Women's Professional Soccer :: Women's Professional Soccer :: Boston Breakers

History

The Boston Breakers enter their third season with the WPS in 2011. The Breakers returned to women’s professional soccer under a new ownership group, Boston Women’s Soccer LLC last year, for the WPS innaugual season. Originally founded in 2000 as a charter member of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), the Breakers were one of eight teams in the first U.S.-based women’s professional soccer league that played three seasons (2001-03) before the WUSA suspended operations in September, 2003.

League founding players Kristine Lilly, Kate Sobrero (now Markgraf) and Tracy Ducar headlined the Breakers roster all three seasons, and combined with international stars that included Germany’s Maren Meinert and Bettina Wiegmann and Norway’s Dagny Mellgren and Ragnhild Gulbrandsen.

During the three-year tenure of the WUSA, the Breakers were recognized in many ways; winning the Community Service Award and notching league leading attendance in 2002, and in 2003, Head Coach Pia Sundhage was awarded coach of the Year while Maren Meinert recieved League MVP. In their final season of the WUSA, the Breakers had their best record yet ( 10-4-7 ) and placed first in the regular season before falling to the Washington Freedom in the semi-finals.

In April 2007, the Boston Breakers were re-established as one of seven franchises announced in the Women’s Soccer Initiative (now Women’s Professional Soccer – WPS ). Boston ’s ownership group is comprised of six individuals: Gary Loveman, Lyman Bullard, Alex Zecca, Louis Hernandez, a silent partner, and managing partner, Michael Stoller.

Head coach Tony DiCicco leads the soccer operations and team side of the organization. As the former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach, DiCicco brings an unprecedented amount of experience, achievement and knowledge to the team. In the 2009 season, DiCicco lead a team that comprised of U.S. Women's National Team talent Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Heather Mitts, and Amy Rodriguez, as well as international stars , Brazil's Fabiana, England’s Alex Scott along with her teammate and three-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Nominee, Kelly Smith.

The Breakers ended their 2009 season in fifth place with a 7-9-4 record, just missing a playoff berth to Sky Blue FC (2009 WPS Champions) by one point. The Breakers were especially solid on defense, taking third in the league for their average goals against per game. Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet was awarded MedImmune Defender of the Year.

At the end of the 2009 season, General Manager Joe Cummings stepped down to pursue a career with the NSCAA. Andy Crossley moved from Director of Business Development to the vacant General Manager Position.

Heading into the 2010 season, the Breakers picked up new talent, including three U.S. Women's National Team players.: Lauren Cheney, UCLA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, Leslie Osborne, former FC Gold Pride play maker and Captain, and Stephanie Cox, a solid defender acquired in the La Sol dispersal draft.

The Breakers finished the 2010 season in second place, earning an automatic berth into the WPS Super Semifinal, where the team lost to the Philadelphia Independence. The Breakers ended the regular season with a 10-8-6 record. For the second year in a row, Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet was named MedImmune Defender of the Year.

The Breakers made a number of offseason moves in preparation for the 2011 season, including the signings of U.S. Women's National Team players Rachel Buehler and Kelley O'Hara from the 2010 WPS Champions FC Gold Pride.