magicJack Advances to Semifinals

In a very strong performance, magicJack defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1 on Wednesday evening to advance to the WPS semifinal on Saturday. magicJack will meet the Philadelphia Independence in Chester, Pennsylvania.

There were no surprises in the magicJack lineup for the match. Tony DiCicco elected to start Taryn Hemmings instead of Stephanie Cox on the back line, with Amy LePeilbet playing left back.

magicJack came out of the blocks fast, putting pressure on the Breakers' net from the opening whistle. Sophie Schmidt's shot from 25 yards sailed over the crossbar in just the second minute of action.

magicJack broke on top just a few minutes later. Sarah Huffman hit a cross from the far right side. The ball curved away from Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, eluding her and finding a wide open Abby Wambach just eight yards out on the back post. She easily finished into the open net and magicJack was up 1-0 in just the sixth minute.

magicJack continued to pressure the Breakers' defense. Shannon Boxx put one just over the crossbar from 20 yards in the 8th minute. Later, Christen Press' shot from 18 yards was deflected wide by Naeher.

Boston's first good chance came in the 29th minute as Amy LePeilbet's pass found Lauren Cheney cutting across the box, but her shot went just wide of the left post.

Both teams suffered injuries in the first half. Meghan Klingenberg took an awkward fall landing on her arm in the 15th minute. She came off with what appeared to be an arm or wrist injury and was replaced by Elli Reed. Tina Ellertson suffered a hamstring injury later in the half. It was while Ellertson was off the field that Boston evened the score.

LePeilbet took a free kick from 40 yards out, sending it to the center of the penalty area. magicJack managed to head the ball clear but not out. Leslie Osborne nodded the ball back to the center where Keelin Winters volleyed it one-time inside the right post from nine yards out to tie the score. Ellertson was quickly subbed out for Lydia Vandenbergh after the goal.

magicJack nearly retook the lead in the 37th minute as Megan Rapinoe's shot from the left side beat Naeher, but struck the left post and was cleared by Boston. Just a minute later, Rapinoe had another chance as Huffman sent a pass to Press who headed it to Rapinoe, but her shot rolled just wide of the right post.

Boston had a good opportunity right before intermission, with another LePeilbet free kick into the penalty area. But Winters couldn't quite get into position to head the ball on goal and her attempt sailed well wide of the net. The match was tied at the half.

magicJack started the second half right where they left off as Rapinoe sent Press through the Boston defense, but her shot hooked just wide of the right post. But in the 56th minute, things began to fall apart for the Breakers.

Huffman received the ball just to the right edge of the penalty area and made a one-on-one move against Hemmings. Hemmings reached out her right foot and tripped the magicJack midfielder. A penalty was awarded and Abby Wambach scored her second goal of the match, with Naeher guessing wrong, to make it 2-1 for the home team.

Press had another chance just a minute later, but she skied a shot over the bar on a good opportunity from 18 yards out. Rapinoe set up Huffman just minutes later, but her shot also went well over the bar.

magicJack put the game away in the 61st minute as Press was making a run into the right side of the penalty area. She cut back on Hemmings and with Naeher bearing down on her, she hit a beautiful cross that caught Rapinoe in stride and USWNT midfielder headed the ball into the net from six yards to make it 3-1.

With their backs against the wall, the Breakers attempted to insert some offense into the match. Hobbled Kelly Smith came in for Hemmings in the 69th minute. Nikki Marshall subbed in for Aya Sameshima in the 79th minute. For awhile after Smith came in, Boston appeared to be dangerous and Smith definitely gave them a temporary spark, but the English striker is not nearly 100% healthy and her abilities were limited.

In 75th minute, Kelley O'Hara's shot from 22 yards was on frame, but easily handled by Jill Loyden. After that, Boston looked exhausted and really offered no significant threat.

magicJack outshot Boston 17-8 and led in shots on goal by an 8-2 margin. It was fairly dominating performance by the women from south Florida, who had been one of the toughest home teams in the league during the regular season.

magicJack will now travel to Philadelphia where they will meet the second place Independence at PPL Park in Chester at 4 pm on Saturday.

magicJack 3, Boston Breakers 1

mJ-Abby Wambach (Sarah Huffman) 6'
Bos-Keelin Winters (Leslie Osborne) 31'
mJ-Abby Wambach pk 57'
mJ-Megan Rapinoe (Christen Press) 61'

magicJack-Jill Loyden, Marian Dalmy, Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson (Lydia Vandenbergh 33), Becky Sauerbrunn, Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt (Omolyn Davis 86), Megan Rapinoe, Sarah Huffman (Nikki Washington 86), Abby Wambach, Christen Press.

Boston-Alyssa Naeher, Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Taryn Hemmings (Kelly Smith 69), Amy LePeilbet, Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters, Meghan Klingenberg (Elli Reed 16), Aya Sameshima (Nikki Marshall 79), Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara.

YC-Buehler (Bos) 17, Hemmings (Bos) 35, Winters (Bos) 81.
Shots-magicJack 17, Boston 8.
SOG-magicJack 8, Boston 2.

Flash and magicJack Post Victories

magicJack 3, Sky Blue FC 2

MagicJack took over sole possession of third place by defeating Sky Blue 3-2 tonight in Boca Raton. Abby Wambach scored twice and Megan Rapinoe got the game winner for magicJack.

Wambach opened the scoring in the 5th minute, assisted by Marian Dalmy. The hosts went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The floodgates opened in the second half, as both teams scored twice. Eni Aluko scored her second goal of the season, assisted by Heather O'Reilly in the 56th minute to tie the match for Sky Blue.

Wambach again gave magicJack the lead in the 77th minute, with the assist this time coming from Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt. It was Wambach's 7th goal of the season.

Once again, Aluko was able to draw Sky Blue even as she scored in the 84th minute to tie the match at two, with Adriana assisting.

But midseason acquisition Megan Rapinoe scored the game winner in the 86th minute on an assist from Matilda's star Lisa De Vanna.

Jill Loyden got the victory in goal for magicJack, while Karen Bardsley took the loss for Sky Blue.

MagicJack improves to 7-6-2, good for 22 points after their point deduction suffered earlier in the campaign. They need just one more point to secure a playoff position. They will face the Breakers in Boston on Saturday evening.

Sky Blue falls to 5-7-4 and 19 points to their credit. They are still clinging to the fourth and final playoff berth, just three points ahead of Boston. Sky Blue travels to Philadelphia to play the Independence on Sunday, before facing the Breakers in their final regular season match in what could be a do or die game.

Western New York Flash 2, Boston Breakers 1

The Flash were able to pull even with league leading Philadelphia on Wednesday night, by defeating the Boston Breakers 2-1 at Sahlen Stadium. Christine Sinclair and Becky Edwards were able to net first half goals and then the Flash were able to withstand a Boston comeback to hold on for the victory.

Sinclair scored the game's first goal on an assist from Marta in the 21st minute. The tally pushes Sinclair's league-leading total to 10 goals.

The Flash made it 2-0 just seven minutes later. Becky Edwards headed in an Ali Riley cross and Western New York appeared to be on their way to victory.

Boston had other ideas, however, as they cut the lead in half in the opening minutes of the second half. Rookie Keelin Winters scored her third goal of the season, assisted by Kelley O'Hara to put the Breakers right back in the match.

Kelly Smith nearly tied the match in the 54th minute, but her shot from 30 yards hit the crossbar with Flash keeper Ashlyn Harris barely getting her hand on it. From then on, Western New York was able to hold on to capture three points.

The match saw two key Breakers players return to action. The aforementioned Smith came on at halftime, seeing her first action since the World Cup quarterfinals in Germany. Lauren Cheney made her first start since her ankle injury in the World Cup final for the United States.

Western New York is now in prime position to win the WPS regular season crown. They are tied with Philadelphia at 33 points and have a game in hand. They will face cellar dwelling Atlanta on Saturday at KSU Stadium.

Boston's situation is desperate at 4-8-4, but they do still control their own destiny. They will face magicJack in Cambridge on Saturday, before finishing the season at home against Sky Blue FC.

WPS STANDINGS
(1) Western New York 10-2-3, 33 pts; (1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (3) magicJack 7-6-2, 22 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 5-7-4, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-8-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.

Breakers Down Atlanta

The Boston Breakers moved into a tie for third place with a 2-0 shutout over the Atlanta Beat on Sunday night.

It didn't take long for the Breakers to score, just under four minutes in. Katie Schoepfer placed her corner kick to the back post with Kasey Moore heading it back toward the middle. Rookie Keelin Winters was unmarked inside the six and placed her header into the net for an early Boston lead.

Atlanta actually might have had the better of play in the first half, as they were able to pressure Boston, but they just couldn't create any dangerous chances in the final third.

Boston turned up the pressure in the 2nd half. In the 54th minute, Elli Reed cut back against the defense and sent a beautiful cross into the box for Leah Blayney who headed the ball off the post from 12 yards out. A minute later, Liz Bogus sent a hard shot just wide of the right post.

Atlanta nearly drew even in the 71st minute. Kacey White sent Meghan Lenczyk in alone on goal, but Alyssa Naeher came out to cut of the angle, forcing Lenczyk to shoot wide of the left post.

In the 81st minute, Boston put the match away. Meghan Klingenberg sent the ball up the right side with Schoepfer running on to it. She released a shot from the elbow of the penalty area, just before defender Analisa Marquez was able to get there. With Allison Whitworth tending toward the near post, Schoepfer placed it beautifully just inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Atlanta had one final chance on a free kick by Cat Whitehill. Her drive from distance was heading lower left, but Naeher made the save.

Boston raised their record to 4-5-3, good for 15 points. They are now unbeaten in their last four matches and have posted three consecutive shutouts. The Breakers have next weekend off before facing Western New York on July 24 in a crucial home match.

For Atlanta, Lori Chalupny was a late scratch from the starting lineup and did not play. The Beat drop to 1-9-3 and have yet to score a road goal. Atlanta returns home to host the Philadelphia Independence next Saturday.

WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 7-2-3, 24 pts; (2) Western New York 6-2-2, 20 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-1, 15 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-3, 15 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 3-4-4, 13 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-9-3, 6 pts.

Boston and Philly Battle to a 1-1 Tie

The Philadelphia Independence and Boston Breakers fought to a 1-1 tie on Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia holds on to third place in WPS.

The game went scoreless for nearly all of the first half, until Tasha Kai scored for Philadelphia in the 44th minute, her second goal of the season.

After the break, it didn't take long for the Breakers to pull even. Keelin Winters put the initial header on frame with Nicole Barnhart barely keeping it out of the goal, but Lauren Cheney was there to finish off the rebound with a header of her own to tie the score.

On the injury front, Nikki Washington was forced to leave the game early in the first half. We will update her status as information becomes available.

Philadelphia's record goes to 2-1-2. They host league leading Western New York next Sunday. Boston is now 2-4-1 and they travel to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday in a battle for 4th place.

All-time great Kristine Lilly was honored at halftime, retiring her number 13 for the Breakers, a first in WPS.

Boston Defeats Atlanta in Opener 4-1

The Boston Breakers used a strong first half to capture the opening match of the 2011 season by a 4-1 margin over the Atlanta Beat. Four different players scored for the Breakers, two in each half.

Jordan Angeli opened the scoring 18 minutes into the match, followed by a goal from rookie Keelin Winters just five minutes later. Angeli later suffered a knee injury and had to leave the game. The Breakers will have an MRI done on Angeli's knee on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Down 2-0 at the half, the Beat inserted USWNT midfielder Carli Lloyd into the lineup for the second half and for awhile, Atlanta looked as though they might get back into the contest. Atlanta pressured Breakers' keeper Alyssa Naeher throughout the second half, but she was able to make some key saves to keep the margin safe.

Former Gold Pride forward Kelley O'Hara scored in the 72nd minute to stretch the lead to three goals.

Atlanta finally got on the board in the 78th minute as they were awarded a penalty, which Lloyd converted to cut the lead to 3-1, but the Beat were never able to get any closer.

Kasey Moore concluded the scoring in stoppage, after Allison Whitworth was red-carded after colliding with O'Hara outside the box. Moore scored on the ensuing kick, after defender Cat Whitehill had taken over in goal.

Atlanta outshot Boston by a 14-8 margin for the match, but Naeher was able to keep all but the penalty out of the net.

The Breakers return to Boston where they will host the Western New York Flash next Sunday, in what will be Boston's home opener and the Flash's inaugural match. Atlanta hosts Sky Blue FC next Saturday.

Boston Adds Winters, Trio of Forwards in Draft

True, the Boston Breakers entered Friday's draft with a pretty full roster. Their basic objective was to add depth to a talented group of veterans. They come out of the draft with a gem of a player, midfielder Keelin Winters from Portland, and three potentially good forwards.

Keelin Winters had played for Breakers' coach Tony DiCicco at the 2008 U-20 World Cup in Chile. She played in all six matches, starting five, and scored the first goal in the United States' 3-0 victory over England in the quarterfinals. She was also captain of that squad. In addition, she has several years of W-League experience with Real Colorado dating all the way back to her prep days.

Winters isn't a player that is going to wow you with her stats. She finished her Portland Pilot career with 6 goals and 10 assists. But what she might lack in gloss, she more than makes up with grit. Winters is a tough competitor, who always works hard. She is also intelligent and makes good decisions on the pitch.

Winters has good size and is strong in the air. In fact, the aforementioned goal against England came when she skied over two English defenders and headed the ball lower left past the English keeper. This should prove to be an excellent selection by the Breakers.

In the next three rounds, the Breakers went with three forwards, none of which came from high-profile programs. In the 2nd round, Boston chose Oklahoma forward Whitney Palmer. Palmer is the Sooners' all-time leading goal scorer with 38 in her career. Though not terribly tall, Palmer combines speed and strength to make her a scoring threat. She has the ability to split defenses with a sudden burst of speed.

Harvard's Katherine Sheeleigh won't have to travel far from her college days to play for the Breakers. She became Boston's third round selection with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 WPS draft. The New Jersey native scored 31 career goals for the Crimson, including 9 goals her senior season. She was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 2010.

Tanya Taylor became the last player taken by the Breakers in the 4th round. She was named the Big West's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 with UC-Irvine. Taylor is another forward with good speed and finishing ability. She double-doubled with 11 goals and 12 assists in her senior season with the Anteaters.

Overall, this was a fairly strong draft for the Breakers. The Breakers had many of their roster spots full and were looking to add depth. They added a quality midfielder in Winters and some much needed depth for the offense. Depth will be an important key for the Breakers this season, since they will probably lose at least six starters, maybe more, to the World Cup. The only possible flaw I see in this draft is that unless they convert some of these forwards to defense, they will be awfully thin on the back line, where all four may be headed to Germany in June.