Northern Virginia Majestics was an American women's soccer team, founded in 1998 that played in the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team is the women's team of Northern Virginia FC, which plays in the USL League Two. They also operated teams in the Super Y League for youth.[1] The team played home games at Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium in the city of Manassas, Virginia. The team's colors are gold, blue and white.
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| Full name | Northern Virginia Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Majestics | ||
| Founded | 1998 | ||
| Dissolved | 2012 | ||
| Stadium | Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 1000 | ||
| Owner | Tim Schweitzer | ||
| League | USL W-League | ||
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History
editPart of Northern Virginia FC, the Majestics were formed in 1998 as the women's senior team.[2] They joined the USL W-League in 1999, joining the W-2 division, playing in the South Division. They played their home opener on May 8 against the Indiana Blaze.[3] They had a difficult debut season, going winless, finishing with an 0–11 record.[4] Like most teams in the division, their roster was made up of primarily high school and college players.[5]
Over their thirteen seasons, the Majestics reached the W-League playoffs four times (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007).[2] On the youth side, Northern Virginia Majestics and male equivalent Northern Virginia Royals were named the fifth best Super Y-League club program in North America.[2] In 2008, the Majestics were inducted into the USL Soccer Hall of Fame, as a 10+ Club, earning the honor for the longevity of their programs in North America.[2]
The team ended its operations following the 2012 season, although they continued to operate their Super Y U20 program.[6]
Several players earned All W-League First and Second Team selections and Players of the Week honors. In addition, player Elizabeth Baidu won W-League Rookie of the Year and coach Hank Leung won Coach of the Year (Hank Leung) in 2002. The Majestics also won Executive of the Year honors in 2000 and in 2011, with owner/general Tim Schweitzer.[2][7] Schweitzer was also USL Soccer Hall of Fame under the Builder category in 2011 for his work with the Majestics.[8]
Year-by-year
editThe record for the Majestics in their seasons:[9][10]
| Year | League | Division | Record | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | USL W-League | W-2 | 0-0-11 | 5th, South | Did not qualify |
| 2000 | 5-2-5 | 3rd, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2001 | 4-4-1 | 3rd Eastern | Did not qualify | ||
| 2002 | USL W-League | 9-0-5 | 2nd, Atlantic | Divisional Round | |
| 2003 | 5-0-7 | 3rd, Atlantic | Conference semi-finals | ||
| 2004 | 2-1-11 | 6th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2005 | 5-0-9 | 6th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2006 | 5-0-9 | 5th, Northeast | Divisional round | ||
| 2007 | 7-1-6 | 3rd, Northeast | Conference semi-finals | ||
| 2008 | 3-5-6 | 6th, Northeast | Did not qualify | ||
| 2009 | 1-1-10 | 6th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2010 | 2-0-8 | 5th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2011 | 0-1-9 | 6th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
| 2012 | 2-1-9 | 4th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | ||
Notable former players
edit
References
edit- ^ "MYS Partners with Northern Virginia Majestics". McLean's Soccer.
- ^ a b c d e "Northern Virginia Majestics". Northern Virginia FC.
- ^ Straus, Brian (May 7, 1999). "Major Issues for Minor Leagues". Washington Post.
- ^ Straus, Brian (July 24, 1999). "In Women's Soccer, Majestics Take Solid Aim". Washington Post.
- ^ Leventhal, Josh (July 18, 2001). "Majestics Fall Short In Chase for Playoffs". Washington Post.
- ^ "Majestics Suspend W-League Operations for 2013". Northern Virginia FC.
- ^ "Teams, Executives Honored at USL AGM". Our Sports Central. December 16, 2011.
- ^ 2012 USL Pro Media Guide. United Soccer League. p. 32.
- ^ Litterer, Dave. "The W-League (USL) (1995-2005)". Soccer History USA.
- ^ Litterer, Dave. "The W-League (USL) (2006-present)". Soccer History USA.