The 2005 W-League Season was the USL W-League's 11th season.

Changes from 2004 season

Name changes

Three teams changed their name in the off-season:

Team nameMetro areaPrevious name
Illinois Chicago GaelsChicago areaChicago Cobras
Colorado Mile High EdgeBoulder areaMile High Mustangs
Colorado Real Colorado CougarsDenver areaDenver Lady Cougars

Expansion teams

Five teams were added for the season:

Team nameMetro areaLocationPrevious affiliation
Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta Silverbacks WomenAtlanta areaAtlanta, GAexpansion
Florida Central Florida KrushOrlando areaWinter Park, FLexpansion
California San Diego Gauchos WomenSan Diego areaSan Diego, CAexpansion
Ontario Toronto Lady LynxToronto areaToronto, ONexpansion
Vermont Vermont Lady VoltageBurlington areaSt. Albans, VTexpansion

Teams leaving

One team left for the WPSL:

Eight teams folded after the 2004 season:

Standings

Orange indicates W-League title and bye into W-League semifinals. Blue indicates division title clinched Green indicates playoff berth clinched

Central Conference

Atlantic Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Charlotte Lady Eagles1411213711+2634
2Central Florida Kraze1411303213+1933
3Atlanta Silverbacks Women148513020+1025
4Hampton Roads Piranhas145632829−118
5Richmond Kickers Destiny146802023−318
6Northern Virginia Majestics145902233−1115
7Bradenton Athletics144731225−1315
8Carolina Dynamo Women1411121037−275

Midwest Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Detroit Jaguars1411303813+2533
2Cleveland Internationals Women149503620+1627
3London Gryphons148423118+1326
4Cincinnati Ladyhawks146713340−719
5Fort Wayne Fever145902436−1215
6Chicago Gaels144822738−1114
7West Michigan Firewomen1431012145−2410

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1New Jersey Wildcats141310572+5539
2Boston Renegades149504323+2027
3Long Island Rough Riders148602114+724
4Western Mass Lady Pioneers147611716+122
5New York Magic145811926−716
6New Hampshire Lady Phantoms1431101456−426
7South Jersey Banshees141130657−513

Northern Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Ottawa Fury Women141310647+5739
2Toronto Lady Lynx1411304416+2833
3Vermont Lady Voltage147702121021
4Sudbury Canadians1431101550−359
5Rochester Ravens1431101450−369

Western Conference

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPts
1Vancouver Whitecaps Women141310474+4339
2Arizona Heatwave1410314017+2331
3Mile High Edge1410404020+2030
4Real Colorado Cougars147612624+222
5Seattle Sounders Women145812527−216
6Fort Collins Force1421111344−317
7San Diego Gauchos Women140140459−550

Playoffs

Format

Five teams from the Eastern Conference, four teams from the Central Conference and two from the Western Conference qualify for the playoffs. All match-ups are in a one-leg format.

In the Central Conference, the division champions play the second-place team from the opposite division.

In the Eastern Conference, the division champion with the best record receives a bye, and will play the winner of the teams with the 4th and 5th-best conference records. The other division champion will play the seventh-place team, and plays the winner of the third-place and sixth-place teams.

The two teams in the Western Conference will play each other to advance to the W-League Semifinals.

The regular season champion, New Jersey Wildcats, received a bye into the W-League semifinals, with the eighth-place team from the Eastern Conference receiving a playoff berth.

Conference brackets

Central Conference

Central SemifinalsCentral Championship
A1North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles6
MW2Ohio Cleveland Internationals Women2
A1North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles0
A2Florida Central Florida Krush1
MW1Michigan Detroit Jaguars2
A2Florida Central Florida Krush3

Eastern Conference

Eastern QuarterfinalsEastern SemifinalsEastern Championship
E1Ontario Ottawa Fury Women5
E4New York (state) Long Island Rough Riders1
E4New York (state) Long Island Rough Riders3
E5Massachusetts Western Mass Lady Pioneers1
E1Ontario Ottawa Fury Women2
E3Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx0
E2Massachusetts Boston Renegades4
E7New York (state) New York Magic0
E2Massachusetts Boston Renegades1
E3Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx2
E3Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx6
E6Vermont Vermont Lady Voltage0

Western Conference

Western Finals
W1British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women4
W2Arizona Arizona Heatwave0

W-League Championship bracket

SemifinalsChampionship
HNew Jersey New Jersey Wildcats2
W1British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women1
HNew Jersey New Jersey Wildcats3
E1Ontario Ottawa Fury Women0
E1Ontario Ottawa Fury Women2
A2Florida Central Florida Krush1Third Place
W1British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women3
A2Florida Central Florida Krush1

Divisional Round

New York (state) Long Island Rough Riders3–1Massachusetts Western Mass Lady Pioneers
O'Brien 39', 89' Stansfield 86'Sherry 53'
Massachusetts Boston Renegades4–0New York (state) New York Magic
Sauerbrunn 2' Brown 18' Stoia 30' Welcome 48'
Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx6–0Vermont Vermont Lady Voltage
Marrosszeky 15' Everrett 35', 80' Warner 64' MacDougall 72' 82' (o.g.)

Conference Semifinals

Massachusetts Boston Renegades1–2Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx
Welcome 14'Lincoln 39' Warner 44'
Ontario Ottawa Fury Women5–1New York (state) Long Island Rough Riders
Vermeulen 17', 48' Matheson 29' Parker 55' Hamel 60'Kivisto 53'
Michigan Detroit Jaguars2–3Florida Central Florida Krush
Dobbyn 11', 79'Fotopoulos 37' (pen.), 64' (pen.), 74'
North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles6–2Ohio Cleveland Internationals Women
Schmedes 1' Murphy 6', 60' Timbers-Rife 15' Swinehart 38' Darling 88'Cinalli 82' Nanchoff 85'

Conference Finals

British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women4–0Arizona Arizona Heatwave
Thorlakson 1' Allen 51', 54', 74'
Ontario Ottawa Fury Women2–0Ontario Toronto Lady Lynx
Gayle 18' Matheson 59' (pen.)
North Carolina Charlotte Lady Eagles0–1Florida Central Florida Krush
Jones 55'

W-League Semifinals

Ontario Ottawa Fury Women2–1 (a.e.t.)Florida Central Florida Krush
Wilkinson 56', 110'Jones 36'
New Jersey New Jersey Wildcats2–1British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women
White 8' Welsh 53'Allen 1'

W-League Third Place Game

British Columbia Vancouver Whitecaps Women3–1Florida Central Florida Krush
Allen 10', 11' Tullis 73' (o.g.)Bishop 39'

W-League Championship

New Jersey New Jersey Wildcats3–0Ontario Ottawa Fury Women
Unitt 14' White 63' (pen.) O’Reilly 70'

See also