2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's college basketball season. The team competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference and finished with an overall record of 19–12 (SEC: 8–8). They were led by Kevin Stallings, in his ninth year as head coach, and played their home games at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was their sixth straight winning season, although they failed to play in a post-season tournament for the first time in five years.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team
The previous year's 2007–08 team finished 26–8 and ranked 25th in both the AP Poll and the ESPN/USA Today (Coaches) poll.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team
Entering the season, Vanderbilt was picked by the media attending the SEC's media days in October to finish 4th in the SEC East, behind Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team
Vanderbilt lost three starters from the previous year's team—2008 SEC-player of the year swingman Shan Foster (20.3 ppg), shooting guard Alex (Red) Gordon (10.8 ppg) and power forward Ross Neltner (8.3 ppg) – and returned two starters—sophomore center A.J. Ogilvy and junior point guard Jermaine Beal. With no seniors and only two juniors (Beal and junior guard George Drake), the Commodores were one of the youngest team's in Division I.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team
Ogilvy, the Commodores' leading rebounder (6.7 rpg) and second leading scorer (17.0 ppg) the previous season, was selected by the SEC media and SEC coaches to the pre-season all-SEC first team.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team, Roster
1 Missed the season after torn ACL against MTSU. 2 Walk-on.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team
The 2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Commodores are a member of the Southeast Conference and competed in the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA Tournament. It was the Commodores 14th appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 after earning its sixth Southeastern Conference Tournament championship.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, Postseason, SEC Tournament
March 8: The Commodores earned the SEC Tournament crown for sixth time in school history. In the championship game, Christine Wirth scored 20 points, and the Commodores (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) beat Auburn (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) 61-54 to win the Southeastern Conference tournament.


2008–09 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, Postseason, SEC Tournament
Vanderbilt (24-8) defeated the Tigers (29-3) for the second time in three weeks to win the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt also extended its winning streak over Auburn to 15. Auburn star DeWanna Bonner was held to nine points after scoring a combined 58 in her first two games of the tournament. Whitney Boddie led the Tigers with 14 points and eight assists. This was the 10th straight year the No. 1 seed has failed to win the SEC tournament. Wirth was named the tournament's most valuable player while Jennifer Risper also made the all-tournament squad. Vanderbilt has the second-most SEC tournament titles of any program, trailing only Tennessee's 13.


2008–09 Venezuelan Primera División season
The 2008-09 Primera División season (officially the 2008–09 Copa CANTV for sponsorship reasons) is the 27th professional season of Venezuela's top-flight football league.


2008–09 Venezuelan Primera División season, Serie Final
Caracas F.C. and Deportivo Italia ended with one championship each at the end of the Apertura and Clausura. Tournament rules establish that a playoff game is required. Caracas F.C. won by an aggregate score of 6-1.


2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season
The 2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season (Spanish: Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional or LVBP):


2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Awards
Manager of the year (Chico Carrasquel Award): Frank Kremblas (Caracas)


2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Awards
Pitcher of the year (Carrao Bracho Award): David Austen (Zulia)


2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Highlights
Jesús Guzmán finished with 67 RBI to set a new league record, surpassing the old mark of 67 set by Pete Koegel in the 1973-1974 season.


2008–09 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Highlights
The Tigres de Aragua won their 3rd straight championship, becoming the 2nd team in VPBL history to do it.


2008–09 Vermont Catamounts women's ice hockey season
The 2008-09 Vermont Catamounts season was their fourth in Hockey East. Led by head coach Tim Bothwell, the Catamounts had 7 victories, compared to 25 defeats and 2 ties. Their conference record was 4 victories, 15 defeats and 2 ties.


2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season
During the 2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season, the club was a genuine contender for the Bundesliga title, losing out only to VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich and finishing in third position. Striker Mario Gómez scored 24 goals in the Bundesliga campaign, only to then make a shock switch to rivals Bayern for the highest-received transfer fee in the club's history.


2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season, Players, VfB Stuttgart II
VfB Stuttgart II were coached by Rainer Adrion and finished 11th in the 3. Liga.


2008–09 VfB Stuttgart season, Players, VfB Stuttgart II
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 VfL Bochum season
The 2008–09 VfL Bochum season was the 71st season in club history.


2008–09 VfL Bochum season
The team finished in 14th place in the Bundesliga league, after playing 34 league matches, of which they only won seven matches.


2008–09 VfL Wolfsburg season
VfL Wolfsburg won their first ever Bundesliga title during this season. Manager Felix Magath formed an attacking lineup, which included strikers Edin Džeko and Grafite, the pair scoring 54 goals between them, much due to the help of attacking midfielder Zvjezdan Misimović's 20 assists.


2008–09 VfL Wolfsburg season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 VfL Wolfsburg season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Season summary
The 2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season is the Salmon Kings' 5th season in the ECHL. The season started with the Salmon Kings raising their West Division Championship banner above the arena floor, and continued towards the All Star break with the team establishing a 15-game winning streak between December 8, 2008 and January 10, 2009, which was second all time in ECHL history. With a 26-9-1-2 record at the end of the streak, and well in first place in their division, another banner seemed well within reach.


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Season summary
However, the team went 12-19-0-4 afterwards and dropped to third place, which ensured a Kelly Cup playoff first round match-up against the Idaho Steelheads. In the playoffs, the Salmon Kings swept their first ever series by eliminating the Steelheads in round one in four straight games. Unfortunately in the second round, the Salmon Kings were eliminated from the playoffs by their arch rivals, the Alaska Aces in five games. Their lone win was a 4-0 shutout on home ice, their second shutout of the playoffs.


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Season summary
Despite their second straight second round elimination, the '08–'09 season saw a number of team records. Dylan Yeo became the first Salmon King player to win a league award, as he was awarded the Defenseman of the Year. Also, team captain Wes Goldie set a new team record with 48 goals, while also becoming the first Salmon King to collect 200 points with the team. Finally, the team broke their previous attendance record with 4,923 fans, up from 4,871 the previous year and 4,248 in '06–'07.


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Schedule and results, Regular season
Legend:  Win (2 points)  Loss (0 points)  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Player stats, Skaters
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Player stats, Goaltenders
Note: GP = Games Played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime Losses; SOL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Against; GAA= Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO= Shutouts


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Player stats, Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Victoria. Stats reflect time with the Salmon Kings only. ‡Denotes player no longer with the team. Stats reflect time with Salmon Kings only.


2008–09 Victoria Salmon Kings season, Professional affiliations, Vancouver Canucks
The Salmon Kings' NHL affiliate based in Vancouver, British Columbia.


2008–09 Vijay Hazare Trophy
The 2008–09 Vijay Hazare Trophy was the seventh season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a List A cricket tournament in India. It was contested between 27 domestic cricket teams of India, starting in February and finishing in March 2009. In the final, Tamil Nadu beat Bengal by 66 runs to defend win their 3rd title.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by Jay Wright in his eighth year as head coach of the Wildcats. The Wildcats played their home games at The Pavilion on the school's campus as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 30–8, 13–5 in Big East play to finish in fourth place. They lost in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament to Louisville.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
The Wildcats received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the East region. They defeated American, UCLA, Duke, and Pittsburgh to advance to the Final Four. In the Final Four they were defeated by the eventual national champion for the second straight year, North Carolina.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team, Previous season
The Wildcats finished the 2007–08 season 22–13, 9–9 in Big East play to finish in a tie for eighth place. The Wildcats lost in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament to Georgetown. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Clemson and Siena to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. There they lost to the eventual national champions, Kansas.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team, Season
Before the season began, on October 22, 2008, the Wildcats were selected to finish fifth among the 16 Big East Conference teams in the annual preseason coaches' poll at Madison Square Garden. As part of recent tradition, the 2008 Hoopsmania (an on-campus kickoff of the Villanova Basketball season), included a performance by hip-hop artist T-Pain. Previous artists have included 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and MIMS.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team, Season
The Villanova-Pitt game on January 28, 2009 was the last game to be held at the Wachovia Spectrum which drew a crowd of 17,449. The Wildcats finished perfect the year at the Pavilion. Villanova's 25 regular-season wins tied a school record. It had been done three times before, but not since 1950–51.


2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team, Season
During the 2009 Big East Awards Ceremony, head coach Jay Wright was named the 2009 Big East Coach of the Year. He won the award twice in the previous four years. Villanova senior forward Dante Cunningham was named the Big East's Most Improved Player, and sophomore guard Corey Fisher won the Sixth Man Award. Cunningham, a senior forward, won second-team honors on the all-Big East team, while junior guard Scottie Reynolds took honorable mention.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season
The 2008–09 season was the 102nd season in the existence of Villarreal CF and the club's ninth consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. In addition to the domestic league, Villarreal participated in this season's editions of the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. The season covered the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season, Players, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season, Competitions, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
The group stage draw was held on 28 August 2008.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season, Competitions, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase
The draw for the round of 16 was held on 19 December 2008.


2008–09 Villarreal CF season, Competitions, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 20 March 2009.


2008–09 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represented the University of Virginia during the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Dave Leitao, and played their home games at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.


2008–09 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team
The Cavaliers were picked to finish last in the conference this season in the pre-season media poll. While they only finished 11th, ahead of Georgia Tech, their record of 10–18 and 4–12 in conference was the worst the team had received in over forty years. At the end of the season, head coach Dave Leitao resigned. On April 1, 2009, Washington State head coach Tony Bennett was announced as his replacement.


2008–09 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team, Last season
The Cavaliers had a record of 17–16, with a conference record of 5–11.


2008–09 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hokies lost Deron Washington off of their 2007–08 team, which finished as the fourth place team in the conference and lost to Ole Miss in the NIT quarterfinals.


2008–09 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team, Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.


2008–09 Vysshaya Liga season
The 2008–09 Vysshaya Liga season was the 17th season of the Vysshaya Liga, the second level of ice hockey in Russia. 33 teams participated in the league, and HC Yugra won the championship.


2008–09 W-League
The 2008–09 W-League was the first season of the W-League, the top Australian professional women's soccer league, since its establishment in 2008.


2008–09 W-League
The season was played over 10 rounds, followed by a finals series. Queensland Roar were crowned as Premiers for winning the home-and-away season and also Champions after defeating Canberra United 2–0 in the Grand Final.


2008–09 WABA Multipower
WABA Multipower for season 2008–09 was the eighth season of WABA League. The league included nine teams from five countries, with Šibenik Jolly becoming champions, for the fourth time in the team's history. In this season participating clubs from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and from Slovenia.


2008–09 WABA Multipower
The season began on 11 October 2008 and ended on 28 February 2009, when it completed a Regular season. The Final Four was played during the 14th and 15 March 2009 in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro. The Winner of the Final Four this season was Šibenik Jolly from Croatia.


2008–09 WABA Multipower, Regular season
The season was played with 9 teams in a dual circuit system, each team playing one game at home and one away. The four best teams at the end of the regular season were placed in the Final Four. The regular season began on 11 October 2008 and it ended on 28 February 2009.


2008–09 WABA Multipower, Final four
The final four was played from 14–15 March 2009, in the Nikoljac hall in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro.


2008–09 WHL season
The 2008–09 WHL season was the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and ended on March 15, 2009. The WHL Playoffs commenced on March 20, 2009, and the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge series, featuring Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, took place from November 26–27, 2008. The Kelowna Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.


2008–09 WHL season
WHL Commissioner, Ron Robison, dedicated the 2008–09 season to Ed Chynoweth.


2008–09 WHL season, 2008–09: Ed Chynoweth's season
The 2008–09 WHL Season will allow us to showcase some of the finest young hockey talent in the world today. We fully expect each WHL Division will feature highly competitive races as our clubs battle for a playoff position.


2008–09 WHL season, 2008–09: Ed Chynoweth's season
The Commissioner of the Western Hockey League, Ron Robison, dedicated the 2008–09 season to Ed Chynoweth, who died on April 22, 2008. His death occurred just over a year after the WHL Championship trophy was changed in his honour. Ed Chynoweth was the principle builder of Major Junior hockey in Canada as President of the WHL and CHL over the past four decades. Throughout the entire 2008–09 season, the helmets of all the players and officials will display an "EC" decal, representing Ed's initials.


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season
The Western Hockey League opened its 43rd regular season on September 18, 2008 in Cranbrook, British Columbia between defending Memorial Cup Champions, Spokane Chiefs and the Kootenay Ice. This season, the WHL is planning to have 30 of its regular season games broadcast on Shaw TV, as well as complete coverage of the 2009 WHL Playoffs. The broadcast schedule begun on September 18 with a special half-hour "preview show" followed by the 2008–09 WHL season opener.


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season
The 2008–09 WHL season will also be highlighted with the Canada Russia Challenge, an annual CHL showcase event. The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge, featured a two-game series between Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, on November 26, 2008 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and the second game took place on November 27, 2008 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season, Standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season, Standings
x - clinched playoff spot, z - clinched best conference record


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


2008–09 WHL season, Regular season, Goaltending leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout Losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage


2008–09 WHL season, Players, 2008 NHL Entry Draft
In total, 37 WHL players were selected at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. This was more than any other hockey league in the world.


2008–09 WHL season, Canada Russia Challenge
The ADT Canada Russia Challenge is a six-game series featuring four teams: three from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) versus Russia's National Junior hockey team. Within the Canadian Hockey League umbrella, one team from each of its three leagues — the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League — compete in two games against the Russian junior team.


2008–09 WHL season, Canada Russia Challenge
The ADT Canada Russia Challenge has become a highlight on the CHL schedule and we are very proud to be associated with it. These two nations have such a storied hockey history that fans from across the country tune in expecting to see a hard fought series. We expect nothing short of world class hockey this November that hockey fans from across the country won't want to miss.


2008–09 WHL season, Canada Russia Challenge
The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge was held in six cities across Canada, with two cities for each league within the Canadian Hockey League. The series begun on November 17, 2008, and concluded on November 27, 2008. Both Western Hockey League games were held in the province of Saskatchewan. Former Prince Albert Raider forward Dan Hodgson was Honorary Captain for the final game in the series, held in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on November 27, 2008.


2008–09 WHL season, Canada Russia Challenge
All six games were televised nationwide on Rogers Sportsnet, along with RDS broadcasting both games from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.


2008–09 WHL season, Canada Russia Challenge, Results
In the first game of the two part series between Team QMJHL and the Russian Selects, Team QMJHL scored five goals en route to a 5–3 win in front of 4,378 fans at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Kmitri Kugryshev of the Russian Selects and goaltender Olivier Roy of Team QMJHL, were named the ADT Players of the Game for their respective teams. The Russian Selects evened the ADT Canada Russia Challenge, winning the second game after having registered four goals in a 4–3 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 6,451 assembled at Harbour Station in Saint John, New Brunswick.


2008–09 WHL season, Memorial Cup
The 91st MasterCard Memorial Cup was held in Rimouski, Quebec.


2008–09 WICB Cup
The 2008–09 WICB President's Cup was the 35th edition of the Regional Super50, the domestic limited-overs cricket competition for the countries of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).


2008–09 WICB Cup, Statistics, Most runs
The top five run scorers (total runs) are included in this table.


2008–09 WICB Cup, Statistics, Most wickets
The top five wicket takers are listed in this table, listed by wickets taken and then by bowling average.


2008–09 WNBL season
The 2008–09 WNBL season was the 29th season of competition since its establishment in 1981. A total of 10 teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2008 and March 2009, followed by a post-season involving the top five in March 2009.


2008–09 WNBL season
Broadcast rights were held by free-to-air network ABC. ABC broadcast one game a week, at 1:00PM at every standard time in Australia.


2008–09 WNBL season
Molten provided equipment including the official game ball, with Hoop2Hoop supplying team apparel.


2008–09 WRU Challenge Cup
The 2008–09 WRU Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the SWALEC Cup, was the 39th WRU Challenge Cup, the annual national rugby union cup competition of Wales. The competition was won by Neath RFC, who had previously won it five times, in 1971–72, 1988–89, 1989–90, 2003–04 and 2007–08.


2008–09 WWHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.


2008–09 WWHL season, Clarkson Cup 2009
A Canadian Women's Hockey League's team Montreal Stars won the Clarkson Cup by defeating  3-1 the Minnesota Whitecaps


2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team represented Wake Forest University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Dino Gaudio. he team played its home games in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).


2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team
On January 19, the Deacons took the top spot in both the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press poll, making it the second time in program history a Wake Forest team was number one in the country.


2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team
Wake Forest finished the regular season with a record of 24–5, and 11–5 in the ACC, which tied them with Duke. The Demon Deacons received the number two seed in the 2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament in a tiebreaker over Duke because of their victory against number one seed North Carolina.


2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team, Preseason
In the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll the Demon Deacons were ranked #24.


2008–09 Washington Capitals season
The 2008–09 Washington Capitals season was the team's 35th in the National Hockey League. The Capitals finished the regular season with a record of 50–24–8 and a team-record 108 points, and they won their second consecutive Southeast Division championship. They defeated the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs 4–3, overcoming a 3–1 series deficit. The Capitals were then defeated by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals in seven games.


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Regular season, Conference standings
bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Regular season, Conference standings
AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Playoffs
The Washington Capitals won the Southeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season. The Capitals would eventually win the first round against the New York Rangers, in seven games, after trailing the series 3–1 for their first playoff series victory since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1998. However, the Capitals would not get past the Pittsburgh Penguins and lost the series in seven games.


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Player statistics, Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Capitals. Stats reflect time with the Capitals only. ‡Traded mid-seasonBold/italics denotes franchise record


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Draft picks
Washington 's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.


2008–09 Washington Capitals season, Farm teams
Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.


2008–09 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Washington Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Washington in the 2008–09 college basketball season. This was head coach Lorenzo Romar's 7th season at Washington. The Huskies played their home games at Bank of America Arena and are members of the Pacific-10 Conference. They finished the season 26–9, 14–4 in Pac-10 play and they captured the Pac–10 regular season title and an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. They earned a 4 seed in the West Region which they defeated Mississippi State in the first round before losing to Purdue in the second round.


2008–09 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represents Washington State University for the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team plays its home games on Jack Friel Court in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.


2008–09 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
At the end of March 2009, Tony Bennett announced that he was leaving Washington State to take the head coaching job at Virginia. Ken Bone, formerly with Portland State, takes over.


2008–09 Washington Wizards season
The 2008–09 Washington Wizards season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Wizards began the season hoping to improve on their 43–39 record from the previous season, but failed and fell 24 games short. The team finished 2008–09 with a dismal 19–63 record that equalled their worst 82-game performance from the 2000–01 season, and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2003–04 season.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season
Watford Football Club are an association football team from the county of Hertfordshire, England. Waford has played in the Championship since being relegated from the Premier League in 2006–07. The club finished the season in 13th position out of 24 Championship teams. The club went through four managers during the season.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Background, review and events
The 2008–09 season was their second consecutive one in the Football League Championship, following relegation from the Premier League in 2006–07.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Background, review and events
They reached the fifth round of both the League Cup and FA Cup, where they were eliminated by Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea respectively. Both teams went on to reach the finals of the corresponding competitions, with Chelsea going on to win the 2009 FA Cup Final.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Background, review and events
Off the pitch, there were a series of personnel changes through the course of the season. Chairman Graham Simpson and chief executive Mark Ashton resigned, and were replaced by Jimmy Russo and Julian Winter respectively. Following a decline in form throughout 2008, manager Aidy Boothroyd left the club by mutual consent, and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers. In turn, Rodgers controversially left the club a few weeks after the last game of the season, having previously suggested that rumours linking him to Reading were "questioning his integrity". His replacement was first team coach and former player Malky Mackay.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Background, review and events
The season is perhaps best remembered for the "ghost goal" incident, which occurred in a league match against Reading on 20 September 2008. Following a corner from Reading player Stephen Hunt, John Eustace kicked the ball across the line, level with the six-yard box. Initially, linesman Nigel Bannister seemed to signal for a goal kick, and players from both sides ran away from the penalty area, waiting for goalkeeper Scott Loach to take it. However, Bannister walked over to referee Stuart Attwell, and after a brief discussion, Attwell awarded Reading a goal. The match eventually finished 2–2. The match also marked Loach's debut; the "ghost goal" was the first goal he conceded in his Watford career.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Player information, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Watford F.C. season, Player information, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Wayne State Warriors women's ice hockey season
The 2008–09 Wayne State Warriors women's ice hockey season head coach was Jim Fetter. Assisting Fetter was Nicolette Franck and Allison Rutledge. The equipment manager was Jim Campbell while the assistant athletic trainer was Katie Lang.


2008–09 Wellington Phoenix FC season
The 2008–09 season was Wellington Phoenix's second season in the A-League.


2008–09 Wellington Phoenix FC season, Players, First team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Wellington Phoenix FC season, Statistics, Goal scorers
Goal scored from penalty kick      2 goals scored from penalty kick


2008–09 Welsh Alliance League
The 2008–09 Welsh Alliance League, known as the design2print Welsh Alliance League for sponsorship reasons, is the 25th season of the Welsh Alliance League, which is in the third level of the Welsh football pyramid.


2008–09 Welsh Alliance League
The league consists of seventeen teams and concluded with Bethesda Athletic as champions and promoted to the Cymru Alliance.


2008–09 Welsh Alliance League, Teams
Bethesda Athletic were champions in the previous season. Gwynedd League champions Llanllyfni and runners-up Barmouth & Dyffryn United were promoted to the Welsh Alliance League


2008–09 Welsh Cup
The 2008–09 FAW Welsh Cup was the 122nd season of the annual knockout tournament for competitive football teams in Wales, excluding those who play in the English League System. The 2008–09 tournament commenced on 16 August 2008, and was covered live and exclusive on S4C in the UK.


2008–09 Welsh Cup, Preliminary round, South
1First match was postponed and the replay was held at Lock’s Lane, Porthcawl on 3 September 2008


2008–09 Welsh Cup, Second round
The matches were played between 3 and 10 October 2008.


2008–09 Welsh Cup, Third round
The matches were played on 31 October and 1 November 2008.


2008–09 Welsh Cup, Fourth round
The matches were played on 30 and 31 January 2009.


2008–09 Welsh League Cup
The 2008–09 Welsh League Cup season was won by The New Saints, beating Bangor City in the final. It was the third victory for The New Saints in the competition, and the fifth appearance by Bangor City in the final. The final took place at Latham Park, in Newtown, Wales. The match was refereed by Phil Southall.


2008–09 Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)
The 2008–09 Nizam-Druid Welsh National League was the sixty-fourth season of the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area). The league was reduced to two divisions for senior teams this season, the remaining two divisions were made into reserves and colts leagues. The Premier Division was won by Llangollen Town, who gained promotion to the Cymru Alliance.


2008–09 Welsh Premier League
The 2008–09 Welsh Premier League was the 17th season of the Welsh Premier League since its establishment in 1992 as the League of Wales. It began on 15 August 2008 and ended on 25 April 2009. Llanelli were the defending champions.


2008–09 Welsh Premier League, Team changes from 2007–08
Prestatyn Town were promoted from the Cymru Alliance and played in the top division for the first time in their history. Caersws survived relegation after none of the top two teams in the divisions below could meet ground regulations.


2008–09 Wessex Football League
The 2008–09 Wessex Football League was the 23rd season of the Wessex Football League. The league champions for the first time in their history were Poole Town, who were denied promotion to the Southern League due to ground grading problems. VT were promoted as runners-up. There was the usual programme of promotion and relegation between the two Wessex League divisions.


2008–09 Wessex Football League
For sponsorship reasons, the league was known as the Sydenhams Wessex League.


2008–09 Wessex Football League, League tables, Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, reduced from 23 the previous season, after A.F.C. Totton were promoted to the Southern League, and Downton and Ringwood Town were relegated to Division One. Two new clubs joined:


2008–09 Wessex Football League, League tables, Division One
Division One consisted of 21 clubs, the same as the previous season, after Laverstock & Ford were promoted to the Premier Division, and Liss Athletic left the league. Two clubs were relegated from the Premier Division:


2008–09 West Bank Premier League
The West Bank Premier League 2008–09 season was won by Wadi Al-Nes while Al-Arabi and Ittihad Nablus were relegated. The top ten teams qualified for Division A, while the next ten teams qualified for Division B.


2008–09 West Bank Premier League
After the regular season a tie on points for 10th place was decided in a one leg play-off. Shabab Al-Khalil won the match against Markaz Askar by 2-1.


2008–09 West Bank Premier League, Final league table
Askar and Balata are refugee camps in the Nablus Governorate;


2008–09 West Bank Premier League, Final league table
Al-Am'ari is a refugee camp in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate;


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season
During the 2008–09 English football season, West Bromwich Albion competed in the Premier League, following promotion from the Football League Championship as Football League champions the previous season.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Season summary
West Bromwich began the season strongly with ten points from their opening seven games leaving them in midtable, but that proved to be as good as it got for the Midlanders and with only five more league wins during the rest of the season Albion soon sunk to the foot of the Premier League and were relegated in last place. At the end of the season, manager Tony Mowbray left to take charge at Celtic; he was replaced by MK Dons manager Roberto Di Matteo.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Season summary
In January, an assessment of company accounts by Equifax saw Albion rated third among Premiership clubs by credit rating, with a score of 71 out of 100.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Background
West Bromwich retained their kit sponsorship deal with English company Umbro, who introduced both a new home kit and a new away kit with navy shorts and yellow shirts and socks. The club was unable to find a kit sponsor for the season, and so became the first club in Premier League history to go a season without any kit sponsorship.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Background
Albion completed a £3 million-plus refurbishment of the Halfords Lane Stand in time for the start of the season. This included new dressing rooms, dugout areas and tunnel, executive boxes and a media gantry. As a result, the capacity of The Hawthorns was slightly reduced to 26,272 and the stand was renamed as the West Stand. New navy blue seats were installed in the stand, replacing the lighter blue seats previously fitted.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 West Ham United F.C. season
The 2008–09 season saw West Ham United compete in the Premier League, where the club finished in 9th place.


2008–09 West Ham United F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 West Midlands (Regional) League
The 2008–09 West Midlands (Regional) League season was the 109th in the history of the West Midlands (Regional) League, an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and southern Staffordshire. It has three divisions, the highest of which is the Premier Division, which sits at step 6 of the National League System, or the tenth level of the overall English football league system.


2008–09 West Midlands (Regional) League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 19 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with two new clubs, promoted from Division One:


2008–09 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is coached by Bob Huggins and plays their home games in the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.


2008–09 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team, Pre-Season
During the offseason, the Mountaineers picked up four recruits who look to make an immediate impact in Morgantown. Devin Ebanks a 6–9, 205 pound forward from Oakdale, CT seems to be the Mountaineers #1 recruit, being ranked #11 on the Rivals.com Top 150 recruits. The Mountaineers also added Darryl "Truck" Bryant, a 6-2 190 pound guard from Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Jones, a 6-7 210 pound forward from Mount Vernon, NY, and Dee Proby a 6-9 250 pound forward from Angelina College in Lufkin, TX. West Virginia was picked to finish 9th in the Big East Pre-Season Coaches Poll.


2008–09 Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's ice hockey season
The 2008-09 WCHA hockey season was the tenth season of WCHA women's play. Since its inception, WCHA teams have won the national championship every season. The defending NCAA champions were the WCHA's Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.


2008–09 Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's ice hockey season, Season outlook
The Bulldogs received five first-place votes and a total of 47 points in the pre-season poll (league coaches could not vote for their own team). The Bulldogs edged the Minnesota Golden Gophers, which grabbed two first-place votes, and the Wisconsin Badgers, which had one first place vote. UMD, Wisconsin and Minnesota were ranked first through third in the national USA Today/US Hockey Magazine preseason college hockey poll as well. For the second consecutive season, league-member coaches have picked Minnesota Golden Gophers senior forward Gigi Marvin as the pre-season most valuable player.


2008–09 Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's ice hockey season, Season outlook
Four other players: Wisconsin forwards Meghan Duggan and Erika Lawler plus Minnesota Duluth goaltender Kim Martin, a Patty Kazmaier finalist last year, and teammate Haley Irwin, the forward who led the league in scoring with 60 points last season - also received votes for preseason MVP. Forward Pernilla Winberg  of the University of Minnesota Duluth was selected as the pre-season WCHA Rookie of the Year. Others receiving votes included Jocelyne Lamoureux, a forward from the University of Minnesota.


2008–09 Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's ice hockey season, Postseason
Jessie Vetter was the WCHA Final Face-Off MVP as Wisconsin won the League championship and garnered the top seed going into the NCAA championships.


2008–09 Western Football League
The 2008–09 Western Football League season (known as the 2008–09 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 107th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.


2008–09 Western Football League
The league champions for the first time in their history were Bitton, although it was runners-up Frome Town who took promotion to the Southern League. The champions of Division One were Larkhall Athletic.


2008–09 Western Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured two new clubs in a league of 21 after Truro City were promoted to the Southern League, and Odd Down were relegated to the First Division:


2008–09 Western Football League, First Division
The First Division featured three new clubs in a league of 20, reduced from 21 the previous season after Wellington and Sherborne Town were promoted to the Premier Division, Backwell United resigned and Weston St Johns were relegated. Both the latter two clubs joined the Somerset County League.


2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The 2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by first year head coach Ken McDonald and team captain Orlando Mendez-Valdez. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and were members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 25–9 and 15–3 in Sun Belt Play to finish first in the East Division. One of the highlights of the season was a victory over in-state rival, 3rd ranked Louisville.


2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Illinois in the first round before falling tenth ranked Gonzaga. Mendez-Valdez was SBC Player of the year and was joined by A.J. Slaughter on the All SBC team. Slaughter was SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Mendaz-Valdez and Sergio Kerusch.


2008–09 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
The 2008–2009 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball team representing Western Michigan University. The team was the defending Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division champion and was picked to finish first in the MAC West Division by members of the MAC News Media Association.


2008–09 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
WMU opened the season losing to Texas Christian in the first game of the inaugural Charleston Classic.


2008–09 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
In February 2009, redshirt freshman Justin Hairston decided to transfer.


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team represents Wichita State University in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, which plays in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), is led by second-year head coach Gregg Marshall. The Shockers opened the season with a win over Florida A&M on November 10, 2008, and ended the season with a loss to Stanford in the College Basketball Invitational. Their final record for 2008–09 was 17–17 (8–10 MVC), a huge improvement from their 2007–08 record of 11–20 (4–14 MVC).


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team, Regular season
The Shockers started out with mediocre level of play, but performed well against then ranked Michigan St. and Georgetown and even beat a very good Siena team in the Old Spice Classic at the end of November. On February 21, the Shockers beat a Cleveland State team with an RPI of almost a hundred better than WSU's. Then came conference play. The Shockers lost their first 6 games in Missouri Valley play, and on January 14, were in dead last in the MVC. Then came the comeback. In the more-than-century-old MVC, 49 teams had started 0–6. None won more than five games in conference play for the rest of the season.


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team, Post-season
Wichita State finished MVC play 8–10 but were not rewarded well with a 7 seed in the MVC tournament. They beat Missouri St. 59–46 in the play-in game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and now had to face a hot no. 2 Creighton team. It was a game no one expected them to win. The Shockers tried to keep close in the first half, but were down by 13 at halftime. Creighton came out and made a huge run in the second half, giving them a 22-point lead and a chance to embarrass Wichita State.


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team, Post-season
But the Shockers did not give up, and shut Creighton down almost the rest of the way. They came within 13 with 3:43 to play in the game and 5 with about 1 minute. The Shockers were down 59–61 with about 10 seconds left, but had the ball. Toure' Murry, who had already had two game-saving shots this season, caught the inbounds pass and quickly shot a 3-pointer, which swished through the net. The Shockers had come back from 22 down to take the lead.


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team, Post-season
With 9 seconds left, Creighton inbounded the ball and brought it all the way down, but shot a wild jumper that missed. A Shocker tried to grab the rebound but lost it out of bounds. Creighton had 1.8 seconds to take the lead. Booker Woodfox half-fumbled the inbounds pass, but threw up a 17-footer which swished right through. The Bluejays had escaped.


2008–09 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team, Post-season
The Shockers were given a chance to bounce back from the heartbreak with a spot in the College Basketball Invitational, one of the NCAA's minor post-season tournaments made for improving teams. In the first round of the single-elimination tournament, Wichita State beat Buffalo by a score of 84–73. The Shockers season was then ended on March 23 with a 70–56 loss to Stanford in the second round of the CBI.


2008–09 Wichita Thunder season
The 2008–09 Wichita Thunder season was the 17th season of the CHL franchise in Wichita, Kansas.


2008–09 Wichita Thunder season, Regular season, Conference standings
Note: x - clinched playoff spot; y - clinched conference title; e - eliminated from playoff contention


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season
Wigan Athletic's season in the 2008–09 Premier League was their fourth season in the Premier League, and Steve Bruce’s first full season as the manager of the club. The off-season saw the club sign a number of players, including Middlesbrough's highly rated young midfielder Lee Cattermole, Birmingham City pair Daniël de Ridder and Olivier Kapo, both of whom played under Bruce at Birmingham, and little known Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, ranked as the world's best striker in FIFA rankings.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season
The club saw no forced sales during the transfer window, with players like Emile Heskey, Paul Scharner, Luis Antonio Valencia and Wilson Palacios deciding to commit their futures to the club rather than move away. Players to depart from the club included Julius Aghahowa, Salomon Olembé, Josip Skoko, Andreas Granqvist, Marlon King and Marcus Bent.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
During the pre-season the Latics played in seven friendlies, all away from home, to prepare for the upcoming Premier League season. The first match was on 19 July away to FC St. Veit, which Wigan won comfortably 3–0. The next game was played on 22 July against Bundesliga opposition Eintracht Frankfurt; the Latics were defeated 2–0. A further away game in Germany was played on 25 July against another Bundesliga club, Hannover, which finished 2–2.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
Wigan's first friendly on English soil was on 29 July at Barnsley, which saw the Latics give a debut to Lee Cattermole. The Wigan club thrashed the Yorkshire outfit 6–0 with goals from Marlon King, Emile Heskey, Luis Antonio Valencia, Michael Brown and a brace for new boy Daniël de Ridder. Wigan made the short trip to Sheffield on 2 August to play Championship club Sheffield Wednesday, defeating them 3–2. Wigan later travelled to Scotland to face Scottish Premier League team Hibernian on 5 August, winning 1–0 before finishing off their pre-season with an impressive 1–0 victory over Dutch side Utrecht.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
Wigan's first Premiership game was away to West Ham United on 16 August, with the home side victorious thanks to a Dean Ashton brace. Wigan finished the game the better side, according to reports, and had the better possession and territory overall for the whole game but could only muster one goal, from debutant Amr Zaki, losing 2–1.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
On 24 August Wigan played their first game at the JJB Stadium, against last season's Premier League runners-up Chelsea. The game began badly for Wigan who, already without first-choice goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, gave away a free kick after just 4 minutes of play just outside the box, which was scored by Deco. Despite going down early the Latics rallied and performed valiantly against one of the superior Premier League sides and pressed for an equalising goal, which, in the end, was in vain as Chelsea ran out 1–0 victors.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
On 26 August Wigan played against Notts County at the JJB Stadium in the second round of the League Cup, which led to a comprehensive 4–0 victory for the hosts. Many of Wigan's fringe players, including striker Henri Camara, shone in this one-sided affair with goals coming from Camara (2), Zaki and Tomasz Kupisz.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, July and August
On 30 August Wigan played away to Premiership newcomers Hull City in a Premier League game that, if Hull won, would take them to the top of the table. Wigan, however, were not to be thwarted three times in a row and thrashed Hull 5–0, the club's biggest victory in the Premiership. Hull began woefully with poor defending leading to an own goal by Sam Ricketts from a Kevin Kilbane corner within 5 minutes. Antonio Valencia added a second on the counterattack and, despite some decent resolve from Hull, they were finished after an Amr Zaki strike just after the hour mark made sure of the result. Later goals were added by Zaki and Emile Heskey.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, September
Wigan's next home fixture was played against Sunderland on 13 September; the fixture which had caused controversy within the town due to the decision to move a Rugby League fixture the previous day by owner Dave Whelan to allow the pitch to be in good condition for the game against Sunderland, a move which angered many Wigan Warriors fans. The game itself started well for Sunderland, who dominated the game and eventually opened the scoring when Wigan defender Titus Bramble tried to clear the resulting corner and headed into his own goal.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, September
Wigan finished the half the better side and came out after half-time much the same but struggled to find the equaliser. The game became a more even affair nearer the end of the second half, with both side posting good chances. It was Wigan who would break Sunderland's resistance, however, with another goal from Amr Zaki equalising matters for Wigan before Lee Cattermole was given a red card in the final minutes of the game.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, September
On 16 September, Wigan announced the signing for former Birmingham and Ghanaian international goalkeeper Richard Kingson, released by the Midlands club at the end of the 2007–08 season, on a three-year contract after a successful trial period.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, September
On 21 September Wigan travelled to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur. The last time Wigan faced Tottenham they were heavily defeated 4–0, but performed much better against a struggling Tottenham side who, before the game, were rooted to the bottom of the Premiership. Wigan had a few decent chances but struggled to dominate the game for large periods, with only Tottenham's toothless attacking plays keeping Wigan in the game. Spurs had a claim for a penalty after Maynor Figueroa tripped Spurs midfielder Aaron Lennon in the box, but referee Steve Tanner dismissed their calls for a spot-kick.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, September
On 28 September Wigan faced Manchester City at the JJB Stadium. A long-range Antonio Valencia goal and an Amr Zaki penalty gave Wigan a 2–1 win; City's consolation goal was scored by Vincent Kompany.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, October
On 4 October Wigan again played at home, against a struggling Middlesbrough side who had not won away from home all season. Wigan had looked confident and the most threatening during the opening half but were unable to take their chances when given them and were eventually undone in the 89th minute with a strike from Middlesbrough forward Jérémie Aliadière.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, October
On 18 October, Wigan travelled to Anfield to play league leaders Liverpool. Wigan showed sheer determination throughout the whole game and took the lead on the 29th minute from the head of lead goalscorer Amr Zaki. Dirk Kuyt later levelled things for Liverpool before a sensational strike from Zaki moments before half time gave Wigan the lead for the second time in the game. Wigan dominated the majority of the second half before a reckless challenge from Antonio Valencia led to him being given a second yellow card and leaving the field.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, October
The game opened up more for Liverpool who were inspired by Wigan's disadvantage and Albert Riera restored parity five minutes after the dismissal of Valencia. Wigan then had to play defensively for the remainder of the game as Liverpool assaulted the Wigan goal and were successful just five minutes before the end of the game as Dirk Kuyt nodded home a Jermaine Pennant cross to win the game for Liverpool.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, October
On 26 October, Wigan hosted an in-form Aston Villa side who comfortably beat Wigan 4–0. Gareth Barry had opened the scoring early in the first half after Titus Bramble gave away a penalty and were battered into submission in the second half with goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew within five minutes of each other ending the game as a contest, a final goal from Steve Sidwell moments before the end compounding the misery for Wigan.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, October
On 29 October, Wigan travelled to Fulham. The game finished with another loss for Wigan, their fourth in a row. Both sides had been struggling for form before the game and it was billed as a relegation battle in which Fulham came out successful with a 2–0 victory. Andrew Johnson celebrated his 100th career goal in this game with an early goal and then another on the hour mark to finish off Wigan's resilence and put pressure on Wigan boss Steve Bruce.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
On 1 November, Wigan's luck changed as they managed to take all three points in a hard-fought victory at Fratton Park against Portsmouth. Portsmouth controlled the opening half but a foul on Titus Bramble by Papa Bouba Diop led to a penalty, converted by Amr Zaki on the stroke of half time.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
Portsmouth came out in the second half strong and bombarded the Wigan goal, hitting the woodwork a total of four times before Wigan made Portsmouth pay for their wasteful demeanour with Emile Heskey bagging his 100th career goal to give Wigan a precious three points in the final minutes of the game.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
On 8 November, Wigan hosted Stoke City at the JJB Stadium. Wigan dominated the game but both sides were largely uninspiring in the first half with very few chances to be had. Wigan were better equipped in the second half and peppered the Stoke goal but were left frustrated at Stoke's defensive prowess; the game ended 0–0.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
On 11 November, Wigan travelled to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the fourth round of the League Cup. Although both sides largely players their reserve players, it was Arsenal who were victorious in a very one-sided affair. The game took a while to come to life, but a goal by Jay Simpson just before half-time broke the deadlock and spurred Arsenal onto an emphatic win against a toothless Wigan side. A further goal for Simpson and a goal from Carlos Vela ended Wigan's run in the League Cup.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
On 15 November, Wigan travelled to St James' Park to face Newcastle United. The first half was well controlled and organised by Wigan against a sloppy Newcastle, who conceded within three minutes after a wonder strike from Ryan Taylor. In the second half Newcastle looked more determined and were galvanised by a second bookable offence for Wigan's Emmerson Boyce. Wigan still looked in control of the game for large periods despite missing key men such as Emile Heskey and Amr Zaki, but were undone with the arrival of Michael Owen.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
It was Owen's attacking threat that eventually broke through and pulled Newcastle level on the 80th minute; seven minutes later, Owen's striker partner Obafemi Martins scored to put Newcastle in a seemingly unassailable position with minutes remaining. However, poor defending from Newcastle allowed Titus Bramble to power a header home with a minute of normal time remaining to earn Wigan a point.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
On 24 November, Wigan played a home fixture against Everton. In a game that offered many opportunities for both sides but woeful finishing it would be Wigan who would eventually break the deadlock with a strike from Henri Camara midway through the second half ensuring Wigan took all three points and clawed themselves out of the relegation zone. It was Camara's first Premier League goal since December 2006.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, November
Wigan finished the month by hosting fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion on 29 November. In a game that West Brom had fought hard in they initially took the lead through Ishmael Miller after a Titus Bramble blunder gifted the striker an opportunity on goal. West Brom could have had a further lead if not for the form of Chris Kirkland, who made numerous saves to keep Wigan in the game. Wigan would equalise through Henri Camara just after the hour mark and an 87th-minute goal from an unmarked Emmerson Boyce finished off an unlucky West Brom and gave Wigan a vital three points.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, December
On 6 December, Wigan returned to the Emirates Stadium to face an out-of-form Arsenal. It was to be Arsenal's day, however, as Emmanuel Adebayor scored against the run of play in the 16th minute to give Arsenal a lead they would never lose and strike a blow to Wigan's confidence, despite a strong attacking threat in the final minutes from Wigan.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, December
On 13 December, Wigan hosted a Blackburn Rovers side in very poor form and eased to a 3–0 victory over their north-west rivals. Two early goals within two minutes of each other from Heskey and Valencia finished the game as a contest after 20 minutes with Lee Cattermole eventually ending the game with a third goal for Wigan midway through the second half.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, December
On 26 December, Wigan were again at home, this time against Newcastle United. Newcastle, despite good form coming into the game, were out of sorts and were behind on the scoreboard after 29 minutes with a 30-yard free kick from Ryan Taylor beating Shay Given. The second half had Newcastle offering little more than in the first half and things got worse for the north-east outfit when Sébastien Bassong upended Amr Zaki in the penalty area and was given a red card with the penalty being converted by Zaki moments later. Newcastle did get a penalty of their own after a Chris Kirkland took Andy Carroll out in the penalty box and Danny Guthrie added a consolation goal at the end of a lacklustre performance.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, December
On 28 December, Wigan travelled the short distance to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers. Due to the significance of the game, being both a derby and a potential six-point fixture, tempers were heated and a lot of heavy tackles were used with several yellow cards being shown. Wigan did get the opening goal from the penalty spot after Andy O'Brien fouled Amr Zaki just before half time. Bolton then pressed for an equaliser and had the ball cleared off the line at one point during the game but could not find an equaliser and Wigan went home with all three points.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
Wigan's first game of the new year came on 2 January in an FA Cup third round clash at Tottenham Hotspur. Wigan played a much weaker side than they had been playing in the Premiership up to now and it showed with Spurs dominating the game and running out comfortable 3–1 winners. Roman Pavlyuchenko opened the scoring for Spurs just inside the second half from the penalty spot after Wigan goalkeeper Richard Kingson fouled Fraizer Campbell.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
A long range shot from Jamie O'Hara bounced back off the woodwork at straight to Luka Modrić, who doubled Spurs' advantage midway through the second half. Wigan did fight back and earned themselves a goal through Henri Camara two minutes from time, but as they pressed forward for an equaliser they were caught on the counter by Pavlyuchenko, who added a third in stoppage time to knock Wigan out of the cup at the first hurdle.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 11 January Wigan had a return match in the Premier League against Tottenham, at the JJB Stadium. Wigan dominated the game for almost the full 90 minutes and were comfortable with Spurs' attacking strategies. Their hard work and endeavour paid off when Maynor Figueroa popped up with a header in the final minute to give Wigan a well-deserved 1–0 victory.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 12 January, Wigan announced a successful work permit application to allow Colombian international Hugo Rodallega to join Wigan from Mexican side Club Necaxa.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 14 January, Wigan travelled to Old Trafford to face reigning champions Manchester United in a rescheduled game. Wigan were caught cold in the opening minute of the game when Cristiano Ronaldo broke away down the right flank and crossed for Wayne Rooney to score. Despite heavy pressure from Manchester United in the first half, Wigan's defence remained strong and the second half saw Wigan dominate the champions and have a penalty claim harshly denied by referee Steve Bennett, but Wigan could not take their opportunities and United held on to claim victory.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
Wigan had also announced that they had rejected a bid for midfielder Wilson Palacios from Tottenham Hotspur worth £10,000,000 and have asked Spurs to increase their offer. Tottenham returned with an improved offer of £14,000,000 which was accepted by the Wigan club. The deal, however, was held up after a disagreement over the payment of transfer fees, allowing Manchester City to voice interest.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 15 January, it was announced that left-sided midfielder Kevin Kilbane had left Wigan to join Hull City for an undisclosed fee after Hull's long publicised interest in the Iris international.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 17 January, Wigan travelled to the City of Manchester Stadium to face Manchester City. City were the more controlled side during the first half but wasted their opportunities on goal. Wigan came out more spirited in the second period but conceded an early second-half goal to Pablo Zabaleta. City's good position was rocked only a few minutes later after the dismissal of Richard Dunne for a kick on grounded Wigan striker Amr Zaki.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
Wigan began to dominate proceedings from this point but could not find the finishing touch and even had Zaki miss an open goal five minutes before time and had a penalty decision ruled against them as City held on for victory to inflict back-to-back defeats on Wigan for the first time since October.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 21 January, Wigan and Tottenham agreed terms on the transfer of Wilson Palacios for £12,000,000.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 22 January, Wigan announced the loan signing of Egyptian striker Mido from Middlesbrough on loan for six months, with Wigan's Marlon King moving in the opposite direction.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 23 January, Emile Heskey agreed terms and signed for Aston Villa in a deal worth £3,500,000.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 28 January, Wigan hosted Premiership challengers Liverpool at the JJB Stadium. Liverpool began the game strongly and were awarded with a goal on the stroke of half-time by Yossi Benayoun. Wigan performed valiantly throughout the second half and controlled the midfield better than Liverpool and were awarded a penalty six minutes from the end of the game, which was converted by Mido on his debut for Wigan. Hugo Rodallega had a superb chance to win the game later on for Wigan, crashing a free kick against the bar but the game ended level.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, January
On 31 January, Wigan travelled to Villa Park to face Aston Villa. In a game dominated by Aston Villa Wigan's strong defence held the onslaught from Villa out for the whole game


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, Season summary, February
On 2 February, it was announced that Henri Camara would join Stoke City on loan until the end of the season.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, First team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season, First team squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey season
The 2008–09 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey team represented Wilfrid Laurier University in the 2008-09 Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's hockey season. The Golden Hawks were coached by Rick Osborne. Assisting Osborne was Jim Rayburn. The Golden Hawks played their home games at Sunlife Financial Arena. The Golden Hawks were a member of the Ontario University Athletics and qualified for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship game.


2008–09 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey season, Regular season, Tournaments
The Golden Hawks competed in the Bisons UMSU Tournament. In the Championship Game, Manitoba beat the Golden Hawks 3-2 in Overtime.


2008–09 William & Mary Tribe men's basketball team
The 2008–09 William & Mary Tribe men's basketball team represented The College of William & Mary during the 2008–09 college basketball season. This was head coach Tony Shaver's sixth season at William & Mary. The Tribe competed in the Colonial Athletic Association and played their home games at Kaplan Arena. They finished the season 10–20, 5–13 in CAA play and lost in the preliminary round of the 2009 CAA Men's Basketball Tournament to James Madison. They did not participate in any post-season tournaments.


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The head coach was Bo Ryan, coaching his eighth season with the Badgers. The team played its home games at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season
The 2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team was the Badgers' 56th season. They represent the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The team is coached by Mike Eaves and play their home games at Kohl Center.


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season, Regular season, Schedule and results
° Denotes 2009 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament first round


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season, Regular season, Schedule and results
“ Denotes 2009 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament semifinals (neutral site: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota)


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season, Regular season, Schedule and results
× Denotes 2009 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament third place (neutral site: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota)


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Skaters
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Goaltenders
Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time on ice; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average; G = Goals; A = Assists; PIM = Penalty minutes


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey season
The 2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team was the Badgers' 9th season. Led by head coach Mark Johnson, the Badgers went 21–2–5 in the WCHA.


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey season, Regular season
On October 18, the Badgers beat Bemidji State in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Game.


2008–09 Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey season, Schedule and results
Green Background indicates a win. Red Background indicates a loss. White Background indicates an overtime tie/loss. * Non-Conference Game. (SO) Shootout.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was the 110th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League Championship. The season turned out to be a major success as the club finished top of the division and were therefore promoted back to the Premier League after a five-year absence.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The team enjoyed their best start to the season for almost fifty years, winning seven of their opening eight games and scoring 23 goals in the process. They led the table continuously from October until the season's end, when they were crowned champions, winning their first silverware in 20 years. Leading goalscorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake also finished as the division's top scorer for a second consecutive season.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
The close season saw the club continue their policy of signing young players with potential from the lower leagues, rather than pursuing their heavy investment strategy of early times. The close season saw the likes of Richard Stearman, David Jones and Sam Vokes arrive, along with the experience of Chris Iwelumo, while making a transfer profit with the sale of players such as Seyi Olofinjana, Jay Bothroyd and Freddy Eastwood. The squad was also boosted by retaining their most valuable assets in Wayne Hennessey, Michael Kightly and the division's top goalscorer of last season, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
The season saw the club's strongest start since 1949–50, as a draw away to Plymouth preceded two runs of seven consecutive wins — scoring 23 goals and conceding only seven goals in the first eight games. Transfer deadline day saw the club add further defensive strength as three new defenders joined the ranks — George Friend, Matt Hill and Jason Shackell.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
Although their winning streak was ended by a 3–0 home defeat to promotion rivals Reading, as well as a 5–2 defeat at Norwich, which saw Wolves surrender top spot to Birmingham City, Wolves rediscovered their winning form for the second run of seven consecutive wins to lead the table at Christmas.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
After drawing their final two fixtures of 2008, Wolves endured a dismal start to 2009, winning just once in eleven league fixtures. Trying to arrest this slump, the January transfer window saw the arrival of three new faces: Kyel Reid and Nigel Quashie on loan for the remainder of the season from West Ham United; defender Christophe Berra also joined from Scottish club Hearts for £2.3million. The FA Cup had brought some cheer with a fringe squad winning 2–0 at local rivals Birmingham in the 3rd Round, before the club exited the competition with a 2–1 home defeat to Premier League side Middlesbrough.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
Weathering their bad run of league form, Wolves managed to regain an air of consistency, reinventing their game from the free-flowing, free-scoring football of the first third of the season to hold down a string of clean sheets and one goal margin victories against Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday. With promotion rivals Birmingham City and Reading unable to take advantage of their poor run, March saw an upturn in Wolves' league form as the club took 13 points from a possible 15, strengthening their position at the top of the table that they had led since October.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
With just seven games left on the Championship calendar, Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood was loaned for the run-in, though the team were also hit by the news that key midfielder Michael Kightly would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken metatarsal in his foot. Further injury woe struck when Chris Iwelumo suffered medial ligament damage in a loss to local rivals Birmingham in April that ended a five-game unbeaten run.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
However, Easter weekend brought 3–0 home win against struggling Southampton, followed by a 3–2 away victory at Derby County that gave Wolves a seven-point lead over third-placed Sheffield United. Promotion to the Premier League was confirmed on 18 April 2009 when a goal from Ebanks-Blake gave Wolves a 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers. Seven days later, Wolves clinched their first league title since the 1988–89 season — and their first title at second-tier level since 1976–77 — after a 1–1 draw at Barnsley brought the point they required for the title.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Season review
Wolves completed their season with a 1–0 home win over Doncaster Rovers, after which they were presented with the Championship trophy to crown their most successful season in decades as they returned to the top flight after a five-year absence.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Results, Pre season
Wolves conducted a short three-match tour of Scotland, their first visit in three years. As had become common in recent years, only their final game was held at their Molineux home. A second "Wolves XI" team largely comprising academy prospects and out of favour senior players also played a series of matches during this period.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Results, Pre season
"Wolves XI" pre season results (all away):  v Chasetown (18 July),  v Rhyl (26 July),  v Stafford Rangers (5 August)


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Results, Football League Championship
A total of 24 teams competed in the Championship in the 2008–09 season. Each team would play every other team twice, once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. The provisional fixture list was released on 16 June 2008, but was subject to change in the event of matches being selected for television coverage.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Players, Statistics
Key:  ‡ On loan from another club   * First appearance(s) for the club


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Players, Statistics
Correct as of end of season. Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances in parentheses where applicable.


2008–09 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Kit
The season saw a new home and away kit, both manufactured by Le Coq Sportif. The away kit was all black with minor neon green piping. Chaucer Consulting sponsored the club for a fifth and final season.


2008–09 Women's CEV Cup
The  Women's CEV Cup  2008-09 is the 37th edition of the European Women's CEV Cup volleyball club tournament, the former Top Teams Cup.


2008–09 Women's CEV Cup, Teams of the 2008–2009
The number of participants on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions


2008–09 Women's CEV Cup, Play-off, 1/16 Finals
The 16 winning teams from the 1/16 Finals will compete in the 1/8 Finals playing Home & Awaymatches. The losers of the 1/16 Final matches will qualify for the 3rd round of the Challenge Cup.


2008–09 Women's EHF Cup
The 2008–09 Women's EHF Cup was the 28th edition of the competition, taking place from 8 September 2008 to 17 May 2009. SD Itxako defeated HC Leipzig in the final to become the second Spanish club to win the competition.


2008–09 Women's National Cricket League season
The 2008–09 Women's National Cricket League season was the 13th season of the Women's National Cricket League, the women's domestic limited overs cricket competition in Australia. The tournament started on 29 November 2008 and finished on 25 January 2009.


2008–09 Women's National Cricket League season
The New South Wales Breakers won the tournament after topping the ladder at the conclusion of the group stage.


2008–09 World Series of Poker Circuit
The 2008–09 World Series of Poker Circuit is the 5th annual World Series of Poker Circuit.


2008–09 Worthington's District Cup
The 2008–09 Worthington's District Cup is the national Rugby Union district cup competition of Wales. It is the 36th annual Welsh Districts cup. The current champions are Cambrian Welfare RFC (2 times 1996–97, 2007–08). This was the last Welsh District Cup as the WRU instated all remaining WDRU (Welsh Districts Rugby Union) clubs with full WRU membership.


2008–09 Worthington's District Cup, 2007-08 Final
The 2007-08 Final took place at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on 12 April. The final was competed between Cambrian Welfare RFC and Bryncethin RFC (both teams from WRU Division 6 Central). The final score was 20 - 8 to Cambrian Welfare RFC who won the competition for the second time.


2008–09 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team
The 2008–09 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team is currently representing the University of Wyoming in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. It competes in the Mountain West Conference, which consists of nine universities located mostly in the Mountain States of the U.S., with outlying members in California and Texas.


2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team
The 2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Cowgirls were coached by, as the Cowgirls will play their home games at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming. The Cowgirls are a member of the Mountain West Conference and participated in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.


2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team, MWC Tournament
The Cowgirls opened up play at the Mountain West Conference Tournament Tuesday, March 10, in Las Vegas. Their first-round opponent was the Colorado State Rams. The game started at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time at the Thomas and Mack Center. The Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team (16-14 overall, 8-8 MWC) lost in the first round of the MWC Tournament by the final of 64-56 to the Colorado State Rams (10-20 overall, 4-12 MWC).


2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team, MWC Tournament
Three players finished the game by scoring in double-figures. Sophomore Hillary Carlson had 17 points and four rebounds. Emma Langford followed with 16 while Megan McGuffey added 13 in her final game as a Cowgirl. Kristen Scheffler had a team high six rebounds. Wyoming shot 19-54 (.352) from the field, 1-14 (.071) from the three-point line and 17-23 (.739) from the free throw line.


2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team, MWC Tournament
Amaka Uzomah, Bonnie Barbee and Zoi Simmon each finished with 11 points, while Uzomah led the way with nine rebounds. The Rams were 23-56 (.411) from the field, 14-21 (.667) from the free throw line and out rebounded the Cowgirls 39-29.


2008–09 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team represented Xavier University in the 2008–09 college basketball season. They were led by head coach Sean Miller in his fifth and final season at Xavier. The Musketeers were members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and played their home games at the Cintas Center. Xavier finished the season with a record of 27–8, 12–4 in A-10 play to win the regular season championship. The Musketeers lost in the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament to Saint Louis. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a #4 seed. The Musketeers defeated Portland State and Wisconsin to advance to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Pittsburgh.


2008–09 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team, Previous season
The Musketeers finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 30–7, 14–2 in conference play to win the regular season championship. Xavier lost to Saint Joseph's in the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament. The Musketeers received an at-large bid as a #3 seed to the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to UCLA.


2008–09 Xtreme Soccer League Season
The 2008-09 Xtreme Soccer League Season was the only season for the league. The members of the XSL's first season were four former MISL teams: the Chicago Storm, the Detroit Ignition, the Milwaukee Wave, and the New Jersey Ironmen. The regular season kicked off on December 13, 2008 and concluded on April 5, 2009.


2008–09 Xtreme Soccer League Season
On March 29, 2009 the Detroit Ignition claimed the first XSL season championship by having the New Jersey Ironmen defeat the Milwaukee Wave 15-14.


2008–09 Xtreme Soccer League Season
The league went on a one-year hiatus after its inaugural season but never returned to active play. The Milwaukee Wave joined the National Indoor Soccer League for the 2009-2010 season.


2008–09 Xtreme Soccer League Season, Final standings, Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points


2008–09 Yemeni League
The 2008–09 Yemeni League was the 17th edition of top level football in Yemen.


2008–09 Yemeni League
Al-Hilal Al-Sahili won the championship on the final day of the season and qualified for the 2010 AFC Cup.


2008–09 York City F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was the 87th season of competitive association football and fifth season in the Football Conference played by York City Football Club, a professional football club based in York, North Yorkshire, England. Their 14th-place finish in 2007–08 meant it was their fifth successive season in the Conference Premier. The season covers the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.


2008–09 York City F.C. season
Ahead of Colin Walker's first start to a season as manager, York signed nine players before the summer transfer window closed. The season started with an eight-match unbeaten run, but Walker was dismissed in November 2008 after three successive defeats. Martin Foyle was appointed as his successor, and after the turn of the year York won only five league matches. Survival in the Conference Premier was achieved with a 17th-place finish. York reached the 2009 FA Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium, being beaten 2–0 by Stevenage Borough. They were eliminated from the 2008–09 FA Cup in the fourth qualifying round, and from the 2008–09 Conference League Cup in the Northern section fourth round.


2008–09 York City F.C. season
33 players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were 14 different goalscorers. Defender Daniel Parslow missed only one of the 58 competitive matches played over the season. Richard Brodie finished as leading scorer with 19 goals, of which 15 came in league competition and four came in the FA Trophy. The winner of the Clubman of the Year award, voted for by the club's supporters, was Parslow.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
Billy McEwan was dismissed as manager of York City early into the 2007–08 season, with the team 19th in the Conference Premier table and having recently been beaten by Conference South team Havant & Waterlooville in the FA Cup. After a six-match unbeaten run as caretaker manager, Colin Walker was appointed as York's permanent manager and led the team to a 14th-place finish in the table. York released Darren Craddock, Stuart Elliott, Tom Evans, Ross Greenwood, Anthony Lloyd, Manny Panther and Alex Rhodes after the season ended, while Nicky Wroe and Martyn Woolford left for Torquay United and Scunthorpe United respectively.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
Jimmy Beadle, Richard Brodie, Craig Farrell, Josh Mimms, Daniel Parslow, Ben Purkiss, Mark Robinson and Onome Sodje signed new contracts ahead of 2008–09. York signed seven players before the season started; they were goalkeepers Michael Ingham from Hereford United and Artur Krysiak on a one-month loan from Birmingham City, defender Mark Greaves from Burton Albion, midfielders Niall Henderson from Raith Rovers, Steven Hogg from Gretna and Ben Wilkinson from Hull City, and striker Daniel McBreen from St Johnstone. Professional contracts were handed to three youth-team players, those being defenders Andy McWilliams and Josh Radcliffe and winger Liam Shepherd. Greaves was named as York's club captain for the season.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
New home and away kits were introduced for the first time in two years. The home kit comprised red and navy blue halved shirts with red collars, navy blue shorts and navy blue socks with two white strips on the cuffs. The away kit included white shirts with black shoulders, white shorts and white socks with black cuffs. Last season's third kit was retained, which featured light blue shirts with a maroon collar, bar a section under the neck which was light blue, and maroon trims on the sleeves, maroon shorts and light blue socks. CLP Industries continued as shirt sponsors for the fourth successive season.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, August
York's season started with a 1–0 victory away to Crawley Town, Farrell scoring the winner 19 minutes from time. The second match was a 1–0 home win over Wrexham, who had won their opening fixture 5–0 against Stevenage Borough, with Greaves scoring the winner. Krysiak suffered a dislocated finger during this match, which resulted in him returning to Birmingham prematurely from his loan spell, and was replaced by Mimms, who gave an assured performance. York's winning start to the season ended after a 1–1 home draw with Histon, who took the lead through a Daniel Wright penalty kick in the first half, before McBreen scored the equaliser for York on 69 minutes.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, August
Winger Simon Russell signed for the club from Kidderminster Harriers. York drew 2–2 away to Northwich Victoria, which saw the team fight back on two occasions after twice being a goal down, with Brodie scoring his first goal of the season. He then scored in the third minute against Barrow, who equalised seven minutes later through Lee Hunt, in a home match that finished a 1–1 home draw. Beadle was loaned out to Northern Premier League Premier Division club Whitby Town for a month, having not made any appearances in 2008–09.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, August
Sodje scored with a late volley after coming off the bench to give York a 1–1 draw away to Torquay United to maintain the team's unbeaten record, which looked under threat after Danny Stevens gave Torquay the lead on 65 minutes. Sodje's goal against Torquay won the first Conference Premier Goal of the Month competition, for August 2008.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, September
Grimsby Town midfielder Peter Bore joined on an initial one-month loan on transfer deadline day. York drew for the fifth time in succession with a 1–1 home draw with Mansfield Town, in which Sodje scored after he latched onto Adie Moses' misplaced header. The team's first victory in six matches came in a 2–0 home win over Woking; the goals came from McBreen and a Danny Bunce own goal. A 4–2 defeat away to Kettering Town saw York's unbeaten run come to an end after nine matches, leaving their opponents as the only unbeaten team in the division. Former Accrington Stanley striker David Brown, former Rotherham United defender Tom Hirst and Ipswich Town midfielder Jai Reason joined the club on trial. After impressing in a reserve-team match, Hirst was signed by the club. However, Brown and Reason were not offered contracts.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, September
An 86th-minute equaliser from McBreen gave York a 1–1 draw at home to Salisbury City, which maintained the team's unbeaten record at Bootham Crescent. Parslow signed a new contract with the club, and Rotherham midfielder Peter Holmes joined on a one-month loan. A second defeat of the season came after losing 2–0 away to Kidderminster, Brian Smikle and Justin Richards scoring for the home team. Beadle was released by the club towards the end of his loan spell at Whitby, due to him looking for regular first-team football.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, September
This was followed by the departure of Bore, who returned to Grimsby from his loan spell early. A 3–3 draw away against Stevenage was achieved after the team were 2–0 down after 19 minutes, with the York goals coming from Sodje, Holmes and Farrell. Sodje picked up a hamstring injury during this match, meaning he would be out of action for four to six weeks.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, October
Despite having the better chances, York drew 0–0 at home with Cambridge United, before being beaten 3–1 away by Wrexham, in which Wilkinson scored a late consolation goal. The club made an attempt to re-sign former striker Clayton Donaldson on loan from Crewe Alexandra, but were told to make an inquiry four weeks later, due to him being injured. York's first double of the season came with a 2–0 away win over Woking, the goals coming from Wilkinson and McBreen. Iyseden Christie's loan spell at Kettering from Stevenage was to be terminated for a loan move to York to go ahead, but this deal fell through. Walker revealed he was interested in signing striker Bruce Dyer, shortly after he played against York's reserve team for Bradford City.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, October
York achieved a consecutive victory for the first time in 2008–09 after beating Rushden & Diamonds 2–0 at home, with goals from Robinson and Farrell. After this match, Holmes was recalled by Rotherham. Brodie was loaned to fellow Conference Premier club Barrow for one month, having lost his place in the starting line-up. Former Leeds United midfielder Gavin Rothery impressed for the reserve team against Hartlepool United, after which he signed a short-term contract with the club.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, October
A 0–0 home draw with Mansfield in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup resulted in a replay, which would be played at Field Mill. Radcliffe was sent out on loan for a month at Harrogate Railway Athletic of the Northern Premier League Division One North. York were eliminated from the FA Cup after a 1–0 defeat away to Mansfield.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, November
An 87th-minute penalty scored by Yemi Odubade saw York lose 1–0 away to Oxford United. Dyer signed for the club, having been unattached after his release by Chesterfield at the end of 2007–08. Adam Boyes signed a long-term professional contract ahead of York's Conference League Cup third round tie against Mansfield, which was won with a 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory. This was preceded by Greaves' headed goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, earning the team a 1–1 draw, which was followed by a goalless period of extra time. The attendance of 609 was the lowest crowd in the club history—breaking the previous record of 763 set in the 2007–08 Conference League Cup.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, November
York lost 2–1 at home to Torquay, in their first home defeat of the season. After Roscoe Dsane gave the visitors the lead, Greaves equalised for York with a header from a Purkiss cross in the 85th minute, before Mark Ellis scored for Torquay on 90 minutes. A third successive defeat came after losing 1–0 away to Cambridge. It was agreed that Brodie's loan at Barrow would be extended after he scored four goals in six appearances, but York decided to overturn this decision a day later. Barrow hoped to open talks over signing him on a permanent contract in January 2009.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, November
Walker was dismissed as manager, alongside head coach Eric Winstanley, with youth-team coach Neil Redfearn taking over as caretaker manager. He took charge of the team for the home match against Crawley, which finished a 2–2 draw after Lewis Killeen scored the rebound from a Thomas Pinault penalty in the 90th minute. Former Port Vale manager Martin Foyle was appointed as manager, with Redfearn taking the role of assistant manager. Foyle made his first signing by bringing in winger Adam Smith on loan from Conference North club Gainsborough Trinity. Foyle's first match in charge was a 1–1 away draw against Salisbury City, which was earned following a Brodie goal in the 83rd minute.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, December
A 1–0 home defeat by Grays Athletic through a Wes Thomas goal followed; this was Grays' first away victory of the season. York followed this with a 1–1 draw away to Histon, in which they took the lead through Brodie in the 14th minute, before Parslow scored an own goal on 59 minutes. North Ferriby United striker Steve Torpey was appointed as youth-team coach to succeed Redfearn. Foyle's first win as manager came in a 2–0 away victory over Northwich Victoria in the FA Trophy first round, both goals coming from Brodie.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, December
This was followed with a 3–1 home win over Ebbsfleet United, with goals from Adam Smith, Brodie and Sodje after being one goal down. Dyer retired from football, having only made three appearances for York through back and hamstring injuries, while Rothery was released. York's two-match winning run ended after a 2–1 defeat away to league-leaders Burton Albion, which was secured after Greaves scored an own goal.


2008–09 York City F.C. season, Review, December
A 2–1 home defeat by Altrincham followed; Brodie scored a free kick in the 32nd minute to give York the lead, before Chris Senior and Dale Johnson scored for the visitors in the second half. Redfearn left the club to take charge of the Leeds under-18 team and Andy Porter, a former teammate of Foyle at Port Vale, was appointed as assistant manager.