WILDCATS PLAN POSTSEASON
CELEBRATION AT CITY STREETS CAFÉ
Team Plans Large End-of-Season Gathering for This Sunday
West Windsor, N.J. (Monday, July 13, 2009) - Entering the final week of their USL W-League season, the New Jersey Wildcats are inviting all of their fans and supporters to join them at City Streets Café for an end-of-season celebration this Sunday following their 2009 finale at Mercer County Community College. After a 7:00 p.m. hosting of the New York Magic on Saturday night, the Wildcats conclude their season on Sunday when they close out the year at home against the Connecticut Passion at 4:00 p.m.
"It's been a successful year, and we look to finish off the season with a great weekend of soccer in front of our fans at Mercer County Community College," Wildcats President Kevin McDermott commented. "Once we finish up the action on the pitch, we invite everyone to come celebrate a great season with our players and staff at City Streets Café. We encourage everyone to come join us for some great food and a great time!"
The menu at City Streets Café ranges from Mexican to Asian food all the way to Italian and contemporary American dishes. City Streets Cafe is also engulfed within the surrounding community, buying fresh ingredients from nearby grocers and farmers while also having murals in the restaurant that were painted by a local artist. The restaurant has a mahogany walk-around bar as well as areas to enjoy a meal in a comfortable setting or watch the live entertainment that they often have performing. For more information, they can be visited on the web at www.citystreetscafe.com.
Before hosting the two aforementioned matches this weekend, the Wildcats play the final road contest of their 2009 season when they travel to New York to face the Northeast Division leading Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (10-0-1).
"We head into a very tough environment to play a difficult game this Wednesday," Barbour stated. "We must remain very focused on our defensive responsibilities, and we have to play aggressive and smart. We must do our best to not allow opportunities, and hopefully we can steal an opportunity ourselves."
Don't miss your last chance to see the Wildcats this season! Tickets for both games this weekend are available now by calling (732) 963-9769.
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ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY WILDCATS
The New Jersey Wildcats played their debut season in the W-League in 1996 and have competed every season since. The Wildcats are coached by Dave Barbour and have seen much success in their history. The team compiled a 41-1 regular season record from 2004-06, winning regular season titles in 2004 and 2006 while taking the W-League championship in 2005. Following the 2005 season, the Wildcats were named the USL Franchise of the Year.
ABOUT THE USL W-LEAGUE
The USL W-League played its inaugural season in 1995, and it is recognized as the premiere development league for female players in North America. The schedule is set to open next May and commence in August.
WILDCATS EDGED IN SEASON FINALE
Late Connecticut Goal Gives Passion Tight 2-1 Victory
West Windsor, N.J. (Sunday, July 19, 2009) - In a battle between two talented W-League clubs, the New Jersey Wildcats and Connecticut Passion gritted out inspired efforts tonight in their 2009 season finale. Less than a day after they both last took the field, Connecticut squeezed out a narrow 2-1 win after a balanced 90 minutes of soccer were played on the pitch at Mercer County Community College.
"It is disappointing to lose today, but we knew coming into the match that Connecticut is a very good team," Wildcats head coach Dave Barbour commented. "Our girls gave a full effort, and you can't ask for more than that. I thought they were a bit more fortunate than us, but sometimes that is how the game is played."
The legs of both teams were a bit heavy when this match started, but both sides fought through their exhaustion to provide the hometown Wildcat fans with a very entertaining game.
The Passion hung the first score of this match-up in the 12th minute when forward Kerry Scalora put a ball just off the fingertips of a diving Robyn Jones in the New Jersey goal, gaining an early 1-0 advantage. With the momentum turning towards Connecticut, the Wildcats fought to regain their stride and came up just short on a pair of through-ball opportunities in the 18th minute. They would eventually get their equalizer in the 32nd minute after striker Kristin Hextall weaved her way through the Passion defense and dished a feed over to midfielder Marguerite Ferrell. The Fairleigh Dickinson product then launched a bomb towards her target and placed the attempt in the right upper 90 to even the count at a notch each.
The second half of action seemed to be going in the favor of New Jersey in the early-going, and Hextall nearly put her club on top when a well-struck chip hit just off the top of the crossbar. Ferrell got a lot of things going in the Wildcat attack throughout the half, but New Jersey would come up unlucky on those chances. In the 77th minute of the contest, Connecticut got their game-winner when a ball slipped into the Wildcats backfield and Passion forward Linda Velaj was in the right place to push the ball past the end line.
While disappointment was somewhat prevalent on the faces of the New Jersey players after their inspired play came up just short today, there is no denying the fact that this is a Wildcat franchise that is headed in a positive direction.
"The success of this organization all starts with (President) Kevin McDermott and (Vice President) Jim Gooley," Barbour remarked. "Their leadership and experience has everything rolling in the right direction, and our coaching staff in addition to the commitment of our players has played a huge role as well. Soccer at this level seems to have been reestablished in this area, and it's great to see that the Wildcat fans and supporters are excited about soccer in Central Jersey again."
As the Wildcats season comes to a close, the team extends their unending gratitude to those that continue to support the franchise. Plans are already in the works for a season-long celebration next year in observance of the 15th season of play for the Wildcats, and all updates with the team will be announced through www.njwildcats.com throughout the upcoming offseason.
