Nighthawks Drop Home Opener 1-2
May 21, 2006

Nighthawks player, Shannon Strong

San Francisco, CA - The Nighthawks lost two games this past weekend, dropping them to 1-2 in the WPSL. In Saturday’s game against the Lamorinda East Bay Power (1-0), in Moraga, the Hawks got off to a rough start giving up an easy goal in the first 2 minutes. The Hawks gathered themselves and played solid soccer but were unable to match the speed of Lamorinda. The Power scored again in the early part of the first half before the Nighthawks responded with a well placed shot by veteran midfielder, Shannon Strong to pull within a goal but were unable to capitalize on several other opportunities while the East Bay Power tallied two more goals before the break.

The Nighthawks regrouped in the second period and played solid defense matching Lamorinda’s attack while countering with several dangerous attacks of their own. The Hawks were able to notch a second goal with a blast from the Hawks leading scorer Cristina “Q” Quintero before giving up their fifth goal of the day for a final score of 2-5.

Sunday’s game against the newly formed Sonoma County FC Sol (3-1) was more competitive as the Nighthawks matched the physical play of the Sol on a rain filled afternoon at Kezar Stadium. Sonoma County got on the board first with a goal by Emily Thompson, 42 minutes into the match. A steady rain, which began in the second half did not dampen the competitive spirit of the two teams as they continued to battle. Nine minutes into the 2nd half, Berkeley High senior Kristina Hall of the Nighthawks scored the equalizer after beating her mark and driving a hard shot from the left side of the box. The score remained 1-1 for the next 22 minutes when the Sol was able to find the net with 14 minutes left to play. Even though the Sol played cover-up time-killing soccer for the remainder of the game, the Hawks created several chances in the last minutes of play but were unable to score.

The Nighthawks next game is a rematch against the East Bay Power at Kezar Stadium, Saturday the 27th at 7:00pm.

About the Women's Premier Soccer League: The WPSL is the highest level of women's soccer in the United States and one of the top leagues in the world. The league'smission is to provide the highest level of women's soccer while simultaneously providing affordable, quality family entertainment and positive role models for youth.

The 39-team national league features international stars such as Sissi & Daniela, U.S. National Team members like Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx, Lori Chalupny & Danielle Fotopoulos and legends like Brandi Chastain - among many others! For more information on the WPSL, visit www.wpsl.info. The WPSL is the only stand-alone national women's soccer league in the United States and is affiliated with FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation.