Palm Beach United loses 2-1 to Tampa Hellenic

Tampa Hellenic, in the white jerseys tries to score on a corner kick earlier in the second half against Palm Beach United Friday evening. Tampa failed this time but scored the game winner off a corner kick later in the game.

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — Home didn’t prove to be sweet for the Palm Beach United women’s soccer team Friday night, losing to Tampa Bay Hellenic 2-1.

The team, which plays in the Woman’s Premier Soccer League, is the latest addition to the Delray Beach sports scene, playing its home games at the Delray Beach Soccer Complex on Seacrest Avenue.

The team was found in 2005 by a couple who had soccer-playing daughters that had used up their school eligibility but wanted to continue to play competitively. This year the Delray Athletic Club took over the team and gave it a new home at the Delray complex.

“They had been run on their own for the past several years,” Manager Todd L’Herrou said. L’Herrou is also executive director of the Delray Beach Athletic Club.

Players range in age from 15 to 32, but are most college players from the likes of Duke, East Carolina, Miami, Nova Southeastner, FAU, Florida Gulf Coast St. Leo’s and others, Manager Todd L’Herrou said. The Woman’s Premier League includes both professional and amateur players, but L’Herrou said the local team is all amateur so that college players may retain their eligibility under NCAA rules.

The Premier League is the largest women’s soccer league in the world, with 65 teams throughout the country. It’s also one of only two leagues for women players in the U.S., and has played a key role developing players for the national women’s team — a third of the U.S. time has played in the Premier League.

Palm Beach United plays a 12-game schedule in the Sunshine Division with six other teams from Florida.

On Friday evening, Palm Beach United took a 1-0 lead into the second half but Tampa Hellenic tied it on a shot into the left corner of the net, then took the lead off a corner kick. Palm Beach pressured toward the end of the game but was unable to score.

The loss leaves the team in fifth place, with two losses and a tie in three games. They next play Wednesday evening in Hollywood against the South Florida Strikers.

Remaining home games for Palm Beach United:

— June 22, 7 p.m. vs. the South Florida Strikers.

— June 29, 7:30 p.m. vs. the FSA Freedom.

— July 2, 6:30 pm. vs. Brandon FC.

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