SOUTH REGION PLAYOFFS KICK OFF SATURDAY

 

History will be made Sunday, July 13 when a new South Region champion will be crowned in the South Region Playoffs Final at Revolution SportsPark in Leesburg, Va. Semifinals kick off Saturday, July 12 when Chattanooga FC takes on Arlington Soccer Blue at 5 p.m. (EDT), followed by region tournament hosts, McLean Soccer taking on LA Krewe Rush at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). Whichever side advances to the WPSL Championships in Stillwater, Okla July 18 and 20, it will be the winner’s first time showcased on the national stage. 

 

Saturday, July 12
South Region Semifinal 
Chattanooga FC (Postseason 1-0-0) vs. Arlington Soccer Blue (Postseason 0-0-0)
5 p.m. (EDT)
Revolution Sports Park
Leesburg, Va. 
Watch live or in-demand on the National Soccer Network

Southeast Conference winners, Chattanooga FC, take on the wild card representatives out of the intensely competitive The District Division to kick things off in the first South Region Playoffs semifinal. 

 

Chattanooga FC is fresh off its first Southeast Conference title with a 1-0 win in the conference final versus Nashville Rhythm FC in front of its home fans. EG Dillard (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 2024- ) scored in the 79th minute that embodied Chattanooga’s run to the South Region Playoffs: one part beautiful and one part gritty. 

 

 

Chattanooga FC's stumble in Matchweek Five led to the club's only loss of the season, a humbling 2-1 loss to DECATUR FC in Chattanooga. Playing out the season with three wins and a draw put Chattanooga into the conference title match as Peachtree Division representatives. 

 

On the offensive end, Chattanooga is led by Reese McDermott with eight goals in eight appearances, including a hat trick in the club’s 5-1 road win over Atlanta Fire United. McDermott also led the Peachtree Division in scoring. 

 

Defensively, Chattanooga features three South Region Defensive Player of the Week winners: defender and team captain Jordan Crocket in Matchweek Four, defender Kaylie Smith in Matchweek Six, and goalkeeper Maddie Smith in Matchweek Nine. 

 

This is Chattanooga FC’s first trip to the South Region Playoffs. 

 

Arlington Soccer Blue enters the South Region Playoffs taking the wild card spot after finishing second in The District Division behind McLean Soccer. 

 

This is Arlington’s first postseason foray in its two-season WPSL tenure. 

 

Arlington Blue led The District Division in scoring with 28 goals scored over its eight-match regular season schedule. Olivia Stafford (Vanderbilt University 2025- ) and Jocelyn Lohmeyer (Georgetown University, 2024- ) lead both the club and division with five goals each, followed by Ellie Stokes (Colgate University 2022- ) with four, and Logan Tongberg (University of North Carolina 2024- ), and South Region Offensive Player of Matchweek Two, Isabella Johnson, with three goals each. 

 

Arlington Blue finished The District Division play with 13 goals against, keeping two clean sheets over the course of the season. 

 

The winner of Saturday’s semifinal advances to the South Region Final on Sunday at Revolution Sports Park in Leesburg, Va. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (EDT)

 

Saturday, July 12
South Region Semifinal 
McLean Soccer (Postseason 1-0-0) vs. Krewe Rush (Postseason 1-0-0)
7:30 p.m. (EDT)
Revolution Sports Park
Leesburg, Va. 
Watch live or on-demand on the National Soccer Network 

 

Atlantic Conference winners McLean Soccer play hosts to Gulf Coast Conference winners LA Krewe Rush in Saturday’s South Region nightcap.

 

McLean enters Saturday evening’s match fresh off a 3-0 win in the Atlantic Conference Final over Carolinas Division winners, Port City FC. Hanna Harms (Texas Christian University 2025- ) scored two second half goals, and Courtney Mills (Virginia Wesleyan University 2023- ) added the third with six minutes to play to capture the conference title and advance to the South Region Playoffs for the first time in the club’s two-year WPSL tenure. 

 

 

McLean kicked off its second WPSL season with three shut out wins before its first blemish of the season in a 4-2 loss to Arlington Soccer Blue in Matchweek Five. Three more wins gave McLean its first The District Division title before a 1-1 draw in the return match with Arlington Blue to close the regular season. 

 

U.S. Youth International, Caroline Helfrich (University of Virginia 2025- ), leads the club with five goals in eight appearances followed by Isabella Yousefi (George Mason University 2024- )with four goals in eight appearances. 

 

McLean led The District Division in defense allowing only nine goals over its eight-game schedule, keeping two clean sheets in division play and one in the post season. Aislinn Wright (High Point University 2023- ) earned the club’s third clean sheet of the season in the 3-0 win over Port City FC in the Atlantic Conference Final. 

 

LA Krewe Rush rounds out the South Region field thanks to an upset 2-1 win over Pensacola FC in the Gulf Coast Conference Final.

 

The Delta Basin Division champs stunned the Third Coast Division and No. 1 team in the country taking the lead in the sixth minute when Salma Elhaimer (McNeese State University 2022- ) outpaced her defender off the dribble and slotted the ball just inside the far post past.

 

 

Runaway winners of the Delta Basin Conference, LA Krewe Rush was led by division and conference leading scorer, Elhaimer (McNeese State University 2023- ) with 11 goals in seven appearances, which included the opening goal in the club’s conference championship win. 

 

Goalkeeper Lauryn Starwood and LKR’s defensive unit led the Delta Basin with nine goals against. Starwood appeared in seven of the club’s eight regular season matches, posting a .71 goal against average and three clean sheets in the regular season, along with the conference final. 

 

The winner of Saturday’s semifinal advances to the South Region Final on Sunday at Revolution Sports Park in Leesburg, Va. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (EDT)

 

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