WPSL Central Playoff Preview
The #1 team in the country, Sioux Falls City FC, host the Central Region's playoffs over the weekend.
Saturday
(National Ranking/Regional Ranking)
#1/1 Sioux Falls City v FC Pride
Sioux Falls City's Katharina Oelschlager leads the deepest and most prolific attack in the region, while Cambell Fischer has only conceded 1 goal as a starting goalie all season. On the other hand, FC Pride finished the season with a record of 6-1-4 (W-D-L), while scoring the same number of goals as the division's top team, FC Dayton. Pride moved on to South Dakota with a road victory against the previously undefeated Lake Michigan Division winners FC Milwaukee Torrent.
#7/5 Colorado Pride v #15/7 Union KC
Colo Pride were a high-scoring winner of the Rockies Division of the Mountain Conference, knocking in 38. Bello Omowunmi, with 13 goals and Abby Stassi with 6, have been the biggest contributors. Union KC (8-1-1) won the Heartland Conference and thus a spot in the playoffs but are middle of the pack in scoring and in goal difference across the region.
WPSL Central Region Playoffs Preview
Playoffs! In the Northland!
As part of the planned rotation between regions, it has long been known that the Northern Conference's winners this year would not only seal that conference's only spot in the playoffs, but would also host the Central Regional finals. This year there is only one Conference Championship in the Central Region.
FC Pride (who finished third in the Gateway) play Lake Michigan winners Milwaukee Torrent for the Midwest Conference on Sunday for a place in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls City in the Northern Conference and the Heartland division winners Union KC are spared that extra game, Rockies division winners Colorado Pride have won the Mountain Conference's spot in the Central Region's final four.
I will be investigating how clubs qualified for the postseason without winning their conference.