The W-League will kick off its 21st season on May 15 as 18 teams will compete for the title in North America’s first and longest-standing women’s league.
The W-League is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America. The caliber of W-League talent continues to grow, with 18 of the 36 players recently selected in the NWSL Draft boasting W-League experience.
“The 2014 season was one of the most competitive in W-League history culminating with a fantastic championship weekend, and we expect 2015 to be even stronger,” Senior Director Chris Economides said. “The 2015 season will feature the continuation of longtime rivalries with some of the top North American and international talent helping to solidify the W-League’s position as the top women’s pro-am development league in North America.”
The W-League is divided into three geographic conferences of six teams each in 2015 – Northeastern, Southeastern and Western.
2015 W-League Alignment
Northeastern Conference
Laval Comets
Long Island Rough Riders
New Jersey Wildcats
New York Magic
North Jersey Valkyries
Quebec Dynamo ARSQ
Southeastern Conference
Atlanta Silverbacks
Braddock Road Stars Elite
Carolina Elite Cobras
Charlotte Lady Eagles
Dayton Dutch Lions
Washington Spirit Reserves
Western Conference
Arizona Strikers FC
Colorado Pride
Colorado Rush
Colorado Storm
Santa Clarita Blue Heat
Seattle Sounders Women
The 2015 season opens on Friday, May 15 as one of the surprise playoff qualifiers of 2014 – the Braddock Road Stars Elite – kick off their second season with a trip to visit their Southeastern Conference rivals the Dayton Dutch Lions. The Charlotte Lady Eagles, who fell in the 2014 semifinals, open on Saturday, May 16 as they welcome the Carolina Elite Cobras for what has developed into one of the league’s fiercest rivalries.
Two of the league’s longest-serving teams will also be in action on Saturday, May 16 as the New York Magic, who fell just short of the postseason in 2014, travel to face the Long Island Rough Riders to open Northeastern Conference play. The Western Conference will also get underway on Saturday, as the Santa Clarita Blue Heat visit Arizona Strikers FC.
The 2014 Northeastern Conference champion Washington Spirit Reserves, who posted a 10-0-2 regular season mark in 2014 and reached the championship match, will open their season on Saturday, May 30 when they welcome the Atlanta Silverbacks to the Maryland SoccerPlex. The Colorado Pride, who reached the Western Conference playoffs after a 9-2-1 mark, open their campaign on Wednesday, May 20, when they visit the Colorado Storm.
The Northeastern and Western conferences will conclude their regular seasons on July 12, while the Southeastern slate wraps up the weekend of July 17-18 as the Dayton Dutch Lions visit the Charlotte Lady Eagles and Atlanta Silverbacks with the race for postseason spots winding down.
The 2015 W-League playoffs will see six teams move on from the regular season, with the host team (to be determined) welcoming the three conference champions for the 2015 W-League Championship presented by Nike the weekend of July 24-26. The top two regular-season finishers in the Northeastern and Western conferences will meet the weekend of July 18-19 to battle for spots at the Championship, while the top regular season finisher from the Southeastern Conference will earn the final spot.
YouTube Live will once again serve as the official video platform for the W-League in 2015. Live games from throughout the league as well as team highlights and weekly league videos will provide fans a front-row seat during the season.
W-LEAGUE: The W-League is the first and longest-standing women’s soccer league in North America. The 2015 W-League campaign features 18 teams in three regional conferences playing 12 regular season matches. Featuring current and former international and professional stars, the W-League also provides elite amateurs the opportunity to compete while maintaining their eligibility as college student-athletes. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans throughout North America.
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