Girls Soccer: Stone Bridge's Herndon is Added to D.C. United Women Roster

Germantown, MD (June 19, 2011) - D.C. United Women take to the road for the final time in the 2011 regular season this weekend to play two W-League games in two days. They will play with two new additions including Stone Bridge High School rising junior Ashley Herndon, who becomes the youngest player on the club's United Soccer Leagues' W-League.


The team departed the DC area early Saturday morning for the long trip to face Long Island Rough Riders in a 5 p.m. kickoff, then treks back to North Jersey to spend the night and rest before taking on the New Jersey Rangers at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Both matches will be the first meetings between the sides in history, and United hopes for some good results in order to build momentum in a first season that has seen them sputter out of the blocks, leaving the team at a 1-2-1 record through four games.

If D.C. hopes to keep control of their own destiny in the search for a W-League Eastern Conference playoff spot, they need a result at Long Island, who are undefeated after three games, but have yet to face the Black-and-Red. The Rough Riders are coming off a winning season in 2010 where they boasted a 7-5-0 record, but just missed the playoffs. Now in their fifth season, the team has scored an impressive nine goals in three games this season, while only allowing two. The match is the first of a doubleheader on Saturday, with the Rough Riders' men's PDL side set to take on the Ocean City Nor'easters immediately after.

United Women won't get to hang around to watch much of the PDL contest however, thanks to their Sunday date to face the New Jersey Rangers. In their second W-League season after going 4-8-0 in 2010, the Rangers are still in the hunt for their first points of 2011 after four games. The match at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J. is set for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff.

Joining United on this final regular season road trip north will be two new signings (pending league approval), both high schoolers recently named to the Washington Post All-Met first team, joining Madyson Brown on the team from that list.

William and Mary-bound midfielder Aly Shaughnessy joins the Black and Red from Battlefield High School and FC Virginia, while Stone Bridge High School and VSA Heat striker Herndon has also been added. Herndon would be the youngest player on the roster for United once her paperwork is completed, but is already a seasoned goalscorer, boasting 54 goals in two seasons of AAA high school play in the toughest district in the state. Shaughnessy is a dangerous playmaker with a long resume of success in both scoring, assisting and minutes played. She will bring yet more punch to a United midfield already stacked with talent.

The long bus ride home to D.C. on Sunday night will go much faster if United are packing six points. But either way, it will be the final trip of the regular season for the team, which will have played five of their first six matches on the road.

With their June 9th home opener delayed 2 hours due to thunderstorms, United's return to the cozy confines and lush natural grass of the Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium on Saturday, June 25 should give a large contingent of women's soccer fans their first look at what all involved hope will be a playoff-bound team.

Fans can buy single game tickets, or pro-rated season tickets to United's four remaining home games at http://www.dcunitedwomen.com/tickets

About D.C. United Women
Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. region and playing home matches at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., D.C. United Women is a member of the United Soccer Leagues' W-League. The first and longest-standing women's league in North America, the W-League is USL's highest level of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. In addition to featuring international and professional stars, elite amateur players have the opportunity to compete on amateur teams in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America. Licensed by D.C. United, the W-League team is independently owned and operated by Washington Soccer Properties, LLC, which also operates youth teams in the USL Super-Y League under the name DC Alliance. Visit http://www.dcunitedwomen.com for more information. Follow the team on Twitter @dcuwomen.