SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento Knights were the WISL's best team in the regular season, and they proved themselves the best team in the league's postseason as well.
Paced by a three-goal hat trick by midfielder Gerell Elliot, the Knights defeated the defending league champion Dallas Sidekicks 7-6 before 7,107 in Sacramento's ARCO Arena.The win marks the Knights' first ever championship.
"This is such a rewarding feeling," said Sacramento player/coach Iain Fraser. "The fact that we won 14-straight to end the season and then to clinch the title here at ARCO Arena, it cannot get anymore rewarding than this. This is the sweetest feeling I've ever had as a player."
The win was Sacramento's 14th-straight and ran their home record for the season (regular season and playoffs) to 14-0. Overall, the Knights -- who stood 5-5 on Sept. 16 -- finished 17-5 in the regular season and were 2-0 in the postseason (the Knights defeated the Utah Freezz 6-1 in the semifinals on Dec. 3).
This was a team effort, said Elliot, who scored all three of his goals in the game's first 16:17 to put Sacramento ahead 4-1.
"This team is close. It's like a family. The championship is great, but having the opportunity to be around these guys is what will last in my mind."
The Knights never trailed in the game, jumping to a 1-0 lead on an Elliot goal at the 7:39 mark of the first period.
That lead grew to 5-1 on a Chris McDonald goal at the 2:07 mark of the second period.
Sacramento led 7-4 with 1:38 to play, but two quick Dallas goals -- one by Rusty Troy with 1:04 to play and the other by Terry Woodberry with under a minute to play -- kept Dallas within striking distance.
But when David Doyle's desperation 40-footer sailed high at the buzzer, the Knights had hung on to win the first championship in ARCO Arena history.