Courage roll to win over Freedom

Washington, D.C. (Sports Network) - Forward Danielle Fotopoulos recorded a seven-point performance on two goals and three assists to give the Carolina Courage its first 2003 win over the Washington Freedom at RFK Stadium Saturday. In front of a crowd of 21,859, the Courage won by a 5-2 scoreline over the previously unbeaten Freedom The Courage got on the board early courtesy of forward Fotopoulos' second goal of the season. Forward Birgit Prinz started the play leading defender Breanna Boyd down the left side, who then sent a cross into Fotopoulos waiting at the corner of the Freedom's six-yard box. Fotopoulos redirected the ball past charging Freedom goalkeeper Erin Regan for a 1-0 Courage lead. Prinz put the Courage up 2-0 just 14 minutes later with a strike from nearly the exact same spot. Taking a pass from Norwegian midfielder Unni Lehn, Prinz sent a shot far-post from the left past the diving Regan for the game's second goal. Freedom midfielder Lindsay Stoecker scored her first career WUSA goal in the 25th minute in spectacular fashion. Teammate Jacqui Little sent a cross in from the right corner to Stoecker, who was waiting 35 yards out. Stoecker settled the pass and ripped a rocket over the hands of Carolina goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill to make the score 2-1. Four minutes later, Carolina defender Nel Fettig put the Courage up by two goals again. Fotopoulos sent a ball in from 12 yards to Fettig, who redirected the pass near-post past Regan for her first goal of the season. In the 39th minute, Fotopoulos scored her second goal of the game with a strike into the left corner of the Freedom net off Lehn's second assist of the match. She gave Carolina a 4-1 advantage, which held up through the end of the first half. The Freedom's only second half goal would come in the 77th minute on a nice individual effort by Washington midfielder Kelly Golebiowski. The Australian collected a poor defensive clearance and rifled a ball into the Courage net to cut the deficit to two. However, the Courage would score 11 minutes later on a Danielle Borgman goal, courtesy of Fotopoulos' third assist of the match. (Courtesy of the WUSA)