Catching up with Eclipse Select alumna Jen Buczkowski

By Charlie Corr
Eclipse Select staff

Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and former Notre Dame midfielder Jen Buczkowski is coming off a successful third season within Women's Professional Soccer.

The 26-year-old Elk Grove, Ill., native was named to the 2011 WPS Best XI as voted by select media, and her Philadelphia Independence advanced to the WPS title match, eventually falling to the champion Western New York Flash.

Independence head coach Paul Riley has called Buczkowski "the best pure defensive midfielder in the league," and she wants to return to Philadelphia for a third straight year in 2012.

"I have not officially signed, but I have talked to Paul and [owner/CEO] David [Halstead]," Buczkowski said. "Many people have not signed, but maybe in the next week or two you'll see a lot more signings. But the plan is to stay in Philadelphia."

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Eclipse Select alumna Brittany Bock returns to WPS's Western N.Y. Flash

Brittany Bock -- Getty Images

Eclipse Select and W.N.Y. Flash Communications

Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna, University of Notre Dame product and Naperville, Ill., native Brittany Bock is returning to the Western New York Flash for their 2012 Women's Professional Soccer season. Bock and the Flash won the 2011 WPS Championship on Aug. 27 in their inaugural WPS season, defeating the Philadelphia Independence in a shootout. Bock played for most of the match before she was subbed out by Yael Averbuch in the 104th minute.

During the regular season, Bock started in 17 of 18 games played, tallying a goal and an assist in 1,456 minutes. The Neuqua Valley High School grad has played for the WPS runner-up Los Angeles Sol in 2009 and the Washington Freedom in 2010.

Read more at WNYFlash.com.

Buczkowski named to WPS's Best XI

Jen Buczkowski (right) -- Getty Images

Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and Philadelphia Independence midfielder Jen Buczkowski was named to WPS's Best XI of 2011. The Elk Grove Village, Ill., native and Notre Dame product started and played in 18 regular-season matches for Philadelphia, and capped off her 2011 season with an appearance in the WPS Championship against the title-winning Western New York Flash.

Read more at WomensProSoccer.com.

Red Stars blank 1st-place Gold Pride

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Kosovare Asllani netted her first goal and the Chicago Red Stars defeated first-place FC Gold Pride, 1-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer action in front of 3,845 at Toyota Park.

Next up for the Red Stars is a 5 p.m. match on Sunday, June 6, against the Atlanta Beat at Toyota Park. The Red Stars' first match against Atlanta is televised live on Fox Soccer Channel.

On Saturday, the Red Stars (2-4-1) struck first in the 55th minute when Asllani was on the receiving end of a Marian Dalmy dish from the right side. Asllani had the easy tap-in goal to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. It was the team's first lead at home this season, put an end to a five-half scoreless drought and resulted in Chicago's first home victory.

"We are really excited and I feel like it is our start, in my opinion," Asllani said. "We had a couple of games that we had dominated that we didn't win, and after all, the winning is the most important thing. And I think we got good confidence from this game."

For more, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars host 1st-place Gold Pride

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Following a bye week from Women's Professional Soccer play, the Chicago Red Stars take on four-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Marta and FC Gold Pride at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at Toyota Park.

The match marks the second meeting between the two clubs in the month of May. In their last contest on May 8, the Red Stars (1-4-1) fell on the road to Gold Pride, 2-0, in Castro Valley, Calif., playing most of the match shorthanded when defender Ifeoma Dieke was red-carded in the 21st minute.

Gold Pride (5-1-0) leads the all-time series between the two sides with a 2-1-1 record. The Red Stars are looking to secure their first home victory of the 2010 season.

As the Red Stars progress with their search for a new head coach, General Manager Marcia McDermott will serve as the temporary team coach in Saturday's match against Gold Pride. McDermott, who was named the 62nd President of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in January, last served in a coaching capacity as an associate head coach for the University of Illinois women's soccer team in 2006 and 2007.

For more, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars' Markgraf returns to form

By Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com

Chicago Red Stars defender Kate Markgraf will never forget the moment she was told 14 weeks into her pregnancy she would be having twins.

"I cried," said Markgraf while laughing.

As a mother, she was overjoyed. As a soccer player, she was terrified.

Markgraf had decided long before the doctor's late-breaking news of twins that she was going to play at least one more professional soccer season. The thought of twins made her pause, but it wasn't enough to deter her.

On Saturday, Markgraf officially completed her comeback. In the same week as her girl-and-boy twins, Carson and Xavier, turned 11 months old, Markgraf made her first U.S. women's national team appearance since December 2008 when she came off the bench in the 63rd minute Saturday and helped the U.S. hold on for a 4-0 win over Germany before 10,000 fans in Cleveland.

"I wasn't expecting it at all," Markgraf said of being called up for the game. "I was very surprised and honored at the same time."

Read the rest of Scott Powers' story on ESPNChicago.com.

Red Stars' Weissenhofer feeling at home

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Michele Weissenhofer is the definition of homegrown -- a local product from Naperville, Ill., a collegiate athlete a short trek away at Notre Dame, and now a professional soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer.

And she is loving every minute of her professional experience.

“How could I not be happier being able to wake up every morning and play the game I love and actually get paid for it?” Weissenhofer said.

But long before Weissenhofer became a pro, she firmly planted her soccer roots in the soccer fields sprawled out across the Chicagoland area. Weissenhofer played youth soccer locally for the Eclipse Select soccer club along with current Red Stars teammate and Geneva, Ill., native Jackie Santacaterina.

The familiarity of having local players she grew up playing with in the Red Stars training sessions is something Weissenhofer appreciates as she continues her transition into professional soccer in Chicago.

“It’s so much fun to be able to play with [Santacaterina] again, and we do know our tendencies obviously more than others because we’ve played together for such a long time,” Weissenhofer said. “I think it allows us to improve our individual games together, and we work hard at that.”

Read more at ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars fall to Independence, 1-0

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars fell to the expansion Philadelphia Independence, 1-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer action in front of 5,645 fans at Toyota Park.

The Independence improved to 3-1-2 and the Red Stars dropped to 1-4-1 on the season.

"I think everyone is somewhat frustrated, but I think this is the time where it tests our character a lot," Red Stars defender Marian Dalmy said. "I can speak for every person on this team that we will keep fighting, and no matter what it takes we will find it."

Read more at ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars face expansion Philly

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars start a three-game homestand this Saturday when they welcome the expansion Philadelphia Independence for a 6 p.m. match at Toyota Park. This is the first meeting between the two Women's Professional Soccer clubs.

Both teams are coming off losses in last week’s competition when the Red Stars fell to FC Gold Pride, 2-0, and Philadelphia was dealt its first loss of the season, a 2-1 decision against Saint Louis Athletica. The Red Stars are looking to capture their first home win of the 2010 season.

"Philadelphia is a very hard-working, physical team and if we're going to match them this weekend we're going to have to compete with them physically," Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes said. "They've gotten their results by really grinding out performances and I think they more than fully deserve the position they're in at this stage."

For the full preview, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Shorthanded Red Stars fall to Gold Pride

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. -- The Chicago Red Stars fell to first-place FC Gold Pride, 2-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer play at Castro Valley Athletic Stadium.

The Red Stars had to play for approximately 65 minutes with only 10 players on the pitch. In the 25th minute, Red Stars defender Ifeoma Dieke was issued a red card for fouling Gold Pride's Kelley O'Hara in the box.

Chicago avoided any initial damage when Gold Pride's Tiffeny Milbrett missed that particular penalty kick attempt. But Milbrett and O'Hara would make up for it with goals in the 45th and 78th minutes, respectively.

"We hoped to get into halftime scoreless, and them scoring a minute before halftime was a blow for us," Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes said of Milbrett's goal. "Chasing the game for 60 minutes is just too difficult for this level."

For the full game recap, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Markgraf still playing with passion

By Paul D. Bowker, Red Line Editorial

OAK BROOK, Ill. - Halfway through a recent Chicago Red Stars practice, three attackers moved ahead with the ball, precisely targeted in on the goal. Immediately, Kate Markgraf sprinted into the middle of play from her defensive position. Soccer class was in session.

Soon, the ball deflected out of play, and another rotation was back in action.

Not bad for a 33-year-old mother of three.

"She amazes me," Red Stars coach Emma Hayes said. "She really does. She's inspiring to be around ... a pleasure to coach."

Markgraf, in her own way, almost shrugs off the attention. She is playing soccer the way she always has in six world championship events, at the University of Notre Dame and in her native Michigan as a youth. That is to say, with passion.

"I don't have any fairytale storybook traditions," Markgraf said. "My whole goal is to go ahead every single day with the best attitude and the best mind-set and to give 100 percent every day, and the chips will fall where they may. Do the best I can."

Read Paul Bowker's full piece at TeamUSA.org.

Preview: Red Stars vs. 1st-place FC Gold Pride

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars travel out west to Castro Valley, Calif., to take on four-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Marta and the league-leading FC Gold Pride for a 9 p.m. CT match on Saturday in Women’s Professional Soccer action.

This marks the teams' first head-to-head matchup of the 2010 WPS season. FC Gold Pride (3-1-0, 9 points) enters the match on a three-game winning streak and is only the second team in WPS history to sit alone in first place. The Red Stars (1-2-1, 4 points) are fresh off their first win of the 2010 season, a 2-0 road victory over the Boston Breakers last Saturday. It marked the end to a dubious road streak. The Red Stars had not earned a road victory since the team's inaugural WPS match, a 1-0 win over Saint Louis Athletica on April 4, 2009.

In the last meeting between the Red Stars and FC Gold Pride in 2009, Red Stars forward Cristiane scored the first hat trick in WPS history to lift the Red Stars past the Gold Pride, 3-1, on July 12, 2009, at Toyota Park.

For the full preview, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars' Rapinoe back in the fray

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The start of the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer season did not go exactly as planned for Chicago Red Stars midfielder Megan Rapinoe.

A key fixture on the 2009 squad, Rapinoe was sidelined for the first three games of this season as she recovered from mononucleosis.

“With the mono, you can’t have contact, which is quite frustrating,” Rapinoe said. “Especially because I was feeling really good and feeling like I was getting better, but still not being able to really full-out train with the team. And you can’t work hard to get over it. You just have to wait. And I think especially for an athlete, as I think any athlete would say, doing nothing is harder than doing too much.”

Read the full interview with Rapinoe at ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars, Red Eleven set for May 21 match

The Chicago Red Stars and United Soccer Leagues W-League affiliate Chicago Red Eleven will play in an exhibition match at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, at the Schwaben Athletic Club, 301 Weiland Ave., in Buffalo Grove.

Last year, the two teams battled at Benedictine University in Lisle, with the Red Stars earning a 1-0 victory.

For more details, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars 7th in Goal.com's WPS rankings

Despite a 2-0 road victory over the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars maintained a 7th-place stance in Goal.com's Women's Professional Soccer Power Rankings.

The Red Stars could change the order quite a bit this Saturday if they find some success on the west coast when they take on the first-place FC Gold Pride.

For the full WPS Power Rankings, visit Goal.com.

Red Stars move to 5th in Bleacher Report rankings

The Chicago Red Stars earned their first road victory since their inaugural 2009 WPS road match against Saint Louis Athletica, topping the Boston Breakers, 2-0.

So with the win, Bleacher Report decided to lift Chicago out of eighth place and into fifth.

Check out the rest of Bleacher Report's power rankings.

Red Stars net 1st win of season over Breakers

Casey Nogueira and Cristiane (pictured right) each netted a second-half goal as the Chicago Red Stars defeated the host Boston Breakers, 2-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer play at Harvard Stadium.

Nogueira made her first WPS start and leads the Red Stars with two goals this season. Cristiane contributed her first goal of the campaign after leading the team with seven goals during the inaugural 2009 WPS season.

"I think for the team, they really needed the result tonight," Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said. "It was a great team performance all around, and the result was fully deserved."

You can read more from this match at ChicagoRedStars.com.

OSWEGO'S SITCH JOINS RED STARS

On Friday, the Chicago Red Stars signed Oswego native and DePaul standout Julianne Sitch. She played this past season for the Women's Professional Soccer champion Sky Blue FC out in New Jersey.

CLICK HERE for the team's release.

RAPINOE JOINS U.S. WNT ROSTER

Red Stars midfielder to face Germany on Oct. 29

Chicago Red Stars midfielder Megan Rapinoe was one of 18 players named to the U.S. Women's National Team on Monday for the team's Oct. 29 match against Germany.

This year she has played in all seven of the U.S.'s international matches, posting two goals, an assist and a team-high five points. The U.S. is 6-0-1 in international play this year.

Among the other players, 2009 Red Stars midfielder Carli Lloyd is on the U.S. squad. She currently is a Women's Professional Soccer free agent. Locally, Naperville native Brittany Bock of the Los Angeles Sol and Crystal Lake native Amy LePeilbet of the Boston Breakers are on the roster.

CLICK HERE to read the release at USSoccer.com.

CRISTIANE, LLOYD AMONG WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER'S FREE AGENTS

Red Stars hoping to bring back team's scoring leader for 2010

The first day of Women's Professional Soccer's free agency had some pretty big names on the list, including Brazilian forward Cristiane (pictured right) and U.S. Women's National Team midfielder Carli Lloyd (pictured left) from the Chicago Red Stars' 2009 roster.

But the team immediately made it known that it wants to bring Cristiane back. She clearly was a vital component and an exciting presence, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Red Stars' offense this past season.

"With free agency opening Wednesday, we are taking the step to speak with Cris about next season and the Red Stars," general manager Marcia McDermott said in a release. "We are excited about the core we are returning and are focused on putting together a playoff-caliber team this off-season."

CLICK HERE for the team's release.