I Now Pronounce You WPS Ref and Wife?

The following is excerpted from a Press Release by the Women's Professional Soccer League. Weekly Report is printed each Tuesday by WPS and the WPS writers of the Bleacher Report. If you would like to write on Bleacher Report for the Women's professional Soccer League please write to [e-mail]

Get married May 2, referee a Women’s Professional Soccer match May 10, and then hop on a plane for your honeymoon? Not the standard sequence of events for newlyweds, but a WPS referee is doing just that.

Ted Unkel, 31, of Sarasota, Fla., received his first WPS referee assignment for the Chicago Red Stars vs. Sky Blue FC match on May 10 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

The only problem was he and his wife Christina—as of May 2—had planned to depart from Florida to San Diego, one-day prior, on May 9, for their honeymoon. After two months of planning, they had their flights, hotel and a car booked for the trip.

However, both the newlyweds are soccer referees, so naturally, the two rescheduled the trip in order for Unkel to referee his first WPS match.

“Our schedules are so tight as it is that it took a while to actually get the honeymoon finalized, so what was one more wrinkle,” Unkel said about rearranging their plans.

When told about the conflict the bride-to-be laughed, he says. Christina Ibanez, a huge soccer fan as well, was extremely supportive of the decision to postpone the honeymoon plans for a few days.

“She (Christina) loves the game of soccer, so she is more than willing to come to a match any chance she gets,” said Unkel. “She may have laughed and cried at the same time when I told her, but was genuinely excited about the opportunity.

Ever since I found out I'd be a part of WPS, I've been looking forward to taking the field—and she knows that. Our life is going to be full of memories and this is going to be a special one.”

The newlyweds will enjoy Chicago on Saturday and Unkel will referee Sunday’s match, with Christina in the stands and his family and friends watching at home on the Fox Soccer Channel. Following the game the two will take flight from Chicago to San Diego and finally begin their honeymoon.

The couple of two years were engaged on October 3rd of last year, and met at a soccer tournament in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Ironically the two begin their new lives in much of the same way as they met, at a soccer match.

Unkel is a Grade Three Professional Referee with the U.S. Soccer Federation and is extremely excited to get started with WPS, especially since it is the inaugural season. He referees at the collegiate level and also works from home as the Director of Business Development for Markland Consulting Group, LLC.

His wife, Christina, will be attending Stetson University College of Law this fall. The couple resides in Sarasota, Fla.

Reprinting allowed for editorial purposes.