WPSL Staff

Week 6 kicks off on Saturday with the surprise team of the year out of the South Region, No. 2 Arlington Soccer taking on fellow expansion side, McLean Soccer, followed by No. 7 SC del Sol traveling to Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club in the West Region. On Sunday No. 19 Columbus Eagles FC hosts Beadling Soccer club at Historic Crew Stadium in the East Region, followed by Central Region upstarts Chicago House AC hosting No. 23 FC Milwaukee Torrent. 

 

Saturday, June 15

SOUTH REGION

(2) ARLINGTON SOCCER vs. McLEAN SOCCER

The surprise team of the season so far, No. 2 Arlington Soccer (4-0-0, 12 pts.) hosts fellow expansion side, McLean Soccer (3-2-0, 9 pts.) in the return leg of the home-and-away series. Arlington won the first leg 5-0 last week. After playing four straight games on the road, Arlington has the luxury of playing out the season at home.

Arlington kicked off its inaugural WPSL season with a 2-1 road win at UK FC in Week 1. The club has not conceded a goal since, beating Alexandria Reds 3-0 in Week 2, and Washington Dutch Lions FC 5-0 in Week 4. Arlington enters Saturday’s match ranked No. 2 in both the National and South Region Power Rankings. 

Arlington is led by Kate Hawley with four goals on the season, followed by Ellie Stokes with three goals and Jocelyn Lohmeyer, and Alyssa Kenealy (College of William & Mary) with two goals on the season. 

McLean Soccer opened its first WPSL season with a 7-2 win at UK F.C. in Week 2, winning the return match with UK F.C. after a bye week 3-0. McLean kicked off Week 5 play with a 3-0 versus Alexandria Reds on Friday before falling to Arlington last Sunday. McLean soccer enters Saturday’s match at No. 6 in the South Region Power Rankings. 

Ava Nucci (academy player) leads The District Division in scoring with five goals, scoring a hattrick in the season opener and single goals in next two games before being shut out by Arlington last week. Kira Waller (academy player) has three goals for McLean so far this season. 

This is the second meeting between the two clubs in WPSL play. Arlington won the first meeting between the two clubs 5-0. Hawley (University of Maryland) tallied a hattrick in the win, along with goals by Lohmeyer (Georgetown University) and Stokes (Colgate University). 

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM EDT on Saturday, June 15 at Episcopal High School Hummel Bowl in Alexandria, Va. 

 

WEST REGION

ARIZONA ARSENAL SOCCER CLUB vs. (7) SC del SOL

With temperatures expected to be upwards of 100 degrees at kickoff, No. 7 SC del Sol (4-0-1, 13 pts.) will have to battle more than Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club (2-2-0, 6 pts.) 

SC del Sol is in a two-way fight with FC Tucson for the top spot in the Desert Conference. The two clubs are tied on points, with identical records; a single goal is all that separates the two clubs going into Week 6.

Last Wednesday, del Sol took leg one of the home-and-away series, beating Arsenal 5-2 at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix. Tatum Thomason opened scoring for del Sol in the sixth minute of the match. Kaleigh Backlund (Campbell University) drew the visitors level in the 35th minute. Aubrie Labno (post-collegiate) then put del Sol back up by one in the 50th minute before a del Sol own goal leveled the score at 2-2. It was all del Sol after that, scoring three unanswered goals: Keri Matthews (Arizona State University) in the 58th, Sabrina Guzman (Grand Canyon University) in the 74th, and Kristen Puels in the 81st. 

Del Sol’s Thomason (University of Washington) leads the Desert Conference Golden Boot race with four goals on the season, and is trailed by Puels (Gonzaga University) and Sami Fisher (University of Colorado) with three goals on the season. 

Lillia Besedin (Western Oregon University) leads Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club in scoring with three goals—a Week 4 hattrick in Arsenal’s 11-1 win over El Paso Surf—followed by Tyra King (Northern Illinois University) and Morgan Fielder (McNeese State University) with two goals each. 

SC del Sol is ranked seventh in the National Power Rankings and No. 1 in the West Region. Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club are ranked ninth in the West Region Power Rankings. 

This is the fifth all-time meeting between the two clubs in WPSL play over three WPSL seasons. SC del Sol is 5-0-0 in the series.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM MDT on Saturday, June 15 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. 

 

Sunday June 16

EAST REGION 

(19) COLUMBUS EAGLES FC vs. BEADLING SOCCER CLUB

The top two teams in the Great River Division face off Sunday when No. 19 Columbus Eagles FC (2-0-2, 8 pts.) hosts Beadling Soccer Club (3-1-1, 10 pts.) at Historic Crew Stadium.

Columbus picked up where it left off after moving from the Central Region where it went 6-1-1 to win its division. Since moving over to the East, the Eagles have yet to be beaten, drawing Corktown WFC on the road to open the season picking up a pair of 2-0 road wins at Beadling Soccer Club and Greater Toledo Futbol Club in Week 4, and a 3-3 home draw versus Ambassadors Cleveland last week. 

Lacee Bethea (Bowling Green University) and Kaelynn Valleau scored for the Eagles in the 2-0 win versus Beadling. Sunday’s match is the second of back-to-back matches this weekend. On Saturday the Eagles face Corktown WFC (1-3-2). 

Beadling Soccer Club enters Sunday’s match having faced Ambassadors Cleveland on the road midweek. The club kicked off the season with home wins versus Corktown WFC and Greater Toledo before falling at home to Columbus before going 1-0-1 last week, winning 3-1 at Greater Toledo Futbol Club and drawing 1-1 at Corktown WFC. 

Columbus is led in scoring by Week 2 Player of the Week, Nikki Cox (post-collegiate) with four goals on the season, followed by Valleau (Ball State University), with three goals. 

Justine Appolonia (Youngstown State University) and Taylor Hamlett (Miami University) lead Beadling in scoring with two goals apiece. 

Sunday is the second meeting between the two clubs. Columbus won the first meeting 2-0 on June 1. Bethea and Valleau scored for the Eagles in the win. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM EDT Sunday, June 16 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. 

 

CENTRAL REGION

CHICAGO HOUSE AC vs. (23) FC Milwaukee Torrent

With good results in two games this week, the 23rd-ranked FC Milwaukee Torrent (2-0-0, 6 pts.) will be one step closer to repeating as division champions. After opening Week 6 play at Quad Cities Rush on Friday, all eyes will be on Sunday’s Central Region Match of the Week when Milwaukee travels to expansion side Chicago House AC (1-1-1, 4 pts.).

Chicago began its first WPSL season with a tough 2-1 home loss to Green Bay Glory. After a 3-0 win at Quad Cities Ruch, Chicago House fought Chicago KICS Football Club to a 1-1 draw in the first WPSL Chicago derby between the two sides. 

Milwaukee opens Week 6 taking to the road for the first time this season at Quad Cities Rush (0-3-0) on Friday. Last year’s Lake Michigan Division champions, Milwaukee kicked off 2024 with a 2-0 home win over Green Bay Glory, followed by a 4-1 win over Chicago KICK Football Club. Layla Kelbel (Drake University), Lainey Higgins (Milwaukee University), Alexa Maletis (Marquette University), and Josie Bieda all had goals in last Sunday’s win.

Bieda (Marquette University) leads Milwaukee’s scorers with two goals on the season. Multiple players for both clubs have scored single goals. Chicago has scored five goals and conceded three. Milwaukee has scored six goals, conceding only one. 

Sunday is the first meeting between the two clubs. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM CDT on Sunday, June 16 at Langhorst Field on the campus of Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, Ill.