Western New York Flash

Western New York Flash
	Western New York Flash
Basic data
Surname	Western New York Flash
Seat	Elma , New York
founding	2008 as Buffalo Flash
owner	Joe Sahlen
president	Alexandra Sahlen
Website	www.wnyflash.com
First soccer team
Venue	Rochester Rhinos Stadium
Places	13,768
home	Away

Western New York Flash is a women's football club based in Elma , New York . It was founded in 2008 and played in the WPS in 2011 and in the National Women's Soccer League from 2013 to 2016 , the top division in women's soccer in the USA. The club's headquarters are in Elma, a suburb of Buffalo . The home games were played in Rochester Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, New York , about 100 km away . After the 2016 season, the NWSL license was sold and from 2017 the club no longer plays in the top US leagues.

The franchise was owned by the Sahlen family from Buffalo. Joe Sahlen was the owner of the team, his daughter Alexandra was the president and previously active player of the team.

history

Before the NWSL

The association was founded in 2009 as Buffalo Flash and was franchised by the Sahlen family, who own a meat production company in Buffalo. The club was managed by Joe Sahlen as the owner, his daughter Alexandra Sahlen acted as the club's president. Alex Sahlen and the son-in-law of Joe, the former New Zealand international Aaran Lines was the club's coach and general manager. The club played its first season in 2009 in the USL W-League . The owner Joe Sahlen renamed the club in 2011 Western New York Flash . In the same season 2011, the team won the WPS title for the first time .

Due to the dissolution of the league in 2012, games ended there. For the 2012 season they were part of the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite , which disbanded after one season. The franchise then changes to the new National Women's Soccer League.

NWSL

Game operations continued from 2013 under the same name in the new National Women's Soccer League . Western New York was able to finish the regular season as the best team in 2013 in the first season of the NWSL and thus win the NWSL Shield. In the play-offs , the team won the semi-finals over Sky Blue FC , but lost to Portland Thorns FC in the final . The 2014 season was far less successful: after 24 games, the Flash ended the season in a disappointing seventh place in the table. Also in 2015 , Western New York missed the play-offs of the four best teams of the regular season and finished seventh again.

In the 2016 season, the team finished fourth after the regular season and thus reached the play-offs again for the first time since 2013. The team won the semi-finals against last year's winner Portland Thorns FC 4-3 after extra time . In the final they met Washington Spirit : with a 3-2 on penalties , Western New York secured the championship.

Despite the sporting success, Joe Sahlen sold the playing rights at the turn of the year 2016/17 to Steve Malik, owner of NASL participant North Carolina FC . In addition to the actual playing rights, he also took over the team of players and part of the supervisory staff, and will appear as North Carolina Courage in the NWSL from the 2017 season .

According to the NWSL

Under the name Western New York Flash Academy , the Sahlen family continues to run various youth teams. In 2017 and 2018, a team called the Western New York Flash played in United Women's Soccer .

Well-known players

The most famous player of the club was the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta .

Well-known players from the previous club Buffalo Flash

Verónica Boquete , Spanish national team player
Kimberly Brandão , Portugal international
Pamela Conti , Italian national player
Gemma Davison , England international
Donna Henry , Jamaican national team player
Katie Holtham , England international
Kelly Parker , Canada international
Alexandra Sahlen , US national team player
Pamela Tajonar , Mexican national team player

Stadion

Rochester Rhinos Stadium ; Rochester, New York (2013-2016)

Western New York Flash played its home games at Rochester Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, New York. It has a capacity of 13,768 spectators. The men's team of the Rochester Rhinos from the third-class USL Professional Division also plays their home games there.

Trainer

2013–2015: Aaran Lines
2016: Paul Riley

successes

American champion 2016
NWSL Shield 2013
WPSL Elite 2012 winner

WPS 2011 winner

Winner of the USL W-League

Season statistics

year	league	Regular season	Play-offs	Average audience ¹	Most successful goalscorer ¹
2009	USL W-League	2nd, Great Lakes Division	Conference semifinals
2010	USL W-League	1st Midwest Division	winner
2011	WPS	1st place	winner
2012	WPSL Elite	2nd place	winner
2013	NWSL	1st place	final	4,485	United States Abby Wambach (11)
2014	NWSL	7th place	not qualified	3,144	Australia Samantha Kerr (9)
2015	NWSL	7th place	not qualified	2,969	United States Samantha Mewis , Lynn Williams (4 each) United States
2016	NWSL	4th Place	winner	3,868	United States Lynn Williams (11)
2017	United Women's Soccer	5th place, East Conference	not qualified
2018	United Women's Soccer	5th place, East Conference	not qualified