FRISCO, Texas (Sept. 21, 2018) — Former National League players Samantha Mewis and Emily Sonnett will square off in Saturday’s NWSL Championship when their respective clubs, North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns FC, compete for the league title.
The championship game will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and can be seen on Lifetime.
Mewis, who played for Scorpions SC (MA) in the National League, sealed North Carolina’s semifinal win with a spectacular strike from distance that capped the 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars, who featured National League alumnae Morgan Brian and Danielle Colaprico in their starting lineup.
North Carolina finished the regular season in first place, as Mewis helped the Courage post a 17-1-6 record.
Meanwhile, Sonnett and the Thorns defeated rival Seattle Reign FC, 2-1, in their semifinal match to advance to the NWSL Championship. Sonnett started each of the 20 games in which she played in the regular season and helped Portland go unbeaten over its final five games to finish in second place.
Sonnett’s efforts on the Portland back line garnered her a selection to the 2018 NWSL Best XI Team and a spot on the finalists list for Defender of the Year. Her 104 clearances were third in the league, and she recorded 14 blocks, 35 interceptions, 18 tackles won and 68 duels won. Offensively, Sonnett added a goal and an assist on the year.
Dorsey Among Rookie of the Year Finalists
Sky Blue FC’s Imani Dorsey is one of three finalists for 2018 NWSL Rookie of the Year. Despite making her debut midway through the season, Dorsey scored four goals and added an assist. Her 13 appearances were the fewest of any player in the league with four goals or more.
Dorsey played in the National League with SAC United Premier (MD), and she tied for the league lead in goals (5) while helping her team win the division title in the 2010-11 season.
The National League’s alumni have gone on to prove themselves at the collegiate and professional levels, with former players competing in NCAA Division I, II and III, Major League Soccer, National Women’s Soccer League, the UEFA Champions League, the Olympics and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The National League provides an avenue for teams to play in meaningful matches against top competition from across the country for continued development. In addition to recruiting opportunities, National League teams compete for the National League title and one of four slots from each gender age group to the annual US Youth Soccer National Championships.