SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 17, 2011) - As a prelude to the start of the Women’s Professional Soccer playoffs, WPS announced its 2011 Year End Award winners on Wednesday afternoon.

Independence Head Coach Paul Riley, who has led his team to back-to-back playoff appearances, repeats as WPS Coach of the Year after being honored with the award in 2010 following Philadelphia’s Inaugural campaign. Riley is joined by five fresh faces earning Year End awards including two players from the Independence: 2011 Michelle Akers Award winner Veronica [Vero] Boquete as the league’s MVP, and team captain Nikki Krzysik who was selected by her peers as the Citi Sportswoman of the Year.

Regular Season Champion Western New York Flash has three players earning year end honors including goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, defender Whitney Engen and PUMA Golden Boot winner Marta. magicJack’s Christen Press earned the prestigious Rookie of the Year award, putting together a stellar freshman campaign, scoring nearly one-third of the her team’s total goals in 2011.

Five separate awards were decided by fan voting (33%), player/coach voting (33%) and media vote (33%) during the final weeks of the regular season. The Citi Sportswoman of the Year Award is voted on entirely by players and coaches, while the PUMA Golden Boot award is presented to the top goal scorer during the 2011 WPS Regular Season.

2011 WPS Year-End Awards

Michelle Akers Player of the Year Veronica Boquete (Philadelphia Independence)
In her second with in WPS, Veronica Boquete has scored five goals—four of them game-winners—and notched four assists for the Independence in just 11 games played in 2011.  The diminutive forward was honored three times during the 2011 season as the WPS Player of the Week for her outstanding play. Her cunning ability to create plays and score goals for her team has made her invaluable to the Independence lineup and has earned her the league’s top honor as MVP and recipient of the Michelle Akers Player of the Year award.

WPS Defender of the Year Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash)
A mainstay in the defensive line of the 2011 Regular Season Champions, Engen helped lead the Western New York Flash to the Regular Season Championship with a 13-2-2.  The 24-year old defender, who has started and played the full 90 in all but one game for the Flash, has dominated the defensive zone shutting down many of the league’s top opponents. Engen has been a leader in the Flash’s defense which is tied for first in the league in goals allowed having allowed just five multi-goal games by their opponents all season.

US Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash)
In her sophomore campaign in WPS and first season as a full-time starter, Ashlyn Harris has shined in goal for Western New York.  Harris is one of four players in WPS that has started and completed all 18 games for her team and leads the league’s goalkeepers in goals per game average (1.00) during the regular season.

US Soccer Federation Rookie of the Year Christen Press (magicJack)
Fresh off a successful collegiate career at Stanford University, the reigning 2010 MAC Hermann trophy winner has quickly become magicJacks’ go-to for goals.  Press has scored eight goals for her South Florida based team, second most for her club, including the first-ever hat trick scored by a rookie on July 30.  Press climbed up the WPS leader board, scoring five goals in the second half of the season, finishing fifth among league leaders in goals, just two behind the PUMA Golden Boot winner.

WPS Coach of the Year Paul Riley (Philadelphia Independence)
Philadelphia Head Coach Paul Riley earned WPS Coach of the Year honors for a second consecutive season, after  leading Independence to a second place finish and a second consecutive berth in the WPS Playoffs. Riley conducted his club to an 11-4-3 regular season record, and notably led his team to a seven-game unbeaten streak mid-season that vaulted Philadelphia into title contention.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year Nikki Krzysik (Philadelphia Independence)
The Philadelphia team captain was selected by her peers as the Citi Sportswoman of the Year for her exemplary leadership displayed both on and off the field. Described by head coach Paul Riley as a “prototype team player, super likeable character and superb leader,” Krzysik has helped lead international philanthropic efforts that took her overseas with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where she led clinics and shared her experience and love of the game with the participants of the women’s soccer league in Honduras.

PUMA Golden Boot (Top Scorer) Marta (Western New York Flash)