Women's Professional Soccer Announces Year-End Award Nominations

Women’s Professional Soccer announced the nominations for its year-end 2009 WPS Awards on Tuesday, which will be presented at the 2009 WPS All-Star Awards Gala in St. Louis, MO on August 29.

Six categories will have awards presented of which three have fan voting as part of the award selection process, including Player, Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year. The league has formally named its Player of the Year Award after the great U.S. Women’s National Team player and Olympic champion Michelle Akers to be called the “Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award.”

Nominations were selected by media and the seven 2009 WPS teams (except AdvoCare Coach of the Year, in which all seven coaches are on the ballot):

Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award
    http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ballot/2009-poy ;
    Eniola Aluko (F)           Saint Louis Athletica
    Sonia Bompastor (M/D) Washington Freedom
    Shannon Boxx (M)        Los Angeles Sol
    Lori Chalupny (M)        Saint Louis Athletica
    Marta (F)                   Los Angeles Sol
    Hope Solo (GK)           Saint Louis Athletica
    Abby Wambach (F)      Washington Freedom

   
MedImmune Defender of the Year Award
    http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ballot/2009-defender.aspx ;
    Anita Asante (D)         Sky Blue FC
    Tina Ellertson (D)        Saint Louis Athletica
    Allison Falk (D)            Los Angeles Sol
    Amy LePeilbet (D)        Boston Breakers
    Christie Rampone (D)    Sky Blue FC

Goalkeeper of the Year Award
    http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ballot/2009-goalkeeper.aspx ;
    Jenni Branam (GK)         Sky Blue FC
    Caroline Jonsson (GK)    Chicago Red Stars
    Karina LeBlanc (GK)       Los Angeles Sol
    Erin McLeod (GK)          Washington Freedom
    Hope Solo (GK)             Saint Louis Athletica

Hint Water Sportswoman of the Year (nominated by teams; voted on by players only)
    Nancy Augustyniak Goffi (D) Boston Breakers
    Amanda Cinalli (F)              Saint Louis Athletica
    Stephanie Cox (D)              Los Angeles Sol
    Jaimel Johnson (GK)            Chicago Red Stars
    Tiffeny Milbrett (F)             FC Gold Pride
    Christie Rampone (D)          Sky Blue FC
    Cat Whitehill (D)                Washington Freedom

Other awards that will be presented include the Golden Boot Award presented by PUMA® to the league’s leading goal scorer and the AdvoCare WPS Coach of the Year Award to the top coach in WPS, in which all league current coaches are nominated. Fan voting ends end on Friday at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

The previous story was excerpted from a press release by the WPS. What's News is the alternate profile of Bleacher Report writer Todd Civin and is used to publish from press releases by the WPS, AHL and the Eastern and Can Am Baseball Leagues.

Jose L. Argueta / isiphotos.net