Wednesday, February 16th 2011

W-League Regular Season Schedule Released
2011 Campaign to Kick-Off May 14

TAMPA, Fla. – United Soccer Leagues released the divisional alignment and schedule for the W-League today, with the action slated to kick off for the 158-game regular season on Saturday, May 14.  A trio of new W-League teams for 2011 will make their debut on the 14^th, with the Dayton Dutch Lions, LA Strikers and Victoria Highlanders kicking off their inaugural seasons. 

Also new to the W-League in 2011 are the Fredericksburg Impact and Washington FC, while the Hampton Roads Piranhas have become the Virginia Beach Piranhas.

The W-League will feature 27 teams in three geographic conferences – Eastern Conference, Central Conference and Western Conference.  The Eastern Conference features two six-team divisions – Atlantic and Northeast – while the Central Conference is composed of seven teams and the Western Conference features eight teams.  W-League clubs will play 10- to 14-game schedules in 2011, with each team facing each opponent in its division or conference home and away.

Eastern Conference
Atlanta Silverbacks
Charlotte Lady Eagles
Dayton Dutch Lions
Fredericksburg Impact
Northern Virginia Majestics Women
Virginia Beach Piranhas

Central Conference
Hamilton
Laval Comets
London Gryphons
Ottawa Fury
Quebec City Amiral
Rochester Ravens
Toronto Lady Lynx

Western Conference
Colorado Force
Colorado Rush
LA Strikers
Pali Blues
Santa Clarita Blule Heat
Seattle Sounders
Vancouver Whitecaps
Victoria Highlanders

Northeast Division
Long Island Rough Riders
New Jersey Rangers
New Jersey Wildcats
New York Magic
North Jersey Valkyries
Washington FC

The final weekend of the regular season is set for July 15-17, with 22 of the 27 teams in action as the race for postseason spots winds down. The full 2011 W-League postseason format will be announced at a later date.

The first and longest-standing women’s league in North America, the W-League is USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. In addition to featuring international and professional stars, elite amateur players have the opportunity to compete on amateur teams in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America.

The full 2011 W-League Season Schedule can be found here.