Jenni Branam rarely makes mistakes. When the Sky Blue FC keeper didn’t cleanly handle a cross the last time she faced Boston, it resulted in a Breakers game-tying goal. Fortunately for Branam, teammate Kacey White scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 29th minute, and Sky Blue beat Boston, 2-1, knocking the Breakers out of second place. Branam finished with fives saves, including a phenomenal diving stop at the right post early in the first half.

One Breaker knows all about Branam and how hard it is to beat her. Boston defender Nancy Augustyniak Goffi played college soccer for Clemson when Branam played for the University of North Carolina, a team that, with Branham, won the NCAA Championship in 1999 and 2000. The Tarheels played Clemson three times in 1999, Augustyniak’s junior season, and Branam shutout the Tigers all three times. During the 1999 regular season, the Tarheels won, 4-0. Later that season, they beat Clemson, 1-0, in overtime of the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and then blanked the Tigers, 3-0, in the Elite Eight.

“She’s solid and consistent,” Augustyniak said. “One of her strongest points is her distribution. Not many keepers have that range and consistency. So obviously we want to keep it out of her hands.”

Augustyniak and the Breakers head into New Jersey with a 5-4-3 record and sit in second place, one point ahead of St. Louis Athletica. The last time the Breakers played Sky Blue (3-6-3, tied for last place), the loss knocked them from second to third place. A Breakers loss Saturday and a St. Louis win Sunday over FC Gold Pride would send Boston from second to third in this crucial stretch of the season.

The lone goal Boston scored against Sky Blue FC back on May 31 came off the foot of Kelly Smith, and it didn’t take too much effort. An Alex Scott cross came Branam’s way, and Branam couldn’t get her hands on it. Smith was standing there and tapped it in from a foot away. Augustyniak said that the Breakers will need more than a lucky bounce and open net goal to beat Branam, who’s fourth in Women’s Professional Soccer with 31 saves and fourth in shutouts (three).

“It’s going to take a good goal, a good shot, a good chance for us to score a goal,” Augustyniak said Thursday following Boston’s training session at Harvard University. “It’s a combination of things and making the right decision in the box. It’s going to be an upper 90 shot from Kelly Smith or her (Branam) off her game for a second, which doesn’t happen often.”

Augustyniak said the Breakers also have to neutralize Sky Blue’s movement inside the box. The first time around, a defensive breakdown led to Sky Blue’s first goal, a near post strike from Natasha Kai.

“I think were a little disorganized in the back, and we had a problem with Kai’s speed,” Augustyniak said. “She was getting behind us all day long. Our focus is keeping the back line together and defending as a team. I feel we could’ve pulled her off so many times. You live and learn. We’re just taking the lessons from the last game, and hopefully we won’t make the same mistakes.”

Boston heads into Saturday’s game with a three-match unbeaten streak, which includes two shutouts (2-0 over Chicago and 1-0 over Washington). A win would give the Breakers 21 points, still miles behind the first-place Los Angeles Sol. With their 4-0 win over Chicago last weekend, coupled with a 2-1 St. Louis win over Sky Blue, the Sol became the first team to qualify for the WPS playoffs. They have a 10-1-4 record heading into Sunday’s game against Washington. But Augustyniak, who could start Saturday’s match due to a couple of minor Boston injuries, said the team wants to keep its recent hot streak alive.

“I feel like we had a strong week of practice, and the second part of the season has gone well. We’re 2-0,” she said. “So we hope to keep that momentum going.”

Boston takes on Sky Blue FC Saturday, July 4, at Yurcak Field in New Jersey. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. (EST).

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