PHILADELPHIA, PA (01/14/10) - The Annual 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is now underway in the City of Brotherly Love, but the opposite gender will be just as vital a part of the festivities. The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) will be "on the floor" but hopefully, the minds of a number of their current & former players will be in the stratosphere on Friday, January 15th as the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) Draft takes place at the NSCAA Convention as well.

The off-season has been an enigmatic one in the WPSL, as the national women's soccer league has seen strong growth and expansion in the East but especially, the Midwest Conference; while the remaining conferences in the Big Sky, Pacific & Sunshine have stabilized and there's been key additions in new organizations affiliated with the Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence of WPS. After the conclusion of the weekend's activities, an even clearer vision of the Summer 2010 season in the WPSL will be visible.

Stay tuned to our official website at http://www.wpsl.info and the WPSL Facebook & Twitter pages for updates & interviews from the 2010 NSCAA Convention. The Annual WPS Draft will see a strong field of eligible collegiate seniors available to other WPS/WPSL affiliated teams like the Boston Breakers and the 2009 regular season champion Los Angeles Sol.

For more information on Women's Professional Soccer including their comprehensive, multi-media draft coverage, visit their official website at http://www.womensprosoccer.com. For more information on the NSCAA Convention, visit their official website at http://www.nscaa.com.

"While it may a bit too much to ask to see nine out of the first 11 picks have WPSL ties - which happened in last January's WPS Draft - we still look forward to seeing our former players get the chance to take the next step in their careers," said WPSL Commissioner Jerry Zanelli. "Simply put, this is what our league is all about."

When it comes to the names that have been flying around the wires of the soccer prognosticators, there are a pair of players who already have ties with one of the newest WPS coaches. Philadelphia coach & two-time WPSL National Champion mentor Paul Riley will be busy with his current team, but the strong draft status of Boston College & Long Island Fury midfielders Kelly Henderson - team captain, former Final Four MVP & 2009 All-WPSL selection - and Gina DiMartino should make him proud as well.

A pair of Washington State Cougar & Arizona Rush stars in forward Kiersten Dallstream ('09 All-WPSL) and midfielder Carly Dobratz have been mentioned as intriguing prospects from the defending Big Sky-North Division champions; while Midwest champion Ohio Premier Women's S.C. may see their two-time conference Goalkeeper of the Year Lauren Robertson (Ohio State) and midfielder Ashley Bowyer (Ohio State) get their name chosen by a WPS side.

Brigham Young & Utah Starrz standout Andrea Willis has been evaluated as one of the top defender prospects in the draft, while the offensive repertoire (including flip throw-in) of Ajax America's 2008 WPSL Final Four Co-MVP Kiki Bosio is of solid interest. Although SoccerPlus CT is on a one-year hiatus, they'll be interested in how their former All-WPSL selections in goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (Penn State) and forward Katie Schoepfer (Penn State) will fair, while midfielder Becky Edwards (Florida State) should also look forward to a pro career.

Overall, over 20 current & former WPSL standouts have been projected as top prospects in the 7-round draft format (selections coming from nine teams) - but as it always goes in the game of soccer, the "diamonds in the rough" prove to be just as valuable as the first-round picks. Those players may include a pair of Philadelphia forwards in Jill Hutchinson (Wake Forest University) and Whitney Weinraub (UNC-Charlotte) or a defender like Carmel United S.C.'s Lauren Hyde (University of Florida).

About the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL): The WPSL is a 50-plus team national league with five conferences starting in 2010 and is the largest women's soccer league in the world. The league is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The WPSL's mission is to provide the highest level of soccer in our effort to: bring affordable & quality family entertainment to the community; display positive role models for our youth; while, being a stepping stone for aspiring players to Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

For more information, visit our official website at http://www.wpsl.info, phone us at 1-800-854-0913 or contact us via email at media@wpslsoccer.com. You can also keep up with our league on our social networking sites on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com), LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/WPSL)!!