Sky Blue FC Goalkeeper is first 'Keeper to Win WPS POTM Award

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 3, 2010) – Sky Blue FC’s goalkeeper Karen Bardsley has been voted WPS Player of the Month for May by the media, becoming the first goalkeeper to nab the honor since the league began awarding the Player of the Month in April 2009. Bardsley was solid all month in the net for her New Jersey-side, leading the defending WPS Champions to a 1-1-2 record for the month with only one loss despite being outshot in all four games by their opponents. Her performance this month was highlighted by a 1-0 shutout win against the Atlanta Beat in which Bardsley made a WPS single-game record 13 saves to lead her team to a victory in Atlanta’s stadium home opener in front of over 7,200 at KSU Soccer Stadium.  The performance earned her Player of the Week honors for Week 5.

Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach was second in the voting with FC Gold Pride star Marta also receiving considerable votes among media that cover WPS. The WPS Player of the Month is given at the end of each month throughout the WPS Regular Season.
 
About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with eight teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, seven teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including five original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer.