ECNL PDA Recap

The Michigan Hawks 2002 faced stiff competition heading into the ECNL New Jersey Showcase this past Memorial Day weekend, playing 3 teams with a 30 combined wins and only 4 loses through their regular season conference play.

First up was Crossfire United, and after a slow start that put the Hawks behind 3-1 at halftime, they found their stride in the second half and battled back to a 4-4 tie. Offensive output was led by Joyelle Washington’s hat-trick with Michelle Cooper adding another. Saturday pitted them against Connecticut FC, which featured a physical match and another hard-fought 2-2 tie behind goals by Michelle Cooper. The 02 Hawks finished their New Jersey campaign against undefeated and ECNL Northeast Conference powerhouse PDA Blue. It was a high-quality match-up and back & forth play led to a tie score midway through the second half with each team netting 2. The Hawks goals included a PK conversion by Michelle Copper after being upended by the PDA keeper and a goal by Josie Aulicino. The Hawks fortune however ran out at that point after a harsh referee decision resulted in a double yellow send-off. Despite a gutsy 10-man performance, the Hawks were unable to fend off a strong PDA team the final 20 minutes and they had to settle for a 3-2 loss.

With the New Jersey Showcase complete, the Hawks 2002 can now set their sights on the ECNL Champions League Nationals Play-offs in San Diego where they hope to earn a berth in the ECNL National Finals.