from the right. The Chesapeake corner kicks had been going fruitlessly long all evening, but this time Sofia Read collected the ball about 25 yards out on the left and fired it back in and into the netting.

Three minutes later, the Fever were called for a handball in the box. Defender Caylin Dudley stepped up and knocked it past the Philadelphia goalkeeper for the fifth and final score.

Head coach Tim Wittman was happy with the result but emphasized that it was early days yet. “I don’t look at the score as much as they way we play. A lot of these girls are coming from all different types of colleges, playing different styles. For them to get used to the way I want to play is a little different. That’s going to be the thing that we’re going to work on – it’s the most important thing. I’m glad we won, but that’s only part of it. It’s the way we win.”

The players, however, were enthusiastic, not surprising considering this was a team that had never scored more than three goals in a match in its entire history.

“I think we came out with a bang,” said Jess Hnatiuk, “which is awesome because it’s the way we wanted to start the season. Our offense was on fire today. The fact that we came out and had five different players score – just to have that many people get into the attack. Different people had different assists and goals, that says a lot about what’s to come.”

Kane was also very positive. “We played really well today. We moved the ball well, that’s what led to all the goals. I think we could communicate a bit more, especially in terms of winning balls in the midfield. A lot of times the ball was dropping in-between players. But overall I thought we did really well.”

The scary thing is that with a little bit more composure in the final third both teams could have scored numerous additional goals – Torino repeatedly skied open opportunities, while Chesapeake had a few of those as well along with some passes that were way too strong, not to mention the aforementioned corner kicks that consistently sailed well beyond the far post.

The bottom line is that if you’re in Maryland and want to see a serious women’s soccer rivalry, mark June 18 and June 22 on your calendar, which are the dates these two teams have their home-and-home series.

ACF Torino next plays on Saturday, May 25, when they go on the road to play the Tidewater Sharks. The Charge have ten days off, then go down to southern Maryland on May 29 to face the Lions Swarm.

Pretty self-explanatory. Note the difference between most valuable and most outstanding player.

Best XI:

GK – Brittany Cameron (SBFC)

LB – Leigh Ann Robinson (FCKC)
CB – Christie Rampone (SBFC)
CB – Becky Sauerbrunn (FCKC)
RB – Marian Dougherty (POR)

DM – Desiree Scott (FCKC)
CM – Sophie Schmidt (SBFC)
AM – Christine Sinclair (POR)
AM – Diana Matheson (WSH)

FW – Abby Wambach (WNY)
FW – Renae Cuellar (FCKC)

Most Outstanding Player: Christie Rampone, SBFC
Most Valuable Player: Diana Matheson, WSH
Rookie of the Year: Renae Cuellar, FCKC
GK of the Year: Brittany Cameron, SBFC
DEF of the Year: Christie Rampone, SBFC
MF of the Year: Diana Matheson, WSH
FW of the Year: Renae Cuellar, FCKC
Coach of the Year: Jim Gabarra, SBFC

Marks set this round italicized:

League Highs Game

Possession

60% – Portland (Round 5)

Passes

516 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)

Pass Completion %

68% – Portland Thorns FC (Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

75 – Boston (Round 1)

Average Pass String

6.2 – Portland Thorns (Round 5)

Longest Pass String

27 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)

League Lows Game

Possession

40% – Chicago (Round 5)

Passes

263 – Chicago (Round 5)

Pass Completion

48% – Chicago (Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

28 – Chicago (Round 5)

Average Pass String

3.8 – Chicago (Round 4)

Longest Pass String

7 – Chicago (Round 3, 4)

Team Highs Game

Possession

60% – Portland Thorns (Round 5)
57% – Boston (Round 1)
56% – Washington (Round 5)
55% – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
54% – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
52% – WNY Flash (Round 2)
51% – Chicago (Round 1)
51% – Seattle (Round 5)

Passes

516 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
493 – Boston (Round 1)
468 – Portland Thorns (Round 5)
437 – Washington (Round 5)
430 – Seattle (Round 5)
402 – WNY Flash (Round 5)
389 – Chicago (Round 3)
375 – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)

Pass Completion

68% – Portland Thorns (Round 5)
67% – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
66% – Seattle (Round 5)
65% – Boston (Round 1)
65% – Washington (Round 5)
63% – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
62% – WNY Flash (Round 2, Round 5)
60% – Chicago (Round 1)

3+ Pass Strings

75 – Boston (Round 1)
71 – Seattle (Round 5)
69 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
65 – Washington (Round 5)
65 – WNY Flash (Round 2)
62 – Chicago (Round 3)
61 – Portland Thorns (Round 3, 5)
57 – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)

Average Pass String

6.2 – Portland Thorns (Round 5)
5.8 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
5.2 – Washington (Round 3)
5.1 – WNY Flash (Round 5)
5.0 – Boston (Round 1)
4.9 – Seattle (Round 5)
4.9 – Sky Blue FC (Round 3)
4.5 – Chicago (Round 1)

Longest Pass String

27 – FC Kansas City (Round 4)
25 – Portland Thorns (Round 5)
18 – Sky Blue FC (Round 3)
18 – Washington (Round 3, 4)
13 – Seattle (Round 5)
12 – Boston (Round 1)
12 – Chicago (Round 1)
10 – WNY Flash (Round 3, 5)

Team Lows Game

Possession

50% – FC Kansas City (Round 5)
49% – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
47% – Portland Thorns (Round 1, 4)
47% – WNY Flash (Round 3)
45% – Seattle (Round 4)
44% – Boston (Round 5)
43% – Washington (Round 1)
40% – Chicago (Round 5)

Passes

388 – FC Kansas City (Round 5)
342 – Portland Thorns (Round 4)
327 – WNY Flash (Round 3)
319 – Boston (Round 5)
314 – Washington (Round 2)
274 – Seattle (Round 1)
267 – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
263 – Chicago (Round 5)

Pass Completion

61% – FC Kansas City (Round 3, 5)
60% – Portland Thorns (Round 1, 4)
57% – WNY Flash (Round 3)
56% – Boston (Round 4)
56% – Washington (Round 1)
54% – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
53% – Seattle (Round 1)
48% – Chicago (Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

58 – FC Kansas City (Round 1)
53 – WNY Flash (Round 3)
48 – Boston (Round 4)
46 – Washington (Round 2)
45 – Seattle (Round 3)
43 – Portland Thorns (Round 4)
31 – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
28 – Chicago (Round 5)

Average Pass String

5.0 – Portland Thorns (Round 1, 3)
4.6 – FC Kansas City (Round 5)
4.4 – Sky Blue FC (Round 3)
4.4 – WNY Flash (Round 2, 3)
4.3 – Washington (Round 2)
4.2 – Boston (Round 5)
4.1 – Seattle (Round 5)
3.8 – Chicago (Round 4)

Longest Pass String

12 – Portland Thorns (Round 1)
10 – FC Kansas City (Round 5)
10 – Sky Blue FC (Round 5)
9 – Boston (Round 4)
9 – Seattle (Round 2)
8 – Washington (Round 2)
8 – WNY Flash (Round 2)
7 – Chicago (Round 3,4)

League Highs Half

Possession

63% – Portland (2H, Round 5)

Passes

279 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)

Pass Completion

72% – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4), Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

42 – Boston (2H, Round 1)

Average Pass String

7.2 – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)

Longest Pass String

27 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)

League Lows Half

Possession

37% – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Passes

113 – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Pass Completion

45% – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

11 – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Average Pass String

3.4 – Chicago (2H, Round 4)

Longest Pass String

5 – Chicago (2H, Round 4)

Team Highs Half

Possession

63% – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 5)
59% – Boston (1H, Round 1)
59% – Washington (1H, Round 5)
57% – Sky Blue FC (1H, Round 3)
55% – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 1; 1H, Round 4; 2H, Round 4)
52% – Seattle (2H, Round 2)
52% – Chicago (1H, Round 1; 1H, Round 4)
52% – WNY Flash (2H, Round 1; 2H, Round 2)

Passes

279 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)
273 – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)
272 – Boston (2H, Round 1)
238 – Washington (1H, Round 5)
226 – Seattle (2H, Round 5)
213 – Chicago (1H, Round 3)
204 – WNY Flash (2H, Round 3)
203 – Sky Blue FC (1H, Round 3)

Pass Completion

72% – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)
72% – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)
69% – Washington (1H, Round 5)
67% – Boston (2H, Round 1)
67% – Seattle (2H, Round 5)
65% – Chicago (1H, Round 1)
64% – Sky Blue FC (1H, Round 5)
64% – WNY Flash (1H, Round 2)

3+ Pass Strings

42 – Boston (2H, Round 1)
39 – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 3)
37 – Seattle (2H, Round 5)
36 – Chicago (1H, Round 1)
36 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)
33 – Sky Blue FC (1H, Round 3)
33 – Washington (2H, Round 5)
33 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 2)

Average Pass String

7.2 – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)
6.1 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)
5.9 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
5.6 – Washington (2H, Round 3, 1H, Round 5)
5.2 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 3)
5.1 – Boston (2H, Round 1)
5.0 – Seattle (2H, Round 2; 2H, Round 4)
4.6 – Chicago (2H, Round 1)

Longest Pass String

27 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 4)
25 – Portland Thorns (1H, Round 5)
18 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 3)
18 – Washington (2H, Round 3; 2H, Round 4)
13 – Seattle (2H, Round 5)
13 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
12 – Boston (1H, Round 1)
12 – Chicago (2H, Round 1)

Team Lows Half

Possession

49% – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 5)
45% – Seattle (1H, Round 4; 2H, Round 4; 1H, Round 5)
44% – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 4)
43% – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
41% – Boston (1H, Round 5)
41% – Washington (1H, Round 1)
40% – Sky Blue FC (1H, Round 5)
37% – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Passes

183 – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 3)
149 – Washington (2H, Round 2)
139 – Boston (2H, Round 4)
132 – Seattle (1H, Round 1)
123 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
120 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 5)
117 – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 4)
113 – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Pass Completion

59% – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 3)
55% – Washington (1H, Round 1; 2H, Round 2)
53% – Boston (2H, Round 4)
52% – Seattle (2H, Round 1)
51% – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
50% – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 5)
48% – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 4)
45% – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

3+ Pass Strings

26 – FC Kansas City (2H, Round 1)
22 – Washington (2H, Round 2)
20 – Seattle (1H, Round 2)
18 – Boston (2H, Round 4)
17 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
14 – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 4)
12 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 5)
11 – Chicago (2H, Round 5)

Average Pass String

4.6 – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 3; 1H, Round 5)
4.1 – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 4)
4.1 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 3)
4.1 – Washington (2H, Round 2)
3.9 – Boston (2H, Round 5)
3.9 – WNY Flash (1H, Round 3)
3.7 – Seattle (2H, Round 5)
3.4 – Chicago (2H, Round 4)

Longest Pass String

8 – Boston (1H, Round 4)
8 – FC Kansas City (1H, Round 3)
8 – Portland Thorns (2H, Round 3; 2H, Round 4)
7 – Seattle (2H, Round 1; 1H, Round 2)
7 – Washington (2H, Round 2)
6 – Sky Blue FC (2H, Round 3)
6 – WNY Flash (2H, Round 2)
5 – Chicago (2H, Round 4)

If you had a clutch of Sky Blue FC and Portland Thorns players in your lineup for the double week, you probably ended up very happy, as most involved put up some pretty hearty numbers. Other double gamers like Diana Matheson and Lori Lindsey of Washington also fared pretty well. A handful of single gamers, most notably Abby Wambach, AD Franch, and Lauren Cheney, also raked in the points, but going heavy with two-gamers seemed like the strategy for a winning round five.

There’re no double game clubs to worry about for the next few weeks, which should make things a little easier. Not making things easier this week is bye weeks for WNY and Chicago, meaning fantasy owners will have to do without Abby Wambach and Lori Chalupny among others. For the four clubs playing on Sunday, squad rotation also becomes a worry, as coaches try to save legs after having played on Thursday. I’d be especially wary with Sky Blue FC playing a moribund Seattle side that doesn’t look too likely to win any time soon.

Round six also brings the first wave of position changes this season. Besides having a handful of new defensive options, you’ve also got some more potent midfield ones as well, including Christine Sinclair and Lauren Cheney. Stephanie Ochs has been playing forward the past few games but played on the wing most of the season before then and is listed as a midfielder but will likely be moved back to forward after round ten if she continues partnering Tiffany McCarty up front.

Fantasy Rankings by Team for Round Six

1. POR
2. SBFC
3. FCKC
4. BOS
5. SEA
6. WSH

GK

Cameron (SBFC) – Loyden looming, but difficult to see her giving way in such a winnable matchup. Another clean sheet a distinct possibility.

LeBlanc (POR) – Thorns will have point to prove, and Washington offense probably not putting up four goals again, especially on short rest.

Barnhart (FCKC) – Past round’s horror show defensively not her fault but be wary against a potent Boston attack.

Phillips (BOS) – Has value as one of few non-allocated goalkeeping options but not the best matchup against powerful FCKC offense.

Harris (WSH) – Probably going to make a lot of saves, but Spirit will be big underdogs against angry Portland team.

DEF

Goodson (SBFC) – A no-brainer. Seattle’s set piece defense has been comical as of late and she’s the top scoring fantasy defender so far, so play her with confidence.

Johnson (SBFC) – Probably stuck at left-back with wheezing Seattle defense vulnerable to O’Hara up front. Still a great option for clean sheet points and more.

Dougherty (POR) – Looks like the pick of the Portland defenders if you fancy them for a clean sheet…

Marshall (POR) – …though Marshall is a pretty good option in the back for the Thorns and your fantasy team as well.

Robinson (FCKC) – Looks like one of the game’s best defensive options but could be pinned back by O’Reilly on left side this game.

Rampone (SBFC) – Masterclass in defending on Thursday but better fantasy options on her own team.

Sauerbrunn (FCKC) – Atypical game last round but still scoring decent points, but matchup may not justify allocation slot.

Buehler (POR) – Hard justifying spending an allocation on a defender in most cases, and there are probably better options out there.

Williamson (POR) – Has done well in real life, but not a great fantasy option with Dougherty/Marshall out there.

Mathias (FCKC) – Finally eligible at defender and attacking Boston’s weaker side defensively but still a tough matchup.

Foord (SBFC) – If you feel like gambling, Foord’s been showing promise despite being low scorer in SBFC defense and has a great matchup against wobbly Seattle defense.

Krieger (WSH) – Finally delivered a good fantasy performance against Seattle, but tough matchup against Long and Marshall down left could mean a regression to the mean.

Whitehill (BOS) – Hard to be confident in any Breaker defender with chopping and changing due to injury, but if you want one, she’s the likely pick.

MF

Cheney (FCKC) – Much more palatable option in midfield than up front and has been on fire after bad opening game, though matchup not the best.

O’Reilly (BOS) – Pretty much undroppable thus far and should have room down the flanks given adventurous nature of FCKC full-backs.

Schmidt (SBFC) – A fantasy dud against Portland but has still been a strong performer throughout the season and is probably the safest option from the SBFC midfield.

Sinclair (POR) – Hasn’t performed to her fantasy potential but has also been unlucky with offside flag, woodwork. More valuable as a midfielder and a breakout game is inevitable.

Matheson (WSH) – Just keeps scoring goals and reeling in the fantasy points. Not a great matchup, but Portland midfield spotty, so opportunities could be there.

Mewis (FCKC) – Been a fantasy bust for much of the season but came alive last round and could have room to work on the flanks.

Washington (POR) – Good option considering revolving door at left-back for Spirit but be wary of bookings.

Sanderson (BOS) – Been in great form all season but has difficult assignment against Scott and Buczkowski.

Lindsey (WSH) – Massive climb up the midfield rankings with huge round five. Still prefer Matheson, but has become a relevant fantasy option with recent form.

Nairn (SEA) – Not a bad option in the middle of the park if you feel SBFC’s going to have a letdown, but as always, tread carefully with Seattle players.

Ochs (WSH) – Playing up top in 4-4-2 with McCarty, but matchup not the best, so you might want to pass.

Farrelly (FCKC) – Hasn’t done much since her debut, and better options available on own team.

Lohman (BOS) – Was on fire last round, but see above with Sanderson.

Noyola (SEA) – Performance against Washington makes you wonder why she hasn’t seen more time but just a marginal option here thanks to allocated status.

Fishlock (SEA) – Fantasy fortunes fraying noticeably after bright start.

Freels (SBFC) – Finally had the game most had been expecting for some time, but be wary of Lytle lurking after super sub performance.

Lytle (SBFC) – Probably still in wait and see territory despite super sub goal but certainly a player to keep an eye on.

FW

Morgan (POR) – Racked up the fantasy points against Chicago but did little against SBFC defense on Thursday. Should be motivated on Sunday and facing a defense which shipped two to Seattle, so big game possible.

De Vanna (SBFC) – Top non-allocated forward option gets a plum matchup against brutal Seattle defense which is now struggling with injury crisis.

Cuellar (FCKC) – Frustrating day against WNY, but Boston defense more pliable in all likelihood. Not a top option, but probably still a very good one.

Leroux (BOS) – Crashed back to Earth in a big way against Washington, and things probably not going to get any easier against stout FCKC defense.

O’Hara (SBFC) – You figure Gabarra might go for the jugular early so he can rotate players, which means O’Hara could feature up front, though there are better allocated options this week.

Adams (SBFC) – SBFC’s other non-allocated forward’s not that bad either despite a dreadful showing against Portland fantasy-wise.

McCarty (WSH) – Runs hot and cold, and matchup on the road against a likely angry Portland team doesn’t bode well.

Schoepfer (BOS) – If you’re looking for a non-allocated option up top, Schoepfer’s been in decent form this season.

Taylor (SEA) – Certainly made an imprint on Thursday’s game against Washington, but SBFC defense has put the squeeze on many forwards, so tread lightly.

Maryland has three teams in the Women’s Premier Soccer League this year, all competing in the league’s South Atlantic Division. It looks to be a tough division given that it includes ACF Torino USA, who won the Northeast Atlantic Conference’s South Division last year while playing as the Maryland Capitols, plus two teams that played in the WPSL-Elite last year, the ASA Chesapeake Charge and the Philadelphia Fever. Since they’re in the same division, each team will have a home-and-home series with the other. Conveniently, there’s not a lot of travel involved for that. The Chesapeake Charge are based south of Baltimore, while ACF Torino plays in the Washington, DC, suburbs, and the Lions Swarm play in Calvert County in southern Maryland. Let’s look at the teams in order of seniority.

The Chesapeake Charge are an archetypal women’s amateur club team, collecting the best players in the area and bringing them together on one roster. And despite the local focus, they’ve been very successful with that approach. “I think we can do that,” says assistant coach Dan Bulls. “I think we can do that because this is a good area for soccer. Maryland, Baltimore, Annapolis – it’s a good area for the sport. And with the surrounding colleges we have a good selection of players. And our coaching staff is very connected with youth soccer around the area as well. We’re very familiar with local soccer.”

In their inaugural season two years ago, they finished third in their ten-team division, then made it to the WPSL’s elite eight before losing to Boston Aztec. Last year they took on the tough challenge of competing in the WPSL-Elite, finishing sixth out of an eight-team lineup that included four teams with professional heritage. Among the true amateur teams, they were beaten out only by the New England Mutiny. That was a toughening experience, but those who went through it are very positive about how it will benefit the team this year.

I think that’s going to help us tremendously,” says general manager Patrick Crawford. “From playing the kind of caliber and competition that we had last year, and with us bringing back so many of the core players now that we’re playing in the WPSL. Not that the WPSL isn’t a tremendous league, but playing against the caliber that we played last year is going to really really compare the girls and sort of slow things down, where last year we had to speed things up because the speed of play was so much faster.”

This year's Charge captain Laura Kane (left) vies with last year's, Jess Hnatiuk (center), in a preseason practice (Ken Harriford)

Central defender Jess Hnatiuk, team captain last year and coming into her third year with the squad, agrees. “There is going to be good competition, but we’re not going to be playing against Heather O’Reilly, Tobin Heath, players of that caliber that play on the national team. Last year it was great playing against players like that. It made you come to the game and play 90 minutes of good soccer, be quick, thinking on your feet. Coming down from the WPSL-Elite, it’s going to be good competition but not where it was last year, so I feel in that sense we should come out a little bit more dominant since we have that experience, we’ve played at that level, played at that quickness, we should be able to bring that to the table and hopefully have a dominant season.”

Their characteristic qualities have been a stingy defense combined with a generally anemic offense. In 2011 despite a 5-1-4 record they scored a mere 13 goals while giving up 12. Against the WPSL-Elite teams they played 14 matches but only scored 15 goals.

The response to that this year has been to overhaul the coaching staff. The aforementioned Dan Bulls is the only holdover from last year, while Tim Wittman is the new head coach, Tarik Walker a new assistant coach, and for the first time they have a goalkeeper coach in Steve King.

Tim is quite a contrast with his predecessor, the laid-back Albert Oni (who nevertheless was named WPSL Eastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2011). During practice he’s bellowing encouragement and criticism at such a pace and volume that you wonder if he’s going to have a voice left by the time the season starts. Cries of “I like it!” resound whenever a player exhibits a particularly admirable burst of enthusiasm or ingenuity.

Forward and this year’s team captain Laura Kane is excited about playing for him. “He has a very free-flowing attack, and that’s something that I really enjoy. I’m one of the creative players, I would say, that’s one of my strengths. So I would think that that will work well with the attacking players that we have this year. Last year was a bit rigid, and we were kind of stuck in our positions. I think this year we’ll be able to interchange positions in the attacking half. I think you’ll see a lot more goals.”

Riley Barger had the toughening experience of dealing with USWNTer Heather O'Reilly last summer in the WPSL-Elite even before starting as a freshman at Maryland last fall (Ken Harriford)

Players to look for include Hnatiuk herself, a tall, strong central defender who is the heart of the Charge’s stubborn defense; upcoming young players Alexis Prior-Brown, Marisa Kresge, and Riley Barger, who made significant contributions to the Maryland Terrapins despite being freshmen; and the lightning fast Cheyenne Skidmore.

The Charge play their home games at Arundel High School, 1001 Annapolis Rd., Gambrills, MD. Their home opener is this Sunday, May 19, at 6:30 pm as they take on the Philadelphia Fever, who have also dropped down from the WPSL-Elite this year.

As for why to come out and watch the games, team assistant Maria Lyon might have the best answer: “We have some world-class people here. We have people who’ve played all over the country, some outside of the country. A lot of the people here are really skilled, have a lot of talent, and bring a lot of personality to the field. It’s a good game to watch.”

In contrast with the Charge – and perhaps appropriately given his team’s ties to its sister in Italy – ACF Torino US head coach and general manager David Jones has cast a much wider net, taking in players who’ve played for Italy and Germany as well as two players from the Liverpool Ladies who were looking for a summer session to complement the winter-based English season.

“Dave got in touch with Liverpool, and it got passed onto the players,” says midfielder Amie Fleming. “I just thought it was a great opportunity to take it up, especially with our [English] league being a winter league. So I thought, what a good way to stay fit, come over here, new experiences, I can bring what I’ve got to the table. Basically, keep fit, and when I get back I’ll be back in for our season.

Forward Sophie Jones adds, “I think we’re just going to use this preseason as preseason to our preseason!”

Having English players on an American team should be a learning experience for both sides. Says Amie: “I’ve played against American teams before, and they’re pretty much strong where I feel back home it’s technical, so I’m trying to bring something from the UK experience over here, and when I go home I can take some of the experiences back with me.”

Sophie goes into more detail. “A good part of the English game is, we keep the ball on the floor and play it around people instead of hoping to hit the ball long so maybe we can bring a bit of the way we play into it.”

Last year the team – then called the Maryland Capitols – had a very successful inaugural season, winning the Northeast Atlantic Conference’s South Division with a 7-1-2 record while scoring 30 goals and giving up only 11. And Dave thinks this year’s squad is even better. “I’m very happy. Last year was really a sort of suck it and learn it experience. The very first player I had on board was Anabel Jimenez, and it went from there. I didn’t have that much of a local knowledge of players, but over the last 12-18 months I’ve really got to know a lot of people. There were players that I wanted to bring in that I managed to bring in, and there’s others who’ve come on board through association with other players, or based on the success we had last year wanted to be involved with a winning franchise.

ACF Torino players in a preseason practice

“With all due respect to any player who was with us last year, this is by far a better squad. When you consider that we have the three Freedom alumni, Ali Andrzejewski, Anabel Jimenez, and Emily Janss. We have seven University of Maryland players. We have Rachelle Beanlands, the starting keeper for Maryland and is on the Canadian women’s team. We’ve got Olivia Wagner, we’ve got Alex Reed, Alex Doody, Amanda Gerlitz, who I think is phenomenal on the outside, along with Bailey [Bodell] and Kayla [Clarke] last year, too. We’ve got the two English girls who came from Liverpool.”

It’s nothing if not an ambitious squad. “It’s a high level over here,” says forward Lauren Badalamente. “There’s no excuses about anything. If you want to get serious about what you’re doing, and you want to get to the next level, this is where it’s at. Winning the conference and going to San Diego [site of the WPSL Final Four] is an amazing opportunity for each and every one of us, so who doesn’t want that?”

Central defender Alex Price is also determined but a little more down-to-earth. “I’m hoping to get really fit. I’m hoping to improve my game so when I go back to Northeastern I’m giving my team everything I can. I’m excited to give myself over to this team for the summer and do everything I can to help us win some games.”

Not Photoshopped, believe it or not

Oh, and if you’ve seen the spectacular imagery on the team poster and tickets of a young soccer player with the sun gleaming through the clouds behind her, that’s Alex. And it’s a genuine, unretouched photo, not some Photoshop job. “It was taken at dusk. It was taken as the sun was setting my senior year of high school. We just went out there, took a couple of shots, and it ended up being a really cool picture that I’m really proud of, to be the poster girl for this team.”

As for players to watch, all of the aforementioned. Veteran Ali Andrzejewski is particularly formidable, the leading scorer for the Washington Freedom in 2007 and still a player who makes things happen both for herself and for her teammates.

Torino has two venues. Their first three matches will be played in Fairland Regional Park on 13950 Old Gunpowder Road in Laurel, while the final two will be played in Heurich Park on Nicholson Street in Hyattsville. Their home opener is this Saturday, May 18, at 6 pm, as they take on the third Maryland team, the Lions Swarm (see below for more about them).

And why show up? Midfielder Rachel Lindenfeld: “It’s a great opportunity for young girls to get motivated and also meet players from around the world.” Adds Sophie: “Come out and support us. We’ll do everything we can to give back to you if you’ll give to us.”

The new kids on the block call themselves Lions Swarm Maryland, and my coverage of them is rather more limited because I was unable to interview any representatives of the team before this article was published.

Based in Calvert County, they were established by the Patuxent Football Academy, an organization possibly best known for putting on the prestigious Calvert Beach Cup youth soccer tournament. Head coach Myron Garnes doubles as technical director of the academy and has over 25 years of experience playing and coaching soccer.

The team is touting the signing of Trinidad and Tobago National Team player Jasmine Sampson Spencer (not to be confused with the Washington Spirit’s Jasmyne Spencer), a second-team All-American the past two seasons while playing for Syracuse University. Locally, she’s played for the Bethesda Freedom and for Seneca Valley High School.

Also on the roster is Ashley Weisenberg, who played for Washington Adventist University as well as last year’s Maryland Capitols.

The team will play all their home games at the Calverton School, 300 Calverton School Rd., Huntingtown, MD 20639. But if you’re in the DC area you can watch them play this weekend as they’re ACF Torino’s first opponent.