VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Marinette Pichon scored two goals and made

a save as the Philadelphia Charge snapped a five-game losing streak

with a 3-0 WUSA victory over the Atlanta Beat on Saturday.

Emily Burt added a goal and an assist for Philadelphia (4-11-4),

which also broke an eight-game winless skid. Hope Solo made two

saves to record her first career shutout.

Briana Scurry took the loss for Atlanta (9-4-6), as the Beat saw

its five-game unbeaten streak come to an end. Scurry stopped just

one shot in the match.

Pichon gave the Charge a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute when she

went in on a breakaway and slipped a shot past a diving Scurry that

caught the inside of the right post. Pichon then helped

Philadelphia keep its one-goal lead in the 36th minute when she

headed away a point-blank header from Cindy Parlow off a corner

kick by Nikki Serlenga.

Burt knocked in a loose ball in the 50th minute to make it 2-0,

scoring her second of the season and second in as many games.

Pichon completed the scoring in the 59th minute when she got

past Scurry and rolled in a sharp left angle shot for her 12th

goal.

The Beat almost broke the shutout in the 66th minute after Solo

mishandled the ball, but Maribel Dominguez missed the open net wide

right.

Atlanta remained in first place with 33 points, two ahead of

both Boston and Washington. All three teams have two games

remaining. The Beat need just one more point to secure a playoff

berth.

Philadelphia, already eliminated from playoff contention, is

assured of finishing last in the eight-team league.