FC Indiana

Best attack in North America

July 1, 2009

As in the previous four seasons, FC Indiana again are the highest scoring team in the country averaging 4.2 goals scored per game over five seasons and nearly 4.5 goals this season.
Leading the W-League in goals scored (31 goals in seven games) is an impressive achievement in itself, but no one would have reckoned with three FC Indiana forwards among goal-scoring leaders.
FC Indiana’s Nikki Lyons leads the category with 9 goals from six games, Lisa-Marie Woods is sixth with 7 goals in seven games and Laura Del Rio is ninth with 6 goals in six games.
Three Lionesses are among the top ten assist getters. Lisa-Marie Woods is first with 6 assists in seven games, Monica Ocampo is second with 5 in four games and Fatima Leyva is eight with 3 in six.
Point leaders
Lisa-Marie Woods was involved in over half of FC Indiana goals - with 20 points (7g, 6a) the Norwegian occupies second place in the ranking. Nikki Lyons has 19 points (9g, 1a) and Laura Del Rio has a total of 12 points (6g).
Goalkeeper
FC Indiana goalkeeper Shannon Lynn is at top of nearly every category. The Canadian, who recorded 5 shutouts in seven games, boasts a goals against average of .285, having conceded just 2 goals.
Defenders
Back four of Sharolta Nonen, Robyn Gayle, Corie Moore, and Jackie Thomas have limited opponents to just 20 shots on goal in seven games and have not allowed a goal from open play thus far.

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SEASON STATISTICS AND TRENDS

THEY SAID IT
"FC Indiana’s cosmopolitan squad looks good enough to compete against WPS teams." - NIKKAN SPORTS

"FC Indiana give global vision to women’s game in the Midwest – great stuff from the Global Game about (FC Indiana), whose scouting network puts most MLS clubs to shame." - PITCHINVASION.NET

"On the other hand, FC Indiana (I believe the only W-League team who chose to go professional) is quietly building from their core by resigning Laura Del Rio and Monica Ocampo and are now pursuing Ingvild Stensland. Head coach Shek Borkowski already has an established and successful group so he only needs to concentrate on adding to that (No word on what Charlie Naimo is up to in LA with the Blues? Anyone know?). This is a HUGE advantage that leads me to believe FC Indiana will be as good as or maybe even better than most WPS teams. Borkowski may lose some players to the WPS drafts, but it does appear this won’t be an issue since the club is using the off-season to offer contracts and keep much of the team intact.
It will be interesting to see what happens to FC Indiana in the next few years and whether the W-League will go through some changes as well." - WPS.THEOFFSIDE.COM

"In four years (FC Indiana) has become a force in women’s club soccer in the United States, winning two Women’s Premier Soccer League titles and one U.S. Open Cup. The story of this juggernaut begins in the north central Indiana town of Goshen (pop. 30,000), where horse-drawn buggies vie with sport-utility vehicles for right of way." - THE GLOBAL GAME

FC Indiana 12, West Michigan 0

June 27, 2009

FC Indiana (5-0-2) defeated West Michigan Fire (0-7-1) 12-0 Saturday night at Kuntz Stadium.

01’ Woods (Ocampo)
20’ Lyons (Gayle)
25’ Lyons (Ocampo)
37’ Lyons (Woods)
47’ Lyons
51’ Leyva (Ocampo)
53’ Woods
58’ Luik (Ocampo)
60’ Lyons (Luik)
73’ Harris
83’ Woods (Wilson)
86’ Ocampo

Shots: FCI 24, WM 0
SOG: FCI 18, WM 0
Corners: FCI 5, WM 0
Offsides: FCI 5, WM 0

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle (Thomas 46’), Moore, Luik, Leyva (Andrews 60’), Carmichael (Wilson 60’), Harris, Woods, Ocampo, Prado (Lyons 20’)
WEST MICHIGAN: Howard, Bellamy, Cook, Merino, Dennise, Nash, Sarna, Gerst, Stachel, Van Beek, Valentine

FC Indiana 4, Minnesota 0

June 19, 2009

FC Indiana continued their impressive home form by beating Minnesota Lightning at Kuntz Stadium Friday night, 4-0. FC Indiana took command from the first whistle and quickly produced a goal in the 15th minute. FC Indiana leading scorer Lisa-Marie Woods took a short pass from Nikki Lyons and scored from 8 yards out for her fifth goal of the year. FC Indiana would continue to push the attack and it paid off, when Laura Del Rio volleyed from a sharp angle to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute.
FC Indiana came out in the second half with the same fire that they closed the first half with and looked to put the game away early. After a corner kick Paige Carmichael coolly slotted home a shot to put FC Indiana up 3-0. FC Indiana would continue to press the rest of the night but could only muster one last tally when Jackie Thomas found Sasha Andrews on the back post. Andrews rose above all and headed home her first goal of the season. FC Indiana ran their record to 4-0-2 on the season and increased their all-time home record to 36-1-4.
FC Indiana will return home to Indianapolis on Wednesday, June 24 when they take on Ireland WNT at 7:00.

15’ Woods (Lyons)
23’ Del Rio (Ocampo)
52’ Carmichael (Woods)
87’ Andrews (Thomas)

Shots: FCI 15, MIN 4
SOG: FCI 10, MIN 3
Corners: FCI 5, MIN 1
Offsides: FCI 5, MIN 1

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Thomas, Gayle, Luik (Charmichael 46’), Ocampo, Leyva (Prado 56’), Woods, Del Rio, Lyons (Wilson 65’), Andrews
MINNESOTA: Gleason, Clark, Kallman, Malone-Povolny, Almanzo, Orbell (Redberg 60’), Schwartz, Wagner, Hans, Smith

FC Indiana 7, Cleveland 0

June 14, 2009

FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski urged caution after his side’s 7-0 win over Cleveland Internationals to secure their spot in second place in the Midwest Division in the United Soccer League’s (USL) W-League. FC Indiana (3-0-2) stellar defense racked up their third shutout in five games, all registered by goalkeeper Shannon Lynn.
The W-League finalists extended their impressive home record to 35-1-4 with a one-sided win, and were 2-0 up at halftime. Striker Nikki Lyons grabbed a hat-trick. Lisa-Marie Woods was also on the scoresheet with 2 goals and 3 assists.
Borkowski was quick to reject any suggestions his side would now be assured of Midwest Division title - suggesting tough test lies ahead on Friday night as FC Indiana will host Minnesota (7:00PM kickoff). "Our game on Friday night could decide who will win the division," he said.

12’ Leyva (PK)
23’ Del Rio (Woods)
48’ Lyons (Woods)
56’ Lyons (Woods)
61’ Lyons (Ocampo)
73’ Woods (unassisted)
82’ Woods (PK)

Shots: FCI 12, CLE 0
SOG: FCI 10, CLE 0
Corners: FCI 5, CLE 1
Offsides: FCI 5, CLE 1

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen (Thomas 46’), Gayle, Moore, Luik, Charmichael (Andrews 46’), Ocampo, Leyva (Wilson 46’), Woods, Del Rio (Prado 46’), Smyth (Lyons 46’)
CLEVELAND: Betts (Woods 46’), Buynak, Ford, Libertine, Zawie, Young, Prause, Mooren, Beliberato, Rieley (Olsby 46’)

Chicago Red Eleven 1, FC Indiana 1

June 13, 2009

FC Indiana was held 1-1 by Chicago Red Eleven and wasted a chance to close the gap in the standings.
Lisa Marie-Woods fired FC Indiana ahead in the 31st minute after she was presented with poor clearance and scored from 25 yards out.
In the second half it was Chicago’s Emily Zurrer (76th minute) who rescued the home club with an all important equalizer after a corner cross from Marie-Eve Nault.
"We had chances before (Zurrer’s goal) to have gone 2-0 up and won the game," said Shek Borkowski after the game.

31’ Woods (unassisted)
76’ Zurrer (Nault)

Shots: FCI 8, CHI 8
SOG: FCI 3, CHI 3
Corners: FCI 1, CHI 7
Offsides: FCI 3, CHI 3

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle, Moore, Luik, Charmichael (Andrews 46’), Wilson, Woods, Del Rio, Smyth (Lyons 46’)
CHICAGO: Carstens, Zurrer, Jeffers, Cooper, Nault, Brown, Davison, O’Brien (Short 59’), Sweitzer (Price 67’), Victor (Bartindale 77’), Ford

Kalamazoo 0, FC Indiana 4

June 6, 2009

FC Indiana traveled to Kalamazoo on Saturday night to face the Outrage and came away with a 4-0 victory.
FC Indiana struggled at the start but ended up winning comfortably thanks to goals from Jackie Thomas, Lisa-Marie Woods, Fatima Leyva and Shannon Smyth. Thomas crowned her first start by scoring from Lisa-Marie Woods’s cross five minutes before the interval. And as Kalamazoo tried to recover from this setback, Lisa-Marie Woods delivered her third strike in five games to effectively confirm the victory in the 79th minute.
FC Indiana captain Leyva, a subdued figure for the most part here, demonstrated her class with a stunning goal from 25 yards out 9 minutes from time. And Smyth’s elegant goal from an acute angle gave the scoreline a convincing appearance.
FC Indiana’s eventual victory margin had a ring of comfort, but this misty night in Michigan was not without its moments of unease for FC Indiana. FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski said that he was satisfied - but he will have surely been concerned by the slipshod start that offered encouragement to Kalamazoo in the opening minutes. "I’m happy with the team’s performance," said Borkowski. "Kalamazoo started strongly but step by step we improved.
"When you play a team like the Outrage you have to score early. After scoring the first, it was made easier."

41’ Thomas (Woods)
79’ Woods (unassisted)
84’ Leyva (Luik)
89’ Smyth (unassisted)

Shots: FCI 11, KAL 1
SOG: FCI 7, KAL 1
Corners: FCI 4, KAL 1
Offsides: FCI 4, KAL 1

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle, Moore, Luik, Leyva, Andrews, Thomas (Wilson 46), Woods, Del Rio (Carmichael 70), Prado (Smyth 46)
KALAMAZOO: Carlson, Schlosser, Wenglinski, Brown, Vanderlygren, Dulyea, Bergman (Bond 39), Rohoc, Levin, Stinson (Reising 82), Kohn

Minnesota 1, FC Indiana 1

May 29, 2009

"The performance was good," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski after FC Indiana tied Minnesota 1-1 in Blaine, Minnesota on Friday night. "We didn’t start the game well and gave away an own goal but except for that unfortunate goal my players did everythng I asked of them. No complaints from me."
Laura Del Rio scored in the 32nd minute, assisted by Amara Wilson, offsetting an own goal scored by Corie Moore in the 5th minute.

5’ Moore (own goal)
32’ Del Rio (Wilson)

Shots: FCI 21, MIN 2
SOG: FCI 12, MIN 1
Corners: FCI 13, MIN 1
Offsides: FCI 3, MIN 1

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle, Moore, Luik, Sakaguchi, Ocampo, Wilson (Prado, 70), Woods, Del Rio, Lyons (Andrews, 70)
MINNESOTA: Gleason, Krystle Kallman, Kylie Kallman, Clarke, Orbell (Price, 78), Malone-Povolony, Hood, Johnson (Solie, 45), Redberg (Clark, 74), Smith (Chavez, 65), Hans

FC Indiana 4, Chicago Red Eleven 0

May 17, 2009

Shek Borkowski believes FC Indiana have "made a statement of intent" in W-League Midwest Division with a victory over Chicago Red Eleven.
Laura Del Rio’s hattrick and Mizuho Sakaguchi’s follower gave FC Indiana a 4-0 win at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis Sunday night.
Borkowski admitted his side were not at their best and stated that fans can expect even more from his team. "We are not playing as well as we are capable, too many players still are not playing up to their potential and its my job to get more out of this team. And I will."
"But we won which was the objective before the game."
"The more important part of it was that we were defending well. The back four were quick to advance on to their opponents, and that made a big difference.

21’ Del Rio (Sakaguchi)
40’ Del Rio (Leyva)
62’ Del Rio (Prado)
72’ Sakaguchi (Leyva)

Shots: FCI 10, CRE 5
SOG: FCI 8, CRE 4
Saves: FCI 2, CRE 4
Corners: FCI 4, CRE 3

FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle, Moore, Luik, Carmichael (Ocampo 46’), Leyva, Sakaguchi, Del Rio, Woods (Andrews 60’), Lyons (Prado 46’)
CHICAGO: Carstens, Nault, Zurer, Jeffers, Gonzalez, Brown, Yamamoto (Laufenberg 46’), Franklin (Ford 46’), Fisher, Lundin (Pulse 65’), O’Brien
Attendance: 571

FC Indiana 3, Chicago Red Stars 2

May 2, 2009

FC Indiana managed to do what no other team has; beat Chicago Red Stars and score three goals in the process. Still, head coach Shek Borkowski was critical of his midfield play after his side’s 3-2 win in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
"The result is important but the performance was not good enough," said Borkowski. “Our midfield performance over 90 minutes must improve, we were too careless in possession, defended too deep in the last 15 minutes and our fitness still isn’t where it should be.”
While Borkowski’s "never good enough" attitude may have merit, debutant forward Lisa-Marie Woods was impressive and winger Laura Del Rio looked a constant threat going forward, while Mizuho Sakaguchi and Fatima Leyva bossed the midfield.
Spanish wonder striker Laura Del Rio was ruthless yet mesmerizing in the way she finished with a clinical 40th minute first goal, and propelled FC Indiana into fifth gear, which the Lionesses maintained throughout the night, battering their WPS opponents for two more goals in the last 45. First was a composed finish by Woods after she dispossessed Dieke in the 55 minute and another Del Rio goal in the 70 to win the game.
FC INDIANA: Lynn, Nonen, Gayle, Moore, Sakaguchi (Andrews 52), Leyva, Moscato, Woods, Luik, Lyons (Wilson 60), Del Rio.
Goals: Del Rio 40, 70, Woods 55
CHICAGO RED STARS: Williams, Dieke, Spilger (Young 60), Wenino (Ostberg 46), Igwe, Lloyd, Carney, Oaks, Cristiane, Rapinoe, Masar
Goals: Lloyd 22, Spilger 34

SHOTS: FCI 12, CRS 7
SOG: FCI 8, CRS 4
Corners: FCI 8, CRS 5
Attendance: 1107

FC Indiana 1, Sky Blue FC 2

April 21, 2009

It was a cruel ending to a game which appeared to be another home win for FC Indiana. The match will be remembered as Sky Blue scored two goals in injury time to win 2–1, after having trailed for most of the match. Leading 1-0 on a Lisa-Marie Woods 72’ goal, FC Indiana looked assured defensively, when Sky Blues’ Sarah Walsh’ cross deflected off Sharolta Nonen and found its way into the net. "Our reaction to that goal was very naive," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski.
"I told my players there was nothing we could do about the first goal but we were poor in conceding the second to Rosana."
Sky Blue dominated possession but failed to create any clear cut chances despite Natasha Kai’s tireless running. The FC Indiana defense remained strong and well organised, as Kai, Kasey White and Rosana found out when their close-range efforts were quickly closed down by three defenders. As FC Indiana began to look increasingly more dangerous on the counter-attack than their opponents did in possession, Laura Del Rio repeatedly tested the Sky Blue back four with a number of clever runs, some of which were flagged offside.
It was Japan international Mizuho Sakaguchi who set up Lisa Marie Woods for a goal from 12 yards out.
As the game crept into the last two minutes, Sky Blues’s Sarah Walsh, Heather O’Reilly and Natasha Kai forced Joy McKenzie into two saves, firstly through a Walsh 30 yard effort and then from another Kai header.
Walsh flighted a cross just over Nonen’s head, as she stretched to clear it, Nonen slipped and deflected the cross into FC Indiana goal.
Less than 3 minutes later, Sky Blue forced another corner. Walsh swung the corner in, which was headed by Kai to Rosana. Rosana’ deflected the ball into the corner of the FC Indiana goal for Sky Blue to take an astonishing lead and win.
Shots: FCI - 6, SBFC - 15
SOG: FCI - 4, SBFC - 7
OFF: FCI - 7, SBFC - 1
Corners: FCI - 1, SBFC - 7
Saves: FCI - 5, SBFC - 3
Attendance: 591

Clark joins FC Indiana coaching staff

February 18, 2009

Nine year Columbus Crew veteran Mike Clark has joined the FC Indiana coaching staff, the club announced on Wednesday. Clark will coach the FC Indiana U20 men’s team which will compete in USL Super-20 League.
The rugged defender was an original member of The Crew, after being drafted in the fourth round (31st overall) of the Inaugural MLS draft in 1996.
Clark ended his career as The Crew’s all-time leader in games played (221), games started (216), and minutes played (18,942). His games started and minutes played rank fifth all-time in MLS history and his games played rank sixth all-time. He tallied three goals and 13 assists for 19 career points. The former Indiana University star also appeared in 22 MLS playoff games and 18 U.S. Open Cup games, notching two career assists in each competition.

Borkowski named FieldTurf W-League Coach of the Year

January 9, 2009

FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski has been named the 2008 FieldTurf Tarkett USL W-League Coach of the Year.
The 2008 Annual Soccer Awards are determined by a panel of soccer experts and professional players from around the country which consists of Al Albert, Tonya Antonucci, Chris Burt, Brian Ching, Glenn Davis, Anson Dorrance, Jay Hoffman, Bill Irwin, Buzz Lagos, Matt Reis, Steve Sampson, Steve Shak, Aly Wagner, Durward Williams and Tanya Vogel.
In 2008, Borkowski led FC Indiana to the US Open Cup National Championship and the W-League championship game, finished the season with a 16-1-1 W-League record and an overall record of 22-1-1.
Going back to 2005, Borkowski was named the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Co-Coach of the Year after winning the WPSL national title and the US Open Cup national title. Borkowski’s four year record with FC Indiana is 71-6-6 and includes two league and two US Open Cup national titles.
The FieldTurf awards presentation were conducted in conjunction with the 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention, January 15-18, in St. Louis.
This year’s winners are:
-- MLS Coach of the Year - Sigi Schmid, Columbus Crew
-- USL Division 1 Coach of the Year - Colin Clarke, Puerto Rico Islanders
-- USL Division 2 Coach of the Year - Martin Rennie, Cleveland Internationals
-- USL W-League Coach of the Year - Shek Borkowski, FC Indiana
-- NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Men’s) - Bob Warming, Creighton University
-- NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Women’s) - Randy Waldrum, Notre Dame

FC Indiana 1, Ajax America 0

USASA Open Cup National Champions

FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski hopes to lead the club to more success in 2009 after beating the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) national champions Ajax America Women to win the USASA Open Cup.
The club’s 1-0 triumph at Starfire Soccer Stadium in Seattle, WA on Saturday was the club’s fourth major trophy in four seasons.
"This has been a fantastic season and one we hope to exceed next year," said Borkowski. "The players did everything we asked of them, they put in a good performance and could have scored more goals.”
The first half was filled with chances for both teams with Lauren Sesselmann hitting the cross bar for FC Indiana and Cami Boswell for Ajax.
Sesselmann looked to score the game winner in the 65th minute when her 18 yard shot bounced off both posts before going out of bounds. In the 88th minute Fatima Leyva’s corner was headed by Sesselmann against the crossbar and Alicia Milyak’s follow-up was blocked on the goal-line by Ajax’ Stephanie Scholl.
In overtime, FC Indiana dictated the tempo and it was a matter of time before midfielder Fatima Leyva took a pass from Laura Del Rio and quickly slotted home a 20 yard shot past Ajax goal keeper Ali Lipsher in the hundred eight minute. "It’s a great feeling to win our fourth trophy in four seasons - we’ve got a great team spirit and work ethic," said FC Indiana’s captain Fatima Leyva. "Scoring that goal gave me one of the best feelings ever."
Borkowski believes his side deserved to lift the US Open Cup because of the brand of soccer they have played. "I think the way that we have played this season, I think we deserved this victory.”
The Pole, whose side have been lauded for their attacking style during the season, realizes that it will be struggle to keep his winning side together. "I think there’s no doubt some players will go, so we have to start again," he said. "We have to try to keep this team and bring in three or four better players."
FC Indiana finish the 2008 season with a 20-1-1 record.

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Aiviv Luik, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Alicia Milyak Corie Moore 114’), Laura Del Rio (Veronica Phewa 112’), Lauren Sesselmann Annie Hamel
AJAX: Ali Lipsher, Daniella Bosio, Andrea Alfiler, Leah Wilson, Stephanie Scholl, Carmen Bognanno (Jennifer Brewer 102’), Myisha Delaney, Brooke O’Hanley (Genele Ives 65’), Renee Scachetti (Jessica Edwards 70’), Shannon Cross ( April Colen 80’), Cami Boswell (Kandace Wilson 70’)

SCORING:
FCI - Leyva (Del Rio) - 108’

STATS:
Shots: AJX 3, FCI 11
Saves: AJX 5, FCI 1
Fouls: AJX 11, FCI 11
Offsides: AJX 1, FCI 4
Corners: AJX 3, FCI 7

Del Rio and Leyva re-sign for 2009

August 14, 2008

FC Indiana confirmed on Wednesday they had re-signed Spanish striker Laura Del Rio and Mexican midfielder Fatima Leyva for the 2009 season. The club said that "the pair have put pen to paper on permanent contracts with the club this afternoon. All other aspects will remain confidential and undisclosed."
The deals represent a big coup for the club as both played a key roles for FC Indiana where they reached the W-League final and won the USASA Open Cup.
Del Rio, 26, is one of the most talented strikers in the world. She began her career with Spanish club Levante, making her debut at the age of 17. She has made 30 appearances for Spain WNT scoring 12 goals, has won 3 league titles and 6 cup titles in her career. She has scored 156 goals in all competitions in nine seasons. This season, Del Rio was FC Indiana’s top scorer with 15 goals and 13 assists.
Leyva, 28, is a highly rated midfielder who adds a touch of class to FC Indiana’s attacking play. She joined FC Indiana in 2005, and helped the club to two league and two cup titles in four seasons. She has played 45 times for Mexico, scoring four goals.
FC Indiana also previously announced they had re-signed Monica Ocampo, the Mexico international forward.

Four FC Indiana players named to W-League All-Tournament team

August 4, 2008

United Soccer Leagues announced Monday the W-League Championship All-Tournament Team led by Pali Blues defender Amy LePeilbet, who was honored Saturday following her side’s 2-1 championship victory as Most Valuable Player.
FC Indiana has four players on the All-Tournament team, Pali Blues have three, Washington Freedom three and Seattle Sounders one.

W-League Championship All-Tournament Team
G Jessica Salvi, Seattle Sounders
D Amy LePeilbet, Pali Blues - W-League Championship MVP
D Emily Janss, Washington Freedom
D Kandace Fletcher, Pali Blues
M Kelly Parker, FC Indiana Lionesses
M Fatima Leyva, FC Indiana Lionesses
M Lori Lindsey, Washington Freedom
M Jessica O’Rourke, FC Indiana Lionesses
F Christie Welsh, Washington Freedom
F Danesha Adams, Pali Blues
F Laura Del Rio, FC Indiana Lionesses

Although battling a hamstring injury the entire weekend, FC Indiana forward Laura Del Rio made her presence felt. She came on in the 61st minute in their semifinal victory over the Seattle Sounders and set up the game-winning goal with beautiful one touch pass to Fatima Leyva. Del Rio was also dangerous throughout the championship game as her play-making ability was on display against a tough Pali defense.

One of the most consistent and dangerous player of the weekend was FC Indiana midfielder Kelly Parker. Parker at times during FC Indiana’s semifinal and championship games was the best player on the field and almost willed her team to victory over the Blues.
Pali head coach Charlie Naimo, who has faced Parker many times over the past few seasons while coaching in the northeast, could not say enough good things about Parker and called her performance over the weekend, “the best I’ve ever seen her play.” Parker’s amazing runs up and down the field wowed the crowd and made for some anxious moments for her opponents the entire weekend.

FC Indiana midfielder Fatima Leyva was the only player the entire weekend to score points in both games, and her goal in the first semifinal match set the tone for a great weekend of soccer. Leyva gained possession in the midfield and quickly maneuvered her way around two Seattle defenders before playing a beautiful give and go with Laura Del Rio and finished with a striker’s grace in the lower left hand corner. Leyva also began the scoring in the Championship match when she sent a curling corner kick in the 47th minute that found the head of FC Indiana midfielder Jessica O’Rourke.

FC Indiana midfielder Jessica O’Rourke played one of the best games of the playoffs and almost sent the Lionesses to the top of the W-League with her amazing championship performance. O’Rourke’s main goal in the championship game was to be a disruption to Pali forwards Danesha Adams and India Trotter. She made life difficult for those two players and limited the amount of space they had to play with. O’Rourke did that beautifully throughout the contest and frustrated both forwards while she was on the field.
Not only did O’Rourke display her strength defensively, but she was also responsible for getting FC Indiana on the scoreboard. O’Rourke soared in the air over two Pali defenders and headed in a cross from teammate Fatima Leyva that gave the Lionesses the lead and put Pali in a trailing position for the first time this season.

Pali Blues 2, FC Indiana 1

August 3, 2008

It’s not always the case that a game can live up to the hype, but the Pali Blues 2-1 victory over FC Indiana in the W-League Championship game will be remembered for ages.
FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski was left disappointed after his side were defeated and he blamed the loss on two lapses in concentration as FC Indiana (16-1-1) sunk to their first W- League defeat of the season.
"I am not pleased," said Borkowski. "I cannot be pleased when my team loses because we want to win every game. We came to win and I am frustrated that we did not do that"
Jessica O’Rourke had put FC Indiana ahead after 47 minutes and FC Indiana looked comfortably on course for victory.
But the California club staged a comeback in the last ten minutes and two defensive errors saw them overhaul FC Indiana.
Borkowski added: "We are disappointed, but we all will feel the real disappointment in the next couple of days, weeks, maybe years. This was for sure a game we felt we can win. That’s why losing is so hard to bear at this moment."

The Pali Blues came out loose and relax and it showed early in the contest. Pali was in control of the game early, dominating possession and getting everyone involved. On the other hand, FC Indiana looked nervous and the big game jitters definitely contributed to early FC Indiana miscues.
Although FC Indiana could not keep possession for any period of time, their defense was solid and Pali could not create any true scoring chances. Jessica O’Rourke was key in FC Indiana’s early defensive play as Head Coach Shek Borkowski unleashed a defensive strategy which clogged up the space that the athletic Blues desperately needed.
“Shek did an excellent coaching job tonight,” said Pali Head Coach Charlie Naimo. “He was able to take away our athleticism and we were really in trouble.”
The first big moment of the match came in the 30th minute when FC Indiana thought they took the early lead. Laura Del Rio played a beautiful curling ball in the front of the Pali goalmouth, where the awaiting Lauren Sesselmann headed into the goal. However, Sesselmann was whistled for being a step offside.
Pali responded quickly to FC Indiana’s scoring chance with one of their own. US youth international Danesha Adams sent a through ball to India Trotter, who looked to have a good shot on goal. However, Trotter tried one too many moves and the retreating FC Indiana defense deflected Trotter’s shot wide.
Right before the end of the first half it looked again like FC Indiana would take a 1-0 lead when midfielder Lena Mosebo blew past a defender on the wing and found an open Spain international Laura Del Rio at the top of the box. Del Rio’s shot was pushed aside by Pali goalie Val Henderson and the deflection went towards the direction of the back post and also towards the direction of a sliding Lauren Sesselmann. However, the sliding Sesselmann was unable to connect as the ball went safely out of play. The two teams headed to the half level, but with the momentum clearly in FC Indiana’s favor.
FC Indiana used that momentum to come out strong in the second half. They dominated the early play and used that advantage to score the first goal of the match. Midfielder and Mexican international Fatima Leyva sent a dangerous curling corner in the 47th minute that found the head of Jessica O’Rourke to make it 1-0 FC Indiana.
This was the first time all season that Pali trailed in a match and it took awhile for the Blues to regain their focus and command of the game.
FC Indiana continued on the offensive following the goal and in the 57th minute almost made the score 2-0 when Lauren Sesselmann went down the sidelines and sent in a cross the Del Rio just headed wide of the goal. Del Rio was at it again in the 70th minute, when she sent another beautiful cross that FC Indiana forward Mexican international Monica Ocampo got too, but was unable to put on goal.
“We were really struggling to make anything happen in the first part of the second half,” said Naimo. “We switched our formation from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3 to try and get some energy up top.”
The switch worked magically for Naimo and in the 83rd minute Pali leveled the match. Pali defender Amy LePeilbet beat all FC Indiana players in the air to the ball from a corner sent in by Rosie Tantillo and smoothly deflected the ball past FC Indiana goalie Kristen Luckenbill.
The equalizing goal sent waves of confidence through the Blues players and sent FC Indiana into a state of shock they could not recover from. Pali used the bounce in their step just five minutes later to score the game-winning goal. Defender Kandace Wilson, who was moved up top by Naimo in the second half, beat her defender on the wing and sent in a cross that went over the outstretched hands of Luckenbill. Italian international Ilaria Pasqui jumped at the opportunity and sent a diving header into the back of the net for only her second goal of the year.
FC Indiana frantically tried to gather themselves to find the equalizer, but none came, and Pali rode the strength of two goals in the final 10 minutes to win the 2008 W-League Championship.
“Our depth was a huge reason why we won this game,” said Naimo. “Our bench gave us the energy we needed and helped put us on top.”
FC Indiana’s loss was especially devastating to midfielder Kelly Parker, who is now 0-3 in W-League Championship games.
“To have the game in our hands, to be able to see the trophy right in front of us, this just hurts a lot,” said an obviously dejected Parker. “With the 1-0 goal lead we played a little bit safer but the momentum swing at the end of the game was too much to overcome.”
Kelly Parker was arguably the best player on the field tonight. She made tireless runs up and down the field and was a constant thorn in the side of the Pali Blues.
“I have never seen Kelly play this well,” said Naimo. “I can’t say enough good things about her.”
With the win the Pali Blues finished their season with a perfect 14-0-0 record, trailing only for a period of 36 minutes – as about a perfect a season as any team could produce. Star defender Amy LePeilbet was named the Most Valuable Player of the W-League Championship as she scored the goal that breathed life back to Pali.

SCORING:
FCI - O’Rourke (Leyva) - 47’
PB - LePeibelt (Tantillo) - 83’
PB - Pasqui (Wilson) - 87’

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Aiviv Luik, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker (Corie Moore 87’), Fatima Leyva, Alicia Milyak, Veronica Phewa (Laura Del Rio 60’), Lauren Sesselmann Annie Hamel (60’), Lena Mosebo (Jessica O’Rourke 88’)
PALI BLUES: Val Henderson, Kendall Fletcher, Jill Oaks, Amy LePeibelt, Candace Wilson, Collette McCallum, Kara Kabellis, Brittany Klein, Denesha Adams, Indiana Trotter, Elizabeth Bogus

STATS:
Shots: PB 19, FCI 10
Saves: PB 2, FCI 5
Fouls: PB 11, FCI 11
Offsides: PB 1, FCI 2
Corners: PB 3, FCI 4

FC Indiana 1, Seattle 0

July 31, 2008

Patience is a virtue, and for FC Indiana, they needed every bit of patience to squeak out a 1-0 victory in the semifinals of the W-League over a very game Seattle Sounders club.
The game started with FC Indiana (16-0-1) dominating possession. They controlled the pace of the game with great spacing and crisp passing.
In the 12th minute FC Indiana had their first real chance when midfielder Kelly Parker beat her defender just outside the 18-yard box and whistled a shot just over the crossbar.
Then the weather became the x-factor that it can be in crucial games. In the 18th minute heavy rain started to fall and persisted for the rest of the half.
Un-phased by the weather, FC Indiana continued to press the issue. Julianne Sitch and Lena Mosebo were consistently dangerous on the wings and peppered crosses in front of Seattle’s goal.
Fortunately for Seattle, they had Jessica Salvi in goal who was up to the task. Salvi showed no fear in constantly denying FC Indiana advances with saves and clearing punches.
FC Indiana’s best chance came in the 33rd minute when the dangerous Kelly Parker again created a scoring chance by defeating her defender and sending in a cross that Lauren Sesselmann headed off the crossbar.
Halftime came with the teams still tied at 0-0 and had an extended break due to a short lightning delay.
Seattle came out strong in the second half and started to gain some of the possession. The majority of the first part of the second half was played in FC Indiana’s end and knocked the Lionesses of guard.
FC Indiana picked up the pace in the 70th minute when Julianne Sitch again streaked down the sideline and sent in a dangerous ball that found the foot of a Seattle defender.
Throughout the game, even though they hadn’t scored, FC Indiana played with discipline and control. Those qualities were rewarded with a spectacular goal by Fatima Leyva in the 87th minute.
Leyva gained possession in the midfield and quickly maneuvered her way around two Seattle defenders before playing a beautiful give and go with W-League assist leader Laura Del Rio and finishing with a striker’s grace in the lower left hand corner.

Seattle was unable to create any chances in the waning moments of the game and fell by the score of 1-0. Seattle became just the second team this season to limit the Lionesses to one goal in a match with the previous match being FC Indiana’s 1-1 draw against Minnesota. The Sounders also had two narrow 1-0 defeats to regular season champion Pali Blues.

FC Indiana now moves on to the W-League Championship game on Saturday August, 2 at 8:00 p.m. The championship will air on Fox Soccer Channel at 11:00 pm ET.

SCORING:
FCI - Leyva (Del Rio) - 86’

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Aiviv Luik, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker (Corie Moore 87’), Fatima Leyva, Alicia Milyak, Veronica Phewa (Laura Del Rio 60’), Lauren Sesselmann Annie Hamel (60’), Lena Mosebo (Jessica O’Rourke 88’)
SEATTLE SOUNDERS: Salvi, Deines, Drollinger, Lovejoy, Smith, Pulse, Gamble, Arrant, French, Schaefter, Baysa

STATS:
Shots: SEA 2, FCI 19
Saves: SEA 6, FCI 2
Fouls: SEA 19, FCI 18
Offsides: SEA 1, FCI 2
Corners: SEA 1, FCI 7

FC Indiana 4, Ottawa 3

July 27, 2008

2008 W-LEAGUE CENTRAL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

FC Indiana have improved their proud home record to 32-0-4 as the team won the United Soccer Leagues Central Conference Championship with a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Fury.
FC Indiana improved to 15-0-1 on the season while Ottawa finished 14-2-0. FC Indiana sealed their place in next week’s W-League Final Four with a gritty victory over the Canadian club. Laura Del Rio was the star as she scored two goals including a 90th minute fantastic solo effort to send the game into overtime. She scored her second, a 25 yard strike, in the sixth minute of OT to put FC Indiana ahead 3-2.

Lauren Sesselmann opened the scoring for FC Indiana, but Ottawa scored twice in the second to take the lead. The first was an own-goal at 61 minutes, and Jennifer Hance made it 2-1 for the Fury in the 67th minute.
That lead stood up until Del Rio’s late marker. After FC Indiana moved ahead on the goals by Del Rio and Phewa in the 96th and 101rd minutes, respectively, Jodie Taylor gave Ottawa a last chance by converting a penalty kick in the 116th minute.

It was a hard fought victory for FC Indiana, which was outplayed in the second half, but Ottawa had difficult time coping with Del Rio’s intelligence and movement. FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski heaped praise on his team saying that their mental and physical strength had helped them win. "The performance was good enough," the Polish coach said. "The team played hard, my players were strong physically and strong mentally and found a way to win despite difficult circumstances.”

FC Indiana advanced to the W-League Championship tournament starting July 31 at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex. The Semifinals will be July 31 with the the Championship match August 2, which will be aired on Fox Soccer Channel.

FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Aivi Luik, Julianne Sitch (Corie Moore 97’), Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Alicia Milyak (Lena Mosebo 67’), Laura Del Rio, Lauren Sesselmann (Veronica Phewa 67’), Annie Hamel (Monica Ocampo 70’)
OTTAWA: Erin Reinke, Ashly Kennedy, Anna Caniglia, Ruhe-Lischke, Danielle Johnson, Jennifer Hance, Lisa-Marie Woods (Sari Raber 97’), Rachel Axon, Courtney Wetzel, Jodie Taylor, Shay Powell (Zoe Avner 70’),

SCORING:
FCI – Sesselmann (Parker) - 17’
OTT - Hance - 61’
OTT - own goal - 66’
FCI - Del Rio - 90’
FCI – Del Rio (Ocampo) - 96’
FCI - Phewa - 101’
OTT - Taylor (PK) - 116’

Shots: OTT 6, FCI 22
Saves: OTT 5, FCI 2
Fouls: OTT 16, FCI 16
Offsides: OTT 2, FCI 3
Corners: OTT 6, FCI 8

FC Indiana dominate All Conference team with three selected

July 26, 2008

As the post season begins, the regular season awards start being handed out by the United Soccer League’s (USL) home office in Tampa, FL. The number one seeded FC Indiana dominated the Central Conference First XI with three players selected from coaches and general managers of the 41 team league.
Leading the way for FC Indiana were forward Laura Del Rio (Spain), defender Marie-Eve Nault (Canada) and midfielder Julianne Sitch (USA).
None of the other eighteen teams in the Conference placed more than two player on the starting eleven.
Del Rio finished as the W-League Assist Leader with nine on the season. Combined with her 13 goals on the season, Del Rio also finished second in the league in points with 35. Sitch is the league’s top goal scoring midfielder with 10 and Nault led FC Indiana defense which conceded only 3 goals in 14 matches.
The USL will be announcing the W-League All -Eleven as the top players from the W-League this season within the next week, along with W-League Player of the Year, which is usually announced at the banquet the night before the W-League Championship game (August 2 on Fox Soccer Channel).

Central Conference
G	Erin Kane	Chicago Gaels
D	Ashley Kennedy	Ottawa Fury
D	Marie-Eve Nault	FC Indiana Lionesses
D	Cindy Walsh	Laval Comets
M	Jen Buczkowski	Chicago Gaels
M	Chelsea Cline	Minnesota Lightning
M	Alicia Donaldson	Toronto Lady Lynx
M	Julianne Sitch	FC Indiana Lionesses
F	Brittany Bisnott	Toronto Lady Lynx
F	Laura Del Rio	FC Indiana Lionesses
F	Shay Powell	Ottawa Fury

FC Indiana 5, Laval 1

July 25, 2008

Lauren Sesselmann congratulated by Jessica O�Rourke

FC Indiana were firing on all cylinders tonight in West Lafayette as they eliminated the Laval Comets from the playoffs with a 5-1 victory. FC Indiana got two goals from Lauren Sesselmann and one each from Kelly Parker, Annie Hamel and Veronica Phewa.
FC Indiana go on to face Northern Division champions Ottawa Fury Sunday in the Conference final. Sunday’s championship match will be played at 6:00 p.m. at Purdue Soccer Stadium, with the winner advancing to W-League Final Four in Virginia Beach, VA.

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill (Lauren Mason 75’), Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Aivi Luik, Julianne Sitch (Jessy Havrilesko 75’), Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Jessica O’Rourke (Alicia Milyak 25’), Laura Del Rio (Ocampo 46’), Lauren Sesselmann (Phewa 46’), Annie Hamel (Corie Moore 60’)
LAVAL: Bilodeau, Mercier, Acton, Maramatsu, Robinson, Gagne, Scott, Filion, Busilacchi, Laverdiere, Legault

SCORING:
FCI - Hamel (Parker) - 12’
FCI - Sesselmann (Del Rio) - 13’
FCI – Sesselmann (Parker) - 22’
LAV - Gagne 55’
FCI - Parker (Hamel) - 62’
FCI - Phewa (Leyva) 75’

Shots: LAV 5, FCI 28
Saves: LAV 5, FCI 3
Fouls: LAV 8, FCI 9
Offsides: LAV 0, FCI 10
Corners: LAV 2, FCI 7

FC Indiana 3, Chicago 0

July 17, 2008

Veronica Phewa scored twice for FC Indiana against the Chicago Gaels

W-League newcomers FC Indiana crowned their impressive 2008 regular season campaign by beating the Chicago Gaels 3-0 on Thursday night at Kuntz Stadium.
FC Indiana, who had previously won two Women’s Premier League (WPSL) titles, won the Midwest Division and finished first in the Central Conference giving the club home field advantage for the conference Final Four.
It was a match short of quality, though the massed ranks of around 400 FC Indiana fans seemed unconcerned as the win gave FC Indiana final regular season record of 13-0-1 (40 points). “Overall our performance was very poor and frankly the score flattered us a bit,” said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski. After FC Indiana forward Laura Del Rio scored in the 41st minute, FC Indiana seemed to fall asleep and Chicago controlled the proceedings. In the second half Veronica Phewa scored in the 87th minute on an assist from Fatima Leyva. The same player finished out the scoring with another goal (assist to Monica Ocampo) in the 90th minute to put the game away.
The top seeded FC Indiana will play the first game of Friday’s Central Conference double header, when they take on the winner of Toronto-Laval match. In the second game of Friday’s double header, the Chicago Gaels or the Minnesota Lightning will take on the Ottawa Fury. The winners of both matches will square off on Sunday with the right to represent the Central Conference in the North American Championship semi finals.

Chicago Gaels at FC Indiana
Kuntz Soccer Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
July 17, 2008

SCORING:
FCI - Del Rio (Leyva) - 41’
FCI - Phewa (Leyva) - 87’
FCI – Phewa (Ocampo) - 90’

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault (Moore 85’), Aivi Luik, Julianne Sitch (Milyak 80’), Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Jessica O’Rourke, Laura Del Rio (Ocampo 46’), Lauren Sesselmann (Ruiz 46’), Annie Hamel (Phewa 60’)
CHICAGO: Kane, Walter, Bartindale (Spacht 81’), Anderson-Hammond (Carlson 59’), Mutters (Feltes 46’), Maynard, Buczkowski, Doyle, Bean, Strini, Ehrhardt

STATS:
Shots: CHI 3, FCI 15
Saves: CHI 6, FCI 2
Fouls: CHI 11, FCI 17
Offsides: CHI 0, FCI 3
Corners: CHI 0, FCI 3

FC Indiana wrap up Midwest Division title with 2-0 win over Kalamazoo

July 13, 2008

FC Indiana midfielder Julianne Sitch celebrates her goal vs. Kalamaoo

In their first year in the league, FC Indiana claimed the W-League Midwest Division title, continuing their stellar play in the 2008 regular season with a 2-0 win over the Kalamazoo Outrage.
FC Indiana (12-0-1, 37 points) have wrapped up the division with one game to play. The highest scoring team in the league came out firing in West Lafayette and went into halftime with a 2-0 lead. To no surprise to FC Indiana fans, leading the way in scoring were Julianne Sitch (10 goals/ 2 assists) and Kelly Parker (3 goals / 5 assists).
Parker followed up Thursday night’s 7-0 win against at Michigan (where she had 2 goals in 75 minutes of playing time) with another goal in the 20th minute after Fatima Leyva played her a short corner. Sixteen minutes later Julianne Sitch scored on a perfectly placed 20 yard shot, assisted by Jenny Jeffers.
Following six halftime substitutions, FC Indiana continued to pound the Kalamazoo defense, but could not produce another goal. Kalamazoo goalkeeper Erin Carlson faced 29 FC Indiana shots during the course of the match, making 13 saves.

Kalamazoo Outrage at FC Indiana
Purdue Soccer Stadium
West Lafayette, IN
July 13, 2008

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill (Mason 46’), Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault (Moore 46’), Aivi Luik (Havrilesko 46’), Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva (Mosebo 46’), Alicia Milyak Phewa (46’), Laura Del Rio, Lauren Sesselmann, Annie Hamel (Ruiz 46’)
KALAMAZOO: Carlson, Rienzo, Yoshikawa, Hill, Roy, Heyboer, Gielak, Kondratko, Brown, Gaylor, Benoit
SCORING:
FCI - Parker (Leyva) - 20’
FCI - Sitch (Jeffers) - 36’
STATS:
Shots: KAL 2, FCI 29
Saves: KAL 13, FCI 2
Fouls: KAL 9, FCI 7
Offsides: KAL 1, FCI 1
Corners: KAL 0, FCI 11

Focused on the future

July 14, 2008

As every year, FC Indiana head coach Shek Borkowski knows that the squad so carefully assembled for this season will go their separate ways in four weeks time. Since 2005, the club have won the Women’s Premier League twice, the US Open Cup once, currently sit at the top of the W-League table having outscored opponents 64-3, and are primed to try to win W-League title.
Along the way the team has beaten seven international opponents, including Australia WNT and New Zealand WNT. Overall FC Indiana is 65-5-6 under Borkowski and have outscored all opponents 324-30.
A number of players have been outstanding this season and as the club leads the W-League with over five goals scored per game, a number of future WPS clubs have been in contact with FC Indiana. Yet there seems no concern for the clubs future. "Anton (Maksimov) and I have had some conversations (with WPS coaches) about some of our players. However, my only objective after this season is to make sure I have a competitive team next year, no matter what individual players are at my disposal," said Borkowski.
In the past relative unknowns have been signed by the club, have improved, moved on, and continued to excel at other clubs. Yet, as every year FC Indiana continues to compete with the best of them.
“Steve (assistant coach Steve Brdarski) and I will travel to Chile later this year to look at some young talent. We have also compiled a list of 24 domestic players which we feel maybe be overlooked by the new league but have what it takes to succeed at the highest level. The idea is for us to find undervalued assets in an inefficient market," Borkowski said. "What we try to do is find players that most coaches aren’t necessarily applying the right variables and values. Obviously we can’t reveal any names yet but I feel confident about next season”

Ocampo to return in 09

July 12, 2008

FC Indiana announced the re-signing of Mexico international Monica Ocampo for the 2009 season.
Ocampo, 21, was one of twenty finalists in contention for the title of 2006 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.
She has represented Mexico 45 times, scoring 31 goals, her most recent coming last October in a 1-1 tie with the US in Albuquerque, N.M.
“Ocampo has shown great potential with her performances for our club and the Mexican national team over the past two seasons and she will add great quality to our squad,” said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski.
Ocampo is the typical player Borkowski likes as she has technique, temperament and vision. In two seasons with FC Indiana, Ocampo scored 18 goals and assisted on 8 in 18 matches, while helping the club to 2007 Women’s Premier League national title.
"I like technical and quick football – the way FC Indiana play," Ocampo said. “I hope to continue the success I’ve experienced here and hope to bring even more success to FC Indiana and the fans. I can play in the centre or on the wing, behind one or two strikers. I wanted to continue my career with FC Indiana because of the club’s attacking football philosophy."
“Ocampo has always been a priority, her vision and composure will be key to our future success. Her goal scoring rate at the international level is excellent,” said Borkowski.

Michigan 0, FC Indiana 7

July 10, 2008

FC Indiana scored early and often Thursday night beating Midwest Division rival the Michigan Hawks 7-0 in Livonia, Michigan. In doing so, FC Indiana qualified for the USL’s W- League playoffs.
"We have played 3 matches in 10 days, with minimal time for training and recovery and the players a bit fatigued. It’s not just muscle tiredness. There is the mental side too. For this reason I am happy with our play and the result," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski.
In a well played match, FC Indiana struck early. Fatima Leyva’s high looping cross into the box was headed by Lauren Sesselmann to give FC Indiana 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Eighteen minutes later Kelly Parker made it 2-0 when she made a run up the right channel, hitting a low shot from 12 yards out. Parker collected her 2nd goal of the match in the 29th minute when played in by Julianne Sitch. Parker cut through the middle of the Hawks defense, she again finished coolly giving FC Indiana a 3-0 lead. With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Laura Del Rio made it 4-0 when she scored unassisted with a well placed shot from 16 yards out.
In the 2nd half, Michigan looked to get back in the match, forcing FC Indiana keeper Kristin Luckenbill to make a save. Fifteen minutes in it was FC Indiana leading scorer Del Rio who provided a great cross to Maria Ruiz who calmly finished on the back post. Eleven minutes later, Fatima Leyva scored her first goal of the campaign with a 20 yard volley. Just two minutes later Leyva turned provider when she found Del Rio free outside of the penalty area. Del Rio collected the ball and went around Michigan’s goalkeeper to make the final score 7-0.
With the win, FC Indiana clinched a playoff berth in 2008, and are now just one win away from winning their 1st Division title. Their first chance to clinch the division comes this Sunday July 13, home against the Kalamazoo Outrage. Kick-off 6:30p.m.

FC Indiana at Michigan Hawks
Livonia Soccer Stadium
Livonia, MI
July 10, 2008

LINEUPS:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill (Lauren Mason 70’), Jenny Jeffers (Corie Moore 60’), Marie-Eve Nault (Jessy Havrilesko 70’), Aivi Luik, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Alicia Milyak (Maria Ruiz 40’), Laura Del Rio, Lauren Sesselmann (Lena Mosebo 60’), Veronica Phewa (Annie Hamel 40’)
MICHIGAN: Mannino, Delvecchio, Stanczyk, Burns, Carron, Boyle, Finneren, Zickl (Miller 36’), Underwood, Martin, Dobbyn

MISCONDUCT:
None
STATS:
Shots: MIC 2, FCI 17
Saves: MIC 5, FCI 1
Fouls: MIC 7, FCI 4
Offsides: MIC 1, FCI 2
Corners: MIC 0, FCI 3
SUMMARY:
FCI: Sesselmann (Leyva) 10
FCI: Parker (Sesselmann) 28
FCI: Parker (Sitch) 29
FCI: Del Rio 38
FCI: Ruiz (Del Rio) 59
FCI: Leyva 70
FCI: Del Rio (Leyva) 72

Minnesota 0, FC Indiana 6

July 6, 2008

FC Indiana kept their 2008 winning streak alive with a 6-0 win Sunday night against the Minnesota Lightning at Elizabeth Robbie Stadium. With the victory, FC Indiana remain the only undefeated side in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League - Midwest Division.
"There was pressure on us to come to Minnesota and to deliver and my players delivered," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski. "We played with confidence, we were very professional for the whole 90 minutes and were in control. It was a good three points, which is very important, but it was also a very good performance."
The first goal came early for FC Indiana, scoring in the 11th minute. Laura Del Rio slotted the ball in the net after a cross from Jessica O’Rourke.
The second goal came in the 35th minute when Lauren Sesselmann won a high ball in a battle with Lightning goalkeeper Anne Gleason and passed it off to Julianne Sitch. Sitch slid the ball in the empty net for a 2-0 lead. Sitch also scored the lone goal for FC Indiana against Minnesota last time they played, where the teams tied 1-1.
The Lightning came into the second half motivated to come back from their two goal deficit, earning a corner kick right away. One of the Lightning’s best chances came in the 60th minute off a dangerous free kick by Caroline Smith that went just wide of the FC Indiana goal.
In the 72nd minute FC Indiana scored again, making the score 3-0. Monica Ocampo sent a strong shot off Del Rio’s pass that found its way in the net off Gleason’s body. FC Indiana was dominating the play and didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.
Just four minutes later in the 76th minute came goal number four. Newly substituted forward Annie Hamel fed the ball to Maria Ruiz who scored off her second touch, putting the ball past Gleason. In the 88th minute, the FC Indiana subs weren’t about to let up. Alicia Milyak scored her first goal for the season on a low left footed shot that beat Gleason at the near post.
FC Indiana scored their sixth and final goal into stoppage time. In the 92nd minute Hamel found Ruiz again, who turned and beat Gleason and Krystle Kallman to slide the ball in the net.
FCI: Luckenbill, Luik, Nault, Jeffers (Moore 75’), O’Rourke (Milyak 75’), Leyva, Sitch (Mosebo 75’), Parker, Sesselmann (Ocampo 46’), Phewa (Hamel 46’), Del Rio (70’)
MIN: Gleason, Almanzo, K. Kallman, Clark, Cline, Stratton, Malone-Povolny, Price, K. Kallman (Becker 59’), Smith (Schwartz 76’), Johnson
SUMMARY:
FCI: Del Rio (O’Rourke) 11
FCI: Sitch (Sesselman) 31
FCI: Ocampo (Del Rio) 71
FCI: Ruiz (Hamel) 74
FCI: Milyak 87
FCI: Ruiz (Hamel) 90
SHOTS: FCI 20, MIN 4
CORNERS: FCI 8, MIN 2
FOULS: FCI 7 , MIN 8

Fort Wayne 0, FC Indiana 6

June 24, 2008

FC Indiana took another step towards qualifying for the W-League playoffs when they shut out the Ft. Wayne Fever, 6-0 at Hefner Field in Fort Wayne Tuesday night.
FC Indiana established control of the game from the beginning, but failed to score with their early pressure. Lena Mosebo finally broke the scoreless draw in the 29th minute when she scored, after taking a corner kick cross from Annie Hamel. The offensive attack continued for the remainder of the first half, but FC Indiana scored only once more before the break when Lauren Sesselmann finished from Del Rio in the 36th minute.
FC Indiana Coach Shek Borkowski made six half-time changes to put more pressure on Fort Wayne. His substitutions paid off quickly as Monica Ocampo pounced on a defensive miscue to make it 3-0 in the 47th minute.
Veronica Phewa scored off a quick pass from Corie Moore in the 60th minute to basically put the game out of jeopardy. In the 73rd minute Ocampo scored her second goal of the match after Fort Wayne goalkeeper Shannon Lynn spilled a powerful Phewa shot, and Annie Hamel made it 6-0 after a great square pass from Maria Ruiz. FC Indiana goal keeper Kristin Luckenbill was forced to make only one save in recording her sixth shutout of the season.
All the focus now shifts to the showdown with the West Michigan Firewomen on Tuesday night. Kick off is 7:00 p.m. at Kuntz Stadium.
FC Indiana: Luckenbill, Jeffers (Luik 46’), Shaner, Nault (Moore 46’), Parker (Milyak 46’), Sitch, Leyva, Mosebo (Ruiz 46’), Sesselmann (Phewa 46’), del Rio (Ocampo 46’), Hamel
Fort Wayne Fever: Lynn, Inglis, Aligier, Blake, Yeager, Sorg, Beck, Killion, Faron, Ward, Wilson, McHenry
GOALS
1-0 Mosebo (Hamel) 29’
2-0 Sesselmann (Ruiz) 36’
3-0 Ocampo 47’
4-0 Phewa (Moore) 60’
5-0 Ocampo (Phewa) 73’
6-0 Hamel (Ruiz) 79’
SHOTS: FCI 44, FWF 1
SAVES: FCI 1, FWF 22
CORNERS: FCI 9, FWF 0
Attendance: 155

Look at Germany

June 23, 2008

FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski has been outspoken about the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in the past, and now he is calling for improved investment in women’s soccer at the grass root level.
Borkowski is very adamant that the U.S. is losing ground to other countries, especially to Germany, and the federation needs to tackle some of the serious problems surrounding the women’s game if the U.S. wants to remain in the position of a global leader in the sport.
"The money, I am told, is there and it should mean better facilities for women’s clubs and investment in the sport in general," said Borkowski. "But it isn’t so, financial resources are very simply misallocated. The USSF President Sunil Gulati must reexamine how we are allocating money.”
“It would be really unfortunate but the way things are going, the rest of the world is catching up to the U.S. in terms of player development and even bypassing us in terms of investment in the game,” Borkowski said.

Borkowski believes that some sweeping changes are in order.
“Unless concrete steps are taken to boost women’s soccer at all levels, the game will stagnate. The new pro league will have spots for maybe 80 non-national team players, it won’t be enough.”
“But the truth is that the investment in the game is revolving around just the national players. Following Germany’s example, it needs to be broader”
“A lot of work needs to be done to lift the infrastructure and there are too many promising post college players who walk away from the game because they see no future in it.”

Borkowski also offered his support to efforts to establish a federation operated US Open Women’s Cup. This, according to Borkowski, would be of benefit to all clubs, pro and amateur alike, and bring added attention to women’s soccer in the country.

FC Indiana 3, Cleveland 0

June 18, 2008

Julianne Sitch again scored what proved to be the winning goal to spare FC Indiana blushes as the Midwest Division leaders toiled against the Cleveland Internationals at Kuntz Stadium on Wednesday night.
Borkowski: We must do better
FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski was not impressed with his squad despite his team outshooting Cleveland 33-0.
“Our defenders were solid in difficult circumstances because we kept losing the ball in midfield and attack. But in attacking areas we did not play well. In the first half we were too slow and the players didn't look motivated. In the second half we improved, we were a bit better.”

FC Indiana: Luckenbill, Jeffers, Nault, Shaner, O’Rourke (Phewa 46’), Sitch, Leyva (Mosebo 70’), Parker, Hamel (Ruiz 70’), Del Rio, Sesselmann (Ocampo 46’)
Cleveland: Betts, Balconi, Graeff, Imhoff, Povoa, Ford, Praus, Hubka, Augustine (Pappas 70’), Knaack (Riezo 75’) , Young
Scoring Summary:
FCI - Sitch (Sesselmann) - 28’
FCI - Phewa - 46’
FCI - Del Rio - 85’
Statistics:
Shots: CLE 0, FCI 33
Saves: CLE 16, FCI 0
Fouls: CLE 9, FCI 16
Offsides: CLE 0, FCI 3
Corners: CLE 1, FCI 9

West Michigan 0, FC Indiana 9

June 14, 2008

FC Indiana division title chase gathered pace as they cruised to a 9-0 away win over the West Michigan Firewomen in Grand Rapids on Friday night. The team are now on a seven-match unbeaten run.
While this was hardly the stuff of greatness, five different players scored for FC Indiana. With the victory, FC Indiana (6-0-1) remain in the first place in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League - Midwest Division with 19 points from 7 matches.
Next up is a clash with Cleveland (4-1-0) Wednesday night at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis. Kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill (Lauren Mason 46’), Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault (Lena Mosebo 46’), Christie Shaner, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker (Maria Ruiz 55’), Fatima Leyva, Jessica O’Rourke (Veronica Phewa 46’), Laura Del Rio (Monica Ocampo 46’), Lauren Sesselmann (Corie Moore 46’), Annie Hamel
WEST MICHIGAN: Kristina Nasturzio, Kristen Pelkki, Ellen Phillips, Tara Wegner, Erin Mruz, Courtney Nash, Ali Nicoles, Rebecca Reese, Erin DeYoung (Sarah Kaufman 62), Jacquie Lacek, Erica Rohren
Scoring Summary:
FCI - Del Rio - 12’
FCI - Del Rio (Leyva) - 21’
FCI - Hamel (Parker) - 27’
FCI - Sesselmann (Del Rio) - 31’
FCI - Rohen (own goal) - 33’
FCI - Phewa - 47’
FCI - Ocampo (Hamel) - 49’
FCI - Hamel (Ocampo) - 77’
FCI - Phewa (Ruiz) - 84’
Statistics:
Shots: WM 2, FCI 31
Saves: WM 18, FCI 0
Fouls: WM 4, FCI 5
Offsides: WM 0, FCI 5
Corners: WM 1, FCI 10

FC Indiana 1, Minnesota 1

June 11, 2008

FC Indiana kept their four-year unbeaten home streak alive (26-0-4) with a 1-1 tie Wednesday night against the Minnesota Lightning at Purdue Soccer Stadium. With the tie, FC Indiana remain in the first place in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League - Midwest Division.
Minnesota struck first when forward Caroline Smith’s 50 yard cross found its way into the net. It took FC Indiana 50 minutes to tie the score when Fatima Leyva found Julianne Sitch 25 yards from goal. Sitch beat two defenders and scored from 18 yards out.
“We were strong in every aspect of the game but Minnesota was well organized and made it very difficult on us,” said Shek Borkowski. “"We produced the match we wanted to. I am very proud of my players who did everything I asked of them. We have potential to be a good team... to be a very good team. We are not there yet but given time...we have possibilities.”
With the tie, FC Indiana (5-0-1) have 16 points from their first 6 matches and travel to Grand Rapids on Saturday when they face the sixth place West Michigan Firewomen (1-2-0).
Lineups:
FC INDIANA: Kristin Luckenbill, Jenny Jeffers, Marie-Eve Nault, Christie Shaner, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker, Fatima Leyva, Jessica O’Rourke (Veronica Phewa 60’), Laura Del Rio, Lauren Sesselmann, Maria Ruiz (Lena Mosebo 70’)
MINNESOTA: Anne Gleason, Megan Almanzo, Krystal Kallman, Jennie Clark, Chelsea Cline, Abby Stratton, Rosie Malone-Povolny, Marissa Price, Tamara Strahota (Julie Rezac 62), Caroline Smith, Sarah Johnson (Lindsey Schwartz 46’)
Scoring Summary:
MIN - Smith (Cline) - 28’
FCI - Sitch (Leyva) - 83’
Misconduct Summary:
MFCI - Sesselmann (caution) - 84th minute
Statistics:
Shots: MIN 2, FCI 27
Saves: MIN 9, FCI 0
Fouls: MIN 4, FCI 16
Offsides: MIN 0, FCI 3
Corners: MIN 2, FCI 10
Referees: Alan Severs, Andrew Bigelow, Brian DiPiro

Cleveland 0, FC Indiana 5

June 6, 2008

FC Indiana cruised to a 5-0 win over the Cleveland Internationals to secure their spot in first place in the Central Conference/Midwest Division in W-League. FC Indiana’s (5-0-0) stellar defense racked up their fourth shutout in five games, two by Kristin Luckenbill and two by Lauren Mason.
Midfielder Julianne Sitch celebrated her selection to the W-League Team of the Week by turning in another solid performance with 2 goals and 2 assists.
As usual, FC Indiana relied on their quick strike offense to simplify matters. Tonight it took only seven minutes for Laura Del Rio to find her teammate Lauren Sesselmann, who smacked home the first goal of the evening. In the 30th minute, Sesselmann found a wide open Sitch on the left side. Sitch ripped a blast into the side netting from 7 yards out that gave FC Indiana a 2-0 lead. Sitch would continue her dominant play this week, when she added an assist on Maria Ruiz’ first goal of the year (38th minute) and scored her second goal when he finished an incredible combination play with Monica Ocampo in the 82nd minute. Ocampo scored to make it 4-0 just ten minutes prior.
"We always want to play attractive soccer and today our play was beautiful for the competitiveness, the spirit and the organization," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski. "It was a good professional performance and we played for each other. At this point our progress is very encouraging and we are starting to play with good confidence."

FC Indiana now turn to Minnesota when they host the Lightning in West Lafayette on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

FC Indiana: Luckenbill, Jeffers, Luik, Nault (Shaner 60’), O’Rourke (Milyak 60’), Sitch, Leyva, Parker (Phewa 70’), Ruiz (Hamel 70’), del Rio (Ocampo 70’), Sesselmann (Moore 70’)
Cleveland: Campana (Betts 46’), Balconi, Graeff, Imhoff, Povoa, Cinalli, Rosen, Rostedt, Young, Maxwell (Krawczak 75’), Grubb
GOALS
1-0 Sesselmann (Del Rio) 7’
2-0 Sitch (Sesselmann) 30’
3-0 Ruiz (Sitch) 38’
4-0 Ocampo (Sitch) 72’
5-0 Sitch (Ocampo) 82’
SHOTS: FCI 19, CLE 8
SAVES: FCI 1, CLE 9
CORNERS: FCI 2, CLE 1

Chicago 0, FC Indiana 3

June 1, 2008

"We deserved to win over 90 minutes, created more chances, and over the whole game, we’ve never really been hurt by them. We’ve shown good improvement in the last three matches - we’re far more dangerous now," said FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski after his team defeated Chicago Gaels 3-0 Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
"Our backs Luik, O’Rourke, Jeffers and Nault are developing good understanding and are playing better in each game," continued Borkowski.
While the FC Indiana defense was stellar in registering the shutout, it was the exciting offense of Julianne Sitch and Laura Del Rio that electrified the crowd. Sitch scored two gems on Sunday, both assisted by Del Rio. In the 22nd minute, Sitch took a pass from Del Rio at the six yard spot, and smacked home her first game winning goal of the season. Just six minutes later once again it was Sitch who killed off the game with the insurance tally with a 16 yard blast, after being played in by Del Rio. The second half was more attacking FC Indiana soccer, as the visitors pumped a total of 19 shots at goal on the night. In the 72’ substitute Veronica Phewa collected a pass from Ocampo and scored from a tight angle to make it 3-0. While Sitch scored twice against her former team, it was Chicago’s goalkeeper Erin Kane who was the star of the match after she stopped an FC Indiana penalty and made a number of outstanding saves to keep it close.

FC Indiana: Mason, Jeffers, Luik, Nault, O’Rourke, Sitch, Leyva (Mosebo 75’), Parker (Shaner 70’), Ruiz (Hamel 46’), del Rio (Phewa 66’), Sesselmann (Ocampo 60’)
Chicago: Kane, Walter, Bartindale (Spacht 81’), Anderson-Hammond (Carlson 59’), Mutters (Feltes 46’), Maynard, Buczkowski, Shaffer, Doyle, Sitkowski (Sloan 46’), Strini (Ehrhardt 46’)
GOALS
1-0 Sitch (Del Rio) 22’
2-0 Sitch (Del Rio) 28’
3-0 Phewa (Ocampo) 72’
SHOTS: FCI 19, CHI 5
SAVES: FCI 3, CHI 7
CORNERS: FCI 3, CHI 2
Attendance: 357

FC Indiana 5, Fort Wayne Fever 1

May 25, 2008

FC Indiana solidified their W-League Midwest Division top spot as Fort Wayne Fever were brushed aside at Purdue Soccer Complex Sunday evening.
FC Indiana scored first when Lauren Sesselmann scored from Del Rio in the 12 minute. With ten minutes left in the first half it was Katie Wilson who tied it 1-1.
Three goals in the space of twenty second-half minutes from Laura Del Rio (2) and Annie Hamel broke the Fever’s resistance before Veronica Phewa extended the margin in the second half.
And with three points virtually assured inside an hour, FC Indiana coach Borkowski was able to rest some of his players ahead of next Sunday’s key match against the Chicago Gaels. "The performance, against a disciplined and organized Fort Wayne, was good. We were patient and methodical in our build up," said Borkowski.
"We played some good soccer and we created lots of chances I have no complaints with my players’ performance."
FC Indiana dominated from the start and Fort Wayne’s goalkeeper Shannon Lynn faced 29 shots.
FC Indiana: Mason, Jeffers (Shaner 46’), Luik, Nault (Phewa 46’), Milyak (O’Rourke 80’), Sitch, Leyva, Parker, Laue (Mosebo 76’), Sesselmann (Hamel 55’), del Rio (Ruiz 80’)
Fort Wayne Fever: Lynn, Godall, Aligier, Blake, Yeager, Schultz, Beck, Killion, Faron, Ward (Sorg 60’), Wilson (McHenry 65’)
GOALS
1-0 Sesselmann (Del Rio) 9’
1-1 Blake 19’
2-1 Del Rio (Parker) 59’
3-1 Hamel (Del Rio) 67’
4-1 Del Rio (Luik) 80’
5-1 Phewa (Parker) 88’
SHOTS: FCI 29, FWF 2
SAVES: FCI 1, FWF 13
CORNERS: FCI 11, FWF 0
Attendance: 205


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