After winning the Northeast Division with an 11-1-2 record and defeating the Atlanta Silverbacks in overtime to claim the Eastern Conference title, the Washington Freedom headed to Virginia Beach last weekend to the W-League Final Four to defend their 2007 Championship.
In the semifinal game, the Washington Freedom faced the top-seeded Pali Blues in a game that turned out to be a fight to the very last minute. The Freedom arguably gave Pali their toughest test of the year and for periods of the night were the better team. They just simply could not find the back of the net, and Pali finished their chances to top the Freedom 2-0.
In the other semifinal match, FC Indiana defeated the Seattle Sounders 1-0, and so the Freedom took on the Sounders in the consolation game. The Washington Freedom took out their frustration from their semifinal loss on Thursday night to cruise to an easy 2-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders. From the opening whistle the Freedom asserted their dominance on the match. Christie Welsh scored in the 11th minute off an assist from Ella Masar, and although the rest of the half continued to be played in the Sounders end, the Freedom could not muster any goals and the two teams headed to halftime with the Freedom leading 1-0. Washington finished the scoring in the 86th minute when Sarah Huffman played a nice through ball to Ali Andrzejewski, who was able to send her shot past a diving Katie Hultin. With the win, the Freedom finished their season with an impressive 17-2-2 record overall and third place in the W-League.
Washington Freedom Players Honored
On Friday evening, Washington Freedom players Christie Welsh and Lori Lindsey were named to the All-League Team. Both Welsh and Lindsey, along with Freedom defender Emily Janss, were also named to the W-League All-Tournament team.
Forward Christie Welsh finished the season with 9 goals and 6 assists, and was a constant threat to opposing teams’ defenses. With the ability to both hold the ball and take people on, she often drew the attention of multiple defenders. She was one of the most dominant players in the Final Four as she continued to force her will on the opposition.
Midfielder and captain Lori Lindsey had 4 goals and 3 assists on the season, while logging the most minutes of any Washington Freedom player. Throughout the entire season, Lindsey consistently controlled the midfield with her strong defensive play and her ability to find her teammates with perfectly weighted passes. Lindsey was a force in the middle for both of the Final Four games, and she clearly showed her importance to the Freedom team.
Defender Emily Janss was part of a defense that allowed just 7 goals in the regular season. In addition, Janss was a constant offensive threat on the right side of the field, and contributed 1 goal and 3 assists. Janss played all 180 minutes for the Freedom in the Final Four, where she displayed her quickness on the flanks in both games as she made life miserable for the opposing defenses by making dangerous runs down the sidelines.
The Washington Freedom was the only team to have multiple players named to the All W-League Team.
For full game recaps and a list of the entire W-League Tournament team, visit www.washingtonfreedom.com 
