WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Thursday, July 5, 2018 – Looking to close the Women’s Premier Soccer League season on a five-match unbeaten streak, the Des Moines Menace hosts the Kansas City Athletics on Saturday at Valley Stadium.
The 4:30 p.m. action – a rematch of a scoreless draw on June 23 – features teams going in opposite directions.
The Menace (3-3-1) is on a roll after opening the season with three straight losses. The Athletics (3-1-2) haven’t won since starting the season with three straight wins.
Head coach Justin Vorster’s Menace picked up a pair of decisive victories last weekend at Valley Stadium. With all the scoring coming after halftime, the Menace downed the Kansas City Courage, 4-0, on Saturday and the St. Louis Lions, 3-0, on Sunday.
Entering this final weekend, the Menace knows a victory on Saturday, paired with a loss or a tie by the Athletics when they host Fire & Ice SC on Sunday, would seal a second-place finish for Des Moines. Fire & Ice SC (4-0-2) can clinch the Heartland Conference title with a Menace victory, or by winning one of its two weekend games in Kansas City (starting Saturday against the Courage).
KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS at DES MOINES MENACE
DATE and TIME: Saturday, July 7 at 4:30 p.m. (ticket silo and gate open at 3:45)
VENUE: Valley Stadium (artificial-turf field) in West Des Moines, Iowa
COMPETITION: Women’s Premier Soccer League regular season
FOLLLOWED BY: Premier Development League match, Chicago FC United at Des Moines Menace
ABOUT THE MENACE
- 3-3-1 – on a four-match unbeaten streak that started June 16.
- Haley Helverson leads a balanced attack with three goals.
- Entered its seventh season with an all-time record of 32-17-5.
- Led by fourth-year head coach Justin Vorster, who is assisted by Alex Fonseca and Hugo Macedo.
ABOUT THE ATHLETICS
- 3-1-2 – on a three-match winless streak that started June 16.
- Sees its first action since a scoreless draw with Des Moines on June 23.
- Finishes its season on Sunday at home against defending WPSL champ Fire & Ice SC (4-0-2, in first place in the Heartland Conference).
ABOUT THE WOMEN’S PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE
- Formed in 1998, the WPSL has over 100 teams across the United States.
- Its main focus is on the development of highly competitive premier women’s soccer teams.
- Des Moines plays in the Heartland Conference (part of the WPSL Central Region) along with the Kansas City Courage, the Kansas City Athletics, Fire & Ice SC (Belleville, Ill.) and the St. Louis Lions.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND’S WINS
- On Saturday, the Menace downed the Kansas City Courage 4-0, with Cassie Rohan, Halie Reznik, Haley Helverson and Mandy Pochobradsky scoring in the second half.
- On Sunday, the Menace defeated the St. Louis Lions 3-0, with Amber Matthews, Abby Stephenson and Ketsiah Nahr scoring in the second half.