SACRAMENTO, CA (10/07/08) - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) conducted their General Draft on Monday, Oct. 6. in San Francisco, CA which consisted of four rounds of selections of international and domestic players for all seven WPS teams. As with the U.S. Women's National Team Allocation (Sept. 16) and Initial International Draft (Sept. 24), the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) had their share of representation, with nine players with WPSL ties getting their wishes of playing professional women's soccer granted in grand fashion.

Each of the seven WPS teams had four picks, with the order of lottery selection being established at the Board of Governors meeting on September 15th prior to the U.S. National Team allocation on September 17th. The WPS General Draft was open to both domestic and international players. WPS will conduct one more draft in January following two December combines for both undrafted domestic players and players who will have just completed their NCAA eligibility.

> For the full press release including the full list of players drafted by the WPS, click HERE.

Heading the list of draftees were three 2008 All-WPSL selections in Arizona's Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi (4th selection of 2nd Round by Boston), SoccerPlus CT's Manya Makoski (5th selection of 3rd Round by Los Angeles) and California's Tracy Hamm (5th selection of 4th Round by Bay Area). All three players helped lead their respective teams to the 2008 WPSL Playoffs, with Goffi and Makoski earning All-WPSL First Team honors while Hamm was named First Team All-Pacific Conference.

Goffi was the defensive star for the first-year Arizona Rush, playing in seven matches for the 2008 WPSL National Finalists, while Makoski (14 matches played) and her SoccerPlus CT side had their undefeated dream ended in the East Conference Final by division rival New England. Hamm (14 matches played) was a key midfield force for the California Storm who were knocked out in the Pacific playoffs by Conference Coach of the Year Brian Boswell and his eventual WPSL champion Ajax America side. However, the former Cal Bear star is a well-known quantity for the Bay Area organization, as her Storm teammate & Pacific MVP Sissi will be an assistant coach for the WPS team.

After that, there were six other players selected who had played in the WPSL, led by four former Ajax stars in Kendall Fletcher (3rd selection of 2nd Round by L.A.), 2007 All-WPSL First Team & All-Final Four Tournament selection Kandace Wilson (6th selection of 2nd Round by Bay Area), 2006 All-WPSL First Team & All-Final Four Tournament selection Liz Bogus (2nd selection of 3rd Round by Bay Area) and Jenny Anderson-Hammond (1st selection of 4th Round by Sky Blue F.C.). 2006-07 All-WPSL First Team selection & former Long Island Fury stalwart Sue Weber (4th selection of 3rd Round by Boston) and 2007 WPSL National Champion FCI goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (4th selection of 4th Round by Boston) were also selected in the WPS General Draft.

About Women's Professional Soccer (WPS): the mission of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women's soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women's professional sports are measured. Play kicks off in the spring of 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. The league will expand in 2010 with the inclusion of Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.

The WPSL is a 51-team national women's soccer league with five conferences and is considered one of the top women's soccer leagues in the world. The WPSL's mission is to provide the highest level of women's soccer while simultaneously providing affordable, quality family entertainment and positive role models for youth. For more information, you can contact us via email at media@wpsl.info.