Boston beats Freedom on three second half goals

BOYDS, Md. (April 18) – Everything that seemed to be trending in the right direction for the Washington Freedom was turned on its head Saturday night as the visiting Boston Breakers left the Maryland SoccerPlex with a 3-1 victory in front of a crowd of 4,232.

Things looked like they would be relatively quiet as neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half. However, things got going in the second starting with Kelly Smith’s penalty kick in the 56th minute. Freedom goalkeeper Briana Scurry fouled the Breakers Angela Hucles, a Virginia Beach, Va. native, in the box giving the Breakers the penalty kick. Smith buried the kick and gave Boston a 1-0 lead.

“The first half was really substandard for both teams,” Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “I think it was tentative, we didn’t have good pressure on the ball.

“The second half was better – a bounce here or there, you go ahead 2-1, I think the game’s probably over.”

Washington (0-2-1) responded in the 60th minute to tie the score at 1-1 as Lori Lindsey took a pass from Rebecca Moros and put it past Boston goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill. Boston (2-1-0) added its final two goals in a five minute span as Christine Latham headed the ball past Scurry in the 76th minute and Angela Hucles scored the final goal of the match in the 81st.

“That ball had eyes,” said Scurry, who got a finger on Latham’s header. “Latham got up well for it. It was like that in the first half too but fortunately we were able to get our heads on the ball.

“You’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to be tight. You’ve got to have everybody in position at every moment with [Boston] because they have such great attacking weapons. They’re going to punish you if you’re not careful.”

Washington had a chance to take the lead in the 72nd minute when Hucles was called for a handball inside the goalie box. Luckenbill had Abby Wambach’s penalty kick pegged though and stopped the shot. And even though the expectations continue to grow for Wambach to finally score, Scurry says more patience is still needed.

“Abby’s getting into it,” Scurry said. “She had a major injury. Sometime these things take time and I’m sure she’s doing everything she can to get back to herself. Eventually she will get a goal and I think after she gets one, she’ll get plenty.”

After a two-game home stand yielded only one point, Washington will hit the road in search of its first WPS win as the team will face FC Gold Pride next Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. on Fox Soccer Channel at 6 p.m. ET.

Breakers 3, Freedom 1
April 18 //Boyds, Md.
Attendance: 4,232

Scoring: 1. BOS, Kelly Smith 3 (penalty kick) 56; 2. WSH, Lori Lindsey 1 (Rebecca Moros, 1) 60; 3. BOS, Christine Latham 1 (Alex Scott, 1) 76; 4. BOS, Angela Hucles 1.
Scoring By Period:
Boston                  0   3 – 3
Washington        0   1 – 1
Shots: BOS 13, WSH 14; Shots on Goal: BOS 7, WSH 8; Saves: Kristin Luckenbill (BOS) 3, Briana Scurry (WSH) 4; Corners: BOS 2, WSH 5; Fouls: BOS 10, WSH 12; Yellow Card: Kelly Smith (BOS), 70.
Lineups: BOS: Luckenbill, Mitts, LePeilbet, Weber, Scott, Moore (Bishop, 61), Hucles, Lilly, Smith, Schmedes (Tomecka, 84), Rodriguez (Latham, 68). WSH: Scurry, Janss (Gilbeau, 45), Whitehill, Sauerbrunn, Singer, Lindsey, Sawa, Long (Moros, 45), Bompastor, Wambach, De Vanna (Zimmeck, 84).

Courtesy of: Washington Freedom

Boston Breakers Announce Final Opening Day Roster

Westwood, Mass. (March 25, 2009) – The Boston Breakers and head coach Tony DiCicco released the team’s final opening day roster today, following three-plus weeks of preseason camp. Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) mandates that teams must announce their final opening day roster of 18 full-time players, plus four developmental players by today.

The Breakers’ roster features all-time international caps (appearances) leader Kristine Lilly, along with three members of the 2008 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team; Angela Hucles, Heather Mitts and Amy Rodriguez. In addition, Boston has five international players that have or currently feature regularly for their country’s national team, including 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up, Kelly Smith of England.

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers

Boston Breakers Add Katie Shields to Coaching Staff

Westwood, Mass. (March 3, 2009) – The Boston Breakers announced that Harvard Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach Katie Shields has joined the Breakers coaching staff for the 2009 season.  Shields will continue to serve in her current position with both the Crimson and as Assistant Director of the SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Boston Breakers and the inaugural season of WPS,” said Shields. “Tony DiCicco is one of the greatest coaches in the women’s game and I am excited to be a part of his staff and vision for the Boston Breakers. The combination of working with Tony, (assistant coach) Lisa (Cole) and helping to establish a permanent women’s pro soccer league in this country is an opportunity I could not pass up.”

Shields was a standout goalkeeper for Harvard, garnering All-Ivy League accolades all four years, in addition to NSCAA First-Team All-Northeast Region honors in 2005 after recording a school-record 11 shutouts.  She finished her career ranked second all-time at Harvard in minutes played (4,145), third in total saves (272) and fifth in save percentage (.863). She led the Crimson to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004, and her .908 save percentage in 2005 is the 10th-best single-season performance in NCAA history.

After graduation, Shields held assistant coaching positions at Arizona State and UC Irvine before rejoining her alma mater as goalkeeping coach in 2007. During her first season, Shields helped coach Crimson goalkeeper Lauren Mann to Second-Team All-Ivy League honors. She continued her coaching success this past year, helping the Crimson to a 10-3-5 record, an Ivy League title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Boston Breakers, one of seven WPS teams, will open its inaugural season in April and continue through August.

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers

Boston Breakers Release Preseason Roster and Announce Cut Dates

Westwood, Mass. (March 2, 2009) – The Boston Breakers and head coach Tony DiCicco released their initial 32-player preseason roster, it was announced by the team today.

Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) mandates teams to start with no more than 28 players in camp at any one time until the first preseason cut down to 24 players on March 12.  The Breakers fall below the 28-player cap as seven of the 32 players are out due to either national team duty or injury.

The team will have to cut down from 24 to 18 (plus four developmental players) upon returning from a 10-day training session in Ft. Lauderdale on March 22, with the roster to be finalized with the same numbers on March 24.

Boston Breakers Preseason Roster (As of March 2, 2009)

Name Position Height Hometown Previous Team

Nancy Augustyniak Goffi D 5-5 Peachtree City, Ga. FC Indiana

Stacy Bishop M 5-8 Land O’ Lakes, Fla. Tampa Bay Hellenic

Candace Chapman $ D/M 5-7 Ajax, Ontario Vancouver Whitecaps

Brittany Cooper M/F 5-6 Albuquerque, N.M. Albuquerque Asylum

Abby Crumpton F/D 5-7 Rochester Hills, Mich. Charlotte Lady Eagles

Caitlin Fisher D 5-8 Cambridge, Mass. Hammerby (Sweden)

Fabiana @ F Brazil Corinthians (Brazil)

Ariel Harris D 5-6 Holly Springs, N.C. Univ. of North Carolina

Angela Hucles ^ M/F 5-7 Virginia Beach, Va. U.S. National Team

Jaimel Johnson GK 5-7 Dayton, Ohio Univ. of Tennessee

Christine Latham F Calgary, Alberta Atlanta Silverbacks

Amy LePeilbet D 5-6 Crystal Lake, Ill. Pali Blues

Kristine Lilly M/F 5-4 Wilton, Conn. U.S. National Team

Allison Lipsher GK 5-9 Honolulu, Hawaii Ajax America

Kristine Luckenbill GK 5-9 Paoli, Pa. FC Indiana

Allison Martino M 5-6 Draper, Utah Boston Renegades

Heather Mitts ^ D 5-5 Cincinnati, Ohio U.S. National Team

Mary Frances Monroe M/F 5-2 Northport, N.Y. New England Mutiny

Kacey Moore D 5-8 Mission Viejo, Calif. University of Texas

Sophia Mundy M 5-3 Houston, Texas Value FC (Iceland)

Ashley Nick M 5-8 Monrovia, Calif. U. of Southern California

Jennifer Nobis F 5-7 Quincy, Ill. Umeå Södra FF (Sweden)

Ashley Phillips GK 5-8 Peabody, Mass. Atlanta Silverbacks

Amy Rodriguez ^ F 5-4 Lake Forest, Calif. U. of Southern California

Kelly Schmedes F 5-6 Odessa, Texas Charlotte Eagles

Marisha Schumacher-Hodge M 5-4 Los Angeles, Calif. Boston University

Alex Scott % D England Arsenal Ladies FC

Kelly Smith % F/M 5-6 Watford, England Arsenal Ladies FC

Cortney Sobrero F 5-7 Las Vegas, Nev. Fylkir (Iceland)

Maggie Tomecka M 6-0 Shrewsbury, Mass. SoccerPlus Conn.

Lindsay Vera F 5-5 Houston, Texas N.C. State University

Sue Weber D Islip, N.Y. L.I. Rough Riders

Notes
^ = Currently not in camp due to U.S. National Team duty at the Algarve Cup in Portugal
% = Currently not in camp due to England National Team duty at the Cyprus Cup
$ = Currently not in camp due to Canada National Team duty at the Cyprus Cup
@ = Currently not in camp due to injury

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers

Boston Breakers, Boston Aztec Announce Reserve Team Affiliation

Westwood, Mass. (February 26, 2009) – The Boston Breakers of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) reached an agreement with Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) team Boston Aztec, in which Aztec will become the reserve team of the Breakers, it was announced today.

In this role, Aztec will provide an opportunity for Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco and general manager Joe Cummings to make additional roster moves when necessary and to allow players in their system to earn game experience.

“The Boston Breakers are very excited about our relationship with Boston Aztec. It will not be uncommon for some of the Breakers to get games with the Aztec in the WPSL, and for some of the Aztec players to be called up to the Breakers to fill in for injuries or players with their respective national teams,” stated DiCicco.

The Breakers coaching staff will work closely with the Aztec staff, led by former WUSA players Meotis Erikson and Rebekah Splaine, who will both serve as player/coach. Both Breakers and Aztec coaches were on hand to evaluate players at the WPS team’s recent open tryout at Harvard Stadium on Feb. 9-10. The Breakers and Aztec will also play against each other in an exhibition match (date, time and venue TBD).

“This is an exciting time for the Aztec family. We are thrilled to be affiliated with a great organization like the Breakers and to be able to link this with our New England Aztec boy’s and girl’s youth program,” said Boston Aztec general manager Brandon Nelson.

Boston Aztec has featured amateur adult men’s teams since 2002 and amateur women’s teams since 2005. The previous highlight for the program came in 2005 when the men won the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) National Championship. Both Aztec men’s and women’s teams will play their home games in 2009 at Amesbury Sports Park in Amesbury, MA.

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers

Boston Breakers Sign FIFA World Player of the Year Finalist Kelly Smith

Westwood, Mass. (February 18, 2009) – The Boston Breakers announced the signing of England National Team forward Kelly Smith to a multi-year contract this afternoon. Terms of the deals were not disclosed per team policy.

“We are delighted to have signed such a world-class, creative attacking talent such as Kelly Smith,” said Breakers President and General Manager Joe Cummings.  “Kelly has been playing at the top level for a long time, and I feel she will have a tremendous impact, not only on our team, but also the league.”

Widely considered one of the top players in the world, Smith was the Breakers’ first-round selection (second overall) during the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) International Draft on Sept. 24.  The English international has 76 caps (appearances) and 33 goals over the course of her 14-year career with the national team.

Smith had yet another terrific year in 2008. She was a finalist for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award, the second time in her career she has finished in the top five (2006). She was also appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) this past summer in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to football.

In 2007, Smith helped lead her club team, Arsenal Ladies, to the “quadruple” by winning the English Women’s Premier League, FA and League Cup, as well as the UEFA Women’s Cup (Europe’s top club competition). Later that summer, Smith was named to the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Tournament Team after scoring four goals in four matches en route to guiding England to the quarterfinals.

Smith was the only English player in the former women’s pro league in America when she was a member of the Philadelphia Charge (WUSA) from 2001-03, and a teammate of current Boston Breaker Heather Mitts. She played collegiately in the U.S. for Seton Hall from 1997-99, and was the NCAA’s leading scorer for two straight years.
 
Since returning home to play for Arsenal after eight years in the United States in 2005, Smith has tallied 100 goals in 112 appearances for the London club. Smith began her career with Arsenal during the 1995-96 season, and has played for the English National Team since she was 16 years old.

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers

 

Boston Breakers Come to Terms With England Defender Alex Scott

Westwood, Mass. (February 3, 2009) – The Boston Breakers announced the signing of English National Team defender Alex Scott to a multi-year contract this afternoon. Terms of the deals were not disclosed per team policy.  Scott becomes the second international player to sign with the Breakers, following Canada’s Christine Latham, whose signing was announced on Jan. 9.

“Alex is a great addition to our squad,” said Breakers President and General Manager Joe Cummings. “She is a young defender who already has a wealth of international experience and can help build our attack from the right back position.”

A versatile player and mainstay on England’s backline with 43 caps (appearances) and eight goals in her international career, Scott was originally selected by the Chicago Red Stars as an international discovery player on Sept. 26. Her WPS playing rights were then traded to the Boston Breakers last month prior to the 2009 WPS Draft. In addition to Scott, the Breakers received Chicago’s sixth and 10^th round draft picks, in exchange for Boston’s second and fourth round picks.

In 2007, Scott helped her club team, Arsenal Ladies, to the “quadruple” by winning the English Women’s Premier League, FA and League Cup, as well as the UEFA Women’s Cup (Europe’s top club competition). The defender notched the winning goal for the Gunners in Arsenal’s 1-0 aggregate win over a highly-touted Umeå IK (Sweden) team, then led by current-L.A. Sol and Brazil forward Marta, in the final of that UEFA Women’s Cup.

A supporter of Arsenal as a child, Scott began her pro career with the London club before moving to Birmingham City in 2004. She returned to Arsenal a year later and has since seen action for England in both the 2005 UEFA Women’s Euro Championship, as well as the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup – starting all of England’s matches in both competitions.

Courtesy of: Boston Breakers