--- Whitehead has only allowed four goals in 10 games for the Charlotte Lady Eagles ---
CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Samford’s Alyssa Whitehead concluded the 2010 season of the prestigious United Soccer League as the top goalkeeper in the W-League. The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-3 goalkeeper is competing this summer for the Charlotte Lady Eagles and has played almost every minute of her team’s 10 games, allowing only four goals to finish the regular season with a goals-against average of 0.41.
Whitehead edged out Jasmine Phillips of the Ottawa Fury who tallied a 0.42 goals-against after allowing five goals in 11 games.
Whitehead, a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., will be a junior at Samford in the fall. Last season, she helped lead the Bulldogs to a school-record 12-1-5 overall record and a semifinal appearance in the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament.
Additionally, Whitehead earned Third-Team National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Southeast Region honors last season and finished the campaign ranked first in the nation in goals-against average (0.31) and third in the nation in save percentage (0.91). She only allowed a total of six goals on 169 shots faced and received First-Team All-SoCon accolades.
Whitehead also played a major role in the Bulldogs’ defense that finished the season ranked first in the nation in both goals-against average (0.31) and save percentage (0.92).
The W-League playoffs begin this week with the Final Four to be held in Santa Clarita, Calif., July 29-31.
The Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues earned an automatic berth in the final by winning the regular season title with an 11-1-0 record.
Eleven other teams will battle for the three remaining spots.
The Laval Comets (6-3-3) and Toronto Lady Lynx (7-2-3) will play in the Central Conference’s Great Lakes Division play-in game Wednesday in Toronto. The winner advances to face Buffalo, Saturday at Niagara Falls University in Buffalo.
Also heading to Buffalo for the Central Conference championships are the Great Lakes Division champion Ottawa Fury (8-1-3). They will play the Chicago Red Eleven (8-2-2), runners-up in the Midwest Division. The winners of Saturday’s Central Conference semifinals will meet for a spot in Santa Clarita.
The Eastern Conference championships begin Friday at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta, with the host Atlanta Silverbacks (7-2-1, Atlantic Division Champions) playing the Northeast Division’s No. 3 team, the New Jersey Wildcats (7-4-1). Saturday’s other Eastern Conference Semifinal pits the Northeast Division’s runners-up, the Washington Freedom Futures (10-1-1) against the Atlantic Division’s Charlotte Eagles (5-3-2).
Whitehead and the Samford University soccer team will begin play in its 2010 campaign on Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the Belmont Bruins in an exhibition contest to be held at Bulldog Field.