The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB's Porto Wins 2007 W-League Championship With Washington Freedom
8/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 9, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB women's soccer player Jill Porto added another championship to her resume on August 5, serving as a valuable member of the Washington Freedom, who defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks, 3-1, to capture the 2007 USL W-League Championship at PAETEC Park in Rochester, N.Y.
"It was great to see Jill play on TV in the championship game and even more exciting to see her team win," said UAB head coach Paul Harbin. "I thought she had a great match. She was dangerous every time she got the ball and put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Atlanta defense. She definitely showed that she can produce at the highest level."
The senior forward completed her second year on the Washington Freedom's roster, earning a significant amount of playing time in 2007.
"It was a great summer," said Porto. "It was good to come back and play for the Freedom for the second year in a row. Overall, it's just a great experience.
"As a team, we were really focused this year and knew what we needed to do to win. During the championship game, it was such an adrenaline rush."
Porto is not the lone Blazer on the Freedom's roster. She is joined by former teammate Tara Kidwell, who played for UAB from 2001-04. Kidwell holds four career records as a Blazer, while Porto continues to climb her way up the charts in UAB history.
"It was exciting to see Jill and Tara play together again," said Harbin. "They both had a positive impact on the game in the second half."
