Boston’s goal to boost its offensive production became evident in the offseason when the Breakers drafted UCLA’s Lauren Cheney (school record 71 goals at UCLA), and signed Spanish international Laura del Rio, who scored eight goals in 12 games last year for FFC Frankfurt, Australian international Sarah Walsh, who scored seven goals in 11 games in 2009 for Sydney FC of the Australian W-League, and Tiffany Weimer, a proven scorer who played for Gold Pride last year. Weimer was one of only three members of Gold Pride who played 750 minutes or less to score last year for Gold Pride. She finished her collegiate career at Penn State with 91 goals and 32 assists.

But as much as the goal this season is to produce goals, Boston’s defense also has a lot to live up to after losing U.S. Women’s National Team defender Heather Mitts and back Sue Weber both to expansion Philadelphia. Mitts was declared a free agent after last season and signed with Philly, while Weber was selected by the Independence in the WPS Expansion Draft.

The Breakers were one of the top defending teams last year, conceding 20 goals in 20 games (third best in the league), and at the start of the 2009 WPS season, the combination of Mitts at outside left back, Weber and U.S. Women’s National Team member, 2009 WPS All-Star, and 2009 MedImmune Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet in central defense, and English international Alex Scott out on the right side, held opponents to three goals in the team’s first five home games. The Breakers went 4-0-1 during that span.

Take away the 4-0 abomination April 25 against Chicago, and the Mitts-LePeilbet-Weber-Scott combo surrendered only seven goals in 10 games. Weber missed 10 of the last 11 games of the season with an injury, and the Breakers used a handful of players, including Candace Chapman, Kasey Moore, and Nancy Augustyniak, to fill that hole. Without the combination of Mitts, LePeilbet, Weber, and Scott, the Breakers allowed nine goals in 11 games. Weber missed the final eight games of the season, a stretch in which the Breakers went 2-5-1.

With Mitts and Weber in Philly, Chapman, after the Breakers declined to exercise their contract option on the Canadian international, is now in playing for FC Gold Pride. Augustyniak retired. This year, the back line is shaping up like this: LePeilbet, Scott, Stephanie Cox, who helped led the Sol last year to a league-leading 0.50 goals against average, and either returning defender Kasey Moore or newcomer Jordan Angeli. The versatile Angeli could play either center back or holding midfielder. The rookie from Santa Clara University was the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and led the team in goals (seven) and points (17).

“I played center back this last year, but I’m pretty new to the position still and playing holding mid, too,” Angeli said after last Friday’s training session on the grounds of Harvard University. “I feel like I’ve just got a lot to improve on, but it’s pretty incredible (how) you can grow in just a short amount of time. ”

The 16th overall pick in the WPS Draft, and Boston’s third overall selection, Angeli was the fifth defender selected in the draft. The four defenders chosen ahead of Angeli were UNC’s Whitney Engen (Chicago), UConn’s Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue), Colorado’s Nikki Marshall (Washington), and Stanford’s Ali Riley (Gold Pride). Some teams balked at taking Angeli, who missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons at Santa Clara recovering from an ACL injury. She tore the same ACL twice (left knee), but Angeli said she feels no ill effects from the injury that kept her off the pitch for two years.

“I feel great. No complaints,” Angeli said. “It’s been probably the best, it’s weird to say, but probably the best thing to ever happen to me.”

But is there a bit of pressure trying to make sure the back line forms a cohesive unit?

“Yes and no,” Angeli said. “I think yes because you want to fill that void, but no because every time you go out on the field, I think you have that mentality especially when you’re at a high level. You go out there to play your best as a defender to not allow goals. Every time I go out there I put that responsibility on myself, regardless if I’m coming in for two minutes or if I’m playing the full 90.”

Arguably the best central defender in the league, LePeilbet believes it’s only a matter of time before a cohesive back line forms for Boston.

“We have some great defenders,” LePeilbet said. “I think it’s just finding four that work well together and who are good individual defenders. And then once we’re together, it’s pretty difficult to get around us. It might take us a little time because a few of us are new together to build that unit, but I definitely think we have the capability of creating that again.”

Check back later this week for part two of the 2010 Breakers preview and a look ahead to the Boston vs. Washington Freedom season opener.

To say that Jennifer Nobis is excited about the upcoming Womens Professional Soccer season is a huge understatement.

The Boston Breakers forward was the first member of the team to arrive in Boston to prepare for the upcoming campaign. And it actually seems as if Nobis’ 2009 season never ended. Not long after Boston’s WPS season finale Aug. 9, the 25-year-old Nobis boarded a plane for Sweden. She played, on loan from Boston, for Piteå IF in the 12-team Damallsvenskan, the premier women’s soccer league in Sweden.

From Sept. 10, 2009, through Nov. 11, 2009, Nobis played in six matches for Piteå, joining a club that had several quality players, including Canadian national team forward/midfielder Brittany Timko. Nobis scored three goals in six appearances for Piteå, including the game-tying goal Oct. 18 against Hammarby that resulted in a 2-2 draw. Piteå finished the season with a 2-17-3 record, but finished with one win and one draw during Nobis’ time with the team. She made her 2009 Damallsvenskan debut Sept. 27 by scoring in the 15th minute of Piteå’s 2-1 win over KIF Örebro.

“Piteå was in the bottom of the league, so it was an opportunity for me where I can come in and try to be a leader. It was awesome,” Nobis said. “It puts me in a position to perform well, like here in WPS. The girls around me were great players. This year it allowed me to have the pressure on my shoulders to play well. It was an amazing group of girls. I really got a lot of ball skills in playing outside mid. Hopefully it will pay off with the Breakers.”

Nobis had quite an interesting experience in a game this fall with Piteå. An opposing coach, clearly frustrated by his team’s performance against Piteå, a team that sat several spots lower on the table, took his anger out on Nobis. The coach pushed Nobis from behind while she was on the sideline waiting for a throw-in.

“I don’t know if the coach got nervous or what. I think he got frustrated with me,” Nobis said. “I was on the sideline waiting for a throw-in, and I thought it was a girl on the team (who pushed me), and turned around to yell at her, and it was the coach. I was shocked. It was very random and kind of weird. But after the game, he apologized. I think they were third in the league, at least in the top five, and they were thinking they would come in and win. We were a different team. I don’t think they thought we’d bring the heart and determination.”

Shortly after returning to the states, the 2006 University of Missouri grad and Quincy, Ill., native headed to New York, where she worked out with a trainer, preparing for the 2010 WPS season. Nobis knows that the pressure to step up her game is essential if she wants to crack the starting lineup. In 11 games last year, Nobis started seven. She peaked halfway through the season and finished with two goals. She was one of only five Breakers to score at least two goals in 2009.

Nobis’ performance during the latter half of the 2009 WPS season impressed Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco and his staff so much that they put Nobis on their list of protected players for the WPS Expansion draft, meaning that the two new teams, the Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat, could not select her in the draft. Nobis also wasn’t declared a free agent, indicating that the Boston coaching staff have big plans for Nobis in 2010.

“I was surprised they saved me, but I’m glad they did,” Nobis said. “They see something in me for this season. I know what’s to be expected this year. I’m ready.”

But to earn a spot on the pitch, Nobis said she has to put in an extra effort. That’s why she’s training six days a week, working on ball skills every day, and conditioning herself to the point she knows her body will be 90-minutes fit.

“It’s awesome to be here and getting prepared for the season,” Nobis said. “I’m working really hard with my training and practicing different things. You’ll definitely see a different Boston Breakers team. I think it will be a good improvement.”

Nobis is part of an extremely talented nucleus of forwards and attacking midfielders, including last year’s leading scorer, English international Kelly Smith (six goals and two assists in 15 games), 2009 WPS All-Star Kristine Lilly (the team’s second leading scorer last season with three goals. She also had three assists), Canadian international Christine Latham (who led the team in game-winning goals with two), a young and extremely talented Brazilian forward, Fabiana, as well as a pair of newcomers to Boston, U.S. Women’s National Team members Tiffany Weimer and Leslie Osborne, who both came over from FC Gold Pride.

“I know they’re both great teammates for the national team. They have experience and talent,” Nobis said of Weimer and Osborne. “Tony does a great job getting great players to help us on and off the field as well. It’s something I’m looking forward to.”

The Breakers saw a number of changes this offseason. The 2009 number one overall draft pick, forward Amy Rodriguez, did not live up to the standard of play DiCicco expected out of the USC grad. After the season, the Breakers traded the USWNT forward to Philadelphia. Fellow USWNT member, defender Heather Mitts, was declared a free agent and wound up signing with Philadelphia. USWNT midfielder Angela Hucles, who scored two goals and logged the third most minutes on the team last season (1,692 in 19 games), retired.

The Breakers also waived defender Nancy Augustyniak Goffi and Canadian international midfielder Candace Chapman. Two of the players the Breakers put on the unprotected list for the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft were selected by Philadelphia – forward/midfielder Kelly Schmedes and defender Sue Weber. Former Breaker Stacy Bishop, who Boston waived, signed with the expansion Atlanta Beat. Midfielder Sophia Mundy, who signed halfway through the 2009 season with Boston, has now signed with Atlanta after the Breakers declared her as a free agent.

“It’s a business, so you don’t know every year who will we drafted or traded,” Nobis said. “They were great teammates, and they were all great players. They taught us so much. It’s tough to see them leave, but we’ll move on. Angela Hucles will be around doing stuff with the Breakers. They taught me so much (last) season.”

With the 2010 WPS Draft just days away (Jan. 15), a number of highly skilled athletes are available, including a number of high-level forwards like Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Casey Nogueira (UNC), and Kelley O’Hara (Stanford). The Breakers have the number two overall pick in the draft, and they also have the number 11 pick, giving them two first-round draft choices. With a roster already loaded with forwards and top goal scorers, the Breakers still may seek out one of those three players. DiCicco made it clear after the final game of the 2009 season that his team needed to increase its offensive output. The team scored only 18 goals in 20 games. Of the 21 Breakers who played last year, only eight found the back of the net, and of those eight, three (Hucles, Rodriguez, and Kelly Schmedes) are no longer with the team.

“It’s definitely going to be interesting to see who we pick up,” Nobis said of the WPS Draft. “I know Tony and (Assistant Coach) Lisa (Cole) do a good job recruiting good players. It will be interesting to see how we connect. We lost a few players and we got a few players. I think it will be a great team. Knowing we’re going to get somebody from Stanford or North Carolina, those are good colleges. It kind of makes me nervous. I’m going to have to be at a high level. Every day will be a challenge. Having that challenge pushed me in the offseason. It’s making me work harder and making me more of a technical player.”

The 2010 schedule is still in the works, however, the Breakers do know their first two opponents. They open April 10, in Maryland against the Washington Freedom before returning home to take on Mitts, Rodriguez, Weber, and Schmedes and the Philadelphia Independence Sunday, April 18. That game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and is guaranteed to draw thousands of fans to Harvard Stadium.

“I think we’ll be a more skillful team than last year. We didn’t make our goal, and I think we learned from that,” Nobis said. “I’m excited. It’s definitely a new team, especially with a lot of the new players coming. It brings more of a forward mentality and striking mentality. It’s something we needed to improve on. We still have Kristine Lilly, who is offensive-minded.

“I’m so excited. I’m working out six days a week with fitness, ball skills every single day. It’s something I need to be prepared for this season,” Nobis added. “Hopefully I can come in as a new player.”

Each team had to leave 10 of its players unprotected and available for Atlanta and Philadelphia in the draft. The Breakers lost defender Sue Weber, one quarter of Boston’s stingy back line, and forward/midfielder Kelly Schmedes, who started earning significant playing time toward the end of the season. Seven days later – Sept. 22 – the Beat and Independence selected international players as part of the WPS International Draft. Beginning Sept. 30, WPS free agency began. Teams announced who they had signed, who they put on waivers, who they declared as free agents, and who, if any of their players would be traded. Boston made the first major move, trading the WPS No. 1 overall draft pick from a year ago -forward Amy Rodriguez – as well as their first round draft pick in the 2010 WPS Draft to Philadelphia for Philadelphia two first-round selections.

If you think DiCicco’s vacation begins now, you’re wrong. Things are starting to heat up as WPS teams look to build their 2010 rosters, and in some cases that means filling big holes. The Breakers waived the 2010 options for Nancy Augustyniak Goffi, a part-time defender, and midfielder Candace Chapman, a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team, who battled injuries and didn’t see as much action as anticipated. The Breakers declared as free agents the following players: forward/defender Abby Crumpton, keepers Kristin Luckenbill and Ashley Phillips, Brazilian international and forward Fabiana, defender Erika Sutton, who played one game for Boston this season, midfielder Sophia Mundy, and U.S. Women’s National Team defender and Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts. DiCicco said the team is looking to come to agreements with a couple of the players, have already signed one, and that a missed deadline forced the organization to declare one as a free agent.

“We have negotiated with Fabiana,” DiCicco said, noting that she didn’t turn her paperwork into the league in time, which meant she had to be declared a free agent. DiCicco said there’s a 99 percent chance that Fabiana will return and that the mix-up was the result of her landing in the free agent waters.

“She had a tough year with the ACL injury right before the U-20 championships,” DiCicco said of Fabiana. “And a player at her age (20) is only going to get better. We’re excited for that. Kristin Luckenbill was a difficult decision, and we’re going to talk to her and maybe renegotiate. We signed Erika Sutton (an outside back who played for Tony as an amateur) With Heather’s (Mitts) situation, we’d like to keep her, but she’s trying to figure out for herself with her fiancé (Carolina Panthers quarterback A.J. Feeley) now in Charlotte. And, other teams have approached her.”

DiCicco also talked about the team’s other offseason transactions.

“Losing Sue Weber was difficult, along with Kelly Schmedes. They are true professionals,” he said. “You knew what you were getting from them in every match. It was a difficult decision to trade Amy Rodriguez. We chose her first overall, and it didn’t work out for her or for the team. It’s certainly not Amy’s fault. We need to get it right this time. We need attacking players. Goffi, she chose to become an unrestricted free agent. Chapman, we’re looking to fill her spot with an international player. Overall, we’re pretty pleased with the way things worked out.”

DiCicco said he’s eyeing a number of players to fill his roster.

“We’re talking to a couple of free agents. We’re hoping to land one that will help the attacking side of the game,” he said, opting not to give out any names of players the team is pursuing. “We’re looking at a few internationals, from Japanese to Nigerian to European.”

Boston’s main focus is finding another goal scorer, which would give the team another force up front. England international Kelly Smith led Boston last season with six goals, followed by Kristine Lilly (3), and Angela Hucles, Christine Latham, and Jennie Nobis, who all netted two goals. The Breakers also want to solidify the defense and midfield.

“I think we need a player in the central defense who can play center midfielder/holding midfielder and more of a player who’s comfortable in front of the goal that can join Lil, Smith, and Ange and put the ball in the net,” DiCicco said.

The free agent market is filled with a number of top players, including 2009 WPS All-Star, Chicago’s leading scorer, and Brazilian international Cristiane, Brazilian and St. Louis midfielder Daniela (who missed most of the season with a knee injury), and U.S. Women’s National Team midfielders, Los Angeles Sol’s Aly Wagner and Chicago’s Carli Lloyd.

“We’re not pursuing Wagner and Lloyd,” DiCicco said. “We have an offer out to one (of the more than two dozen free agents). There are some attractive ones out there. I think we’ve got a team that’s shaping up to be exciting, good defensively, and have more of an opportunity to put it in the back of the net.”

One player the Breakers are looking at is Niki Cross, who was declared as a free agent by the St. Louis Athletica. Cross grew up in Pembroke, Mass., a small town 20 minutes south of Boston that produced former New England Revolution midfielder Luke Vercollone. Cross played high school soccer for Notre Dame Academy in neighboring Hingham, Mass., and later starred at the University of Connecticut. She’s also very familiar with DiCicco – she spent time with DiCicco’s SoccerPlus Connecticut Reds of the Women’s Premier Soccer League.

“We know Niki. We coached her with the Reds,” DiCicco said. “We liked the fact that she was moved to forward (this past season with the Athletica). She can fill a few roles. She’s better on the flank than in the center. She’s dangerous in the attacking part of the game. And being local, she’s a little more attractive to us.”

DiCicco didn’t say whether or not he or the Breakers organization have contacted Cross.

“We’re going to see how the first phase plays out,” DiCicco said of the anticipated flurry of early offseason transactions. “But we are interested in Niki.”

A handful of the current Breakers have continued to play during the offseason. Smith and Alex Scott played in the Euros, defender Amy LePeilbet’s currently training with the U.S. Women’s National team, and Nobis is out on loan to Swedish football club Pitea IF. Nobis scored a goal in her first game with Pitea.

“I think she learned a lot being in the (WPS),” DiCicco said of Nobis. “She has to have a higher technical base. She needs to be a smarter player instead of chasing it by herself. I think you’ll see a higher level player.”

“They just have a mentality to them that they may not be the most sophisticated team at times, but they are going to work for the whole 90 minutes,” Boston defender Kasey Moore said Thursday following the team’s late-morning training session at Harvard University. “They’re just a hard-working team, and they fight for every single ball. They may be at the bottom of the standings, but most of their games are hard-fought battles. There’s not too many games where they get blown out. They’re going to work hard. They make it difficult to score another goal on them when you’re down one.”

Of the three goals Boston has conceded to Sky Blue in two games – Boston lost, 2-1, back on May 31, and 1-0 last Saturday – two came within the first 10 minutes of the game. In fact, all three goals in the two games combined have come in the first half.

“You hate conceding early goals,” Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco said. “And then you’re down chasing the game, and it’s hard to chase a  game in this league. Just take a look at this league. The last four games have been 1-0 games. There’s been one team that’s come back and won after they conceded a goal, and there’s been four or five that have tied after conceding a goal. For whatever reason, it’s a difficult season to come back and win because teams are so committed to their defending, and there’s good goalkeeping.”

Sky Blue’s Heather O’Reilly scored far post in the sixth minute off a corner kick, and for the next 84 minutes and some change, the Breakers (5-5-3, 18 points) could not net the equalizer.

“It was a fluky goal that happened,” Moore said. “We didn’t think it went across the line, but you can’t really tell. But once you’re scored on, it’s hard to come back when you get stuck in a hole. We’re excited to get another shot at them so quickly after the last one. We’re ready to take it to them at our home.”

Sky Blue (4-6-3, 15 points) comes into dangerous territory. At Harvard Stadium, the Breakers have a 4-1-2 record. The only team to beat Boston on its home turf – St. Louis Athletica.

“Obviously we can’t go behind on Sunday,” DiCicco said. “I liked the way we played last time. We did a lot of good things. We created a lot of potentially good scoring opportunities, and I thought when we got into those positions we either didn’t make the right choice or didn’t execute. We need to make sure we’re not chasing the game. They’ve got good players like every team in the league, and what they try to do is work hard and create opportunities off their hard work. We need to neutralize their hard work.”

Even with seven games remaining on their 20-game scheduled, the Breakers feel the pressure to lock up one of the three remaining playoff spots. Only the Los Angeles Sol (11-2-4, 37 points) has clinched a playoff berth.

“We win on Sunday, we put ourselves in a pretty good spot,” DiCicco said. “(Second-place) St. Louis has separated themselves a little bit. But there’s a third of the season left, and it’s going to be a dogfight down to the end.”

Brazilian Women’s National Team midfielder Fabiana is set to make her Breakers debut Sunday. She underwent knee surgery in December and has been training with Boston for the past two months. Sunday’s game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel (6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).

World Cup celebration

The 1999 World Cup trophy won by the U.S. Women’s National Team will be on display at Sunday night’s Boston vs. Sky Blue match. The WPS is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of one of the most memorable moment’s in USWNT history, one that DiCicco knows all about. He led the team in one of the best World Cups in soccer history, one in which the U.S. won in a penalty shootout against China in front of more than 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl.

“The ‘99 team was just a special team,” DiCicco said. “And I think it was a glimpse into the future where women’s athletics can be. I don’t think we’ve reached back to that level again where hardcore male sports fans are talking strategy on women’s soccer. It was like the Olympics with only one sport. We’re bonded forever because of that event. You just has fond memories every time you think of it. Going into the penalty kick shootout, I felt pretty confident. I felt the team would rise to the occasion, and scoring five out of five is not easy at any level.”

At Boston’s practice Thursday, two members of the 1999 World Cup champion team were on hand – Kristine Lilly and Mia Hamm. Lilly plays for the Breakers and is only one of three Breakers to play every minute of every game this season. Hamm took in Thursday’s practice and took time out for a World Soccer Reader exclusive interview. Hamm reflected on the 1999 World Cup victory and how the win pushed women’s soccer into the limelight.

“The World Cup was so much more than just us as players. It was about the organizing committee and the challenge they had in front of them and then really stepping up and taking it to a level we never thought possible,” Hamm said. “The communities in which we played, the other country’s teams that were involved, and the media that came out and supported it. That really helped us make it into a historic event.”

Hamm said she still gets stopped today by people who witnessed the historic game.

“We still walk around and people will stop me and say, ‘I remember where I was during that final game,’ to someone in New York, saying ‘You just heard the cheers throughout the entire city. Everyone was watching it.’ That just makes you feel so great,” Hamm said. “As a mother now, I’m hoping to continue those opportunities for young girls.”

Breakers take over Fenway

Twelve Breakers took the field at Fenway Park this past Wednesday, and one of them had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

“It was a big honor and a lot of fun,” said defender Heather Mitts, who took the mound prior to Boston’s game vs. Oakland. “I’m happy that I had a good pitch. It was a little nerve-wracking, I’m not going to lie. Once you get out there and on the field and everybody is kind of piling in to watch the game, you’re like, “What am I doing?’ I was nervous, and everybody said, “Well, you’ve played in the Olympics, what do you mean you’re nervous.’ But this isn’t something I do every day.”

Mitts, in jeans and a Sox T-shirt, fired a perfect strike.

“I was on the spot, but I think that I performed,” she said. “I haven’t thrown a baseball since high school, so it’s been a long time. It was like, ‘Does this arm still work? How do we do this?’ It was fun.”

At the game, Mitts was joined by fellow Breakers Angela Hucles, Ashley Phillips, Ali Lipsher, Kasey Moore, Kristin Luckenbill, Christine Latham, Candace Chapman, Amy Rodriguez, Kelly Schmedes, Mary-Frances Monroe, and Sophia Mundy.

In Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Sky Blue FC, the Breakers conceded an early goal and couldn’t respond, losing to Sky Blue for the second time this season. The two teams meet Sunday in Boston. Saturday afternoon, Sky Blue’s Heather O’Reilly scored in the sixth minute off a corner kick. The goal snapped Boston’s opponent’s scoreless streak. The Breakers went 261 minutes having not conceded a goal.

“It was a pretty even game and we certainly had our chances,” Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco said after the game.  “They scored on the corner, and we weren’t able to answer. We played hard and created chances in the second half, we just weren’t able to convert. We have to execute better next week. The effort was pretty good, we just need to be better in the final pass and the final shot.”

Sky Blue keeper Jenni Branam stopped five shots, while Boston keeper Alli Lipsher came up with six saves, suffering her first loss of the season.

Breakers Notebook: Amy Rodriguez played a full 90 minutes for the first time this season … Nancy Augustyniak Goffi got a start on defense, playing for the injured Sue Weber. Speaking of injuries. Starting left back Heather Mitts came off Saturday in the 46th minute after suffering a gash on the side of her head following a collision with Sky Blue’s Kelly Parker … Brazlian international Fabiana is set to make her Breakers debut, which more than likely will come Sunday night in Boston … In other WPS news, L.A.’s Christie Shaner, playing her first game for the Sol after a trade from Sky Blue, went down with a season-ending injury after she collided with Washington’s Abby Wambach. Shaner fractured her right tibia, which was clearly obvious watching the replay. Both Shaner and Wambach slid in on the ball and collided. Shaner came out of the collision in midair, and her bone bent back looking as if someone was pulling a slingshot. This is the second time that a collision with Wambach resulted in a season-ending injury. A slide tackle on St. Louis’ Daniela earlier this season ended Daniela’s season and earned Wambach a two-game suspension.

Source: Women’s Professional Soccer, Boston Breakers

Heather Mitts plays for the Boston Breakers. A current member of the U.S. Women’s National Team and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Mitts has played 1,068 out of a possible 1,080 minutes this season for the Breakers. She’s anchored one of the strongest back lines in the WPS. Yet, 90 percent of the 14-minute interview Mitts sat through Tuesday morning with WEEI’s Jon Meterparel and Ian “Iggy” Meropol had little to do with soccer.

Meterparel, who teamed up with veteran soccer analyst Seamus Malin to call the Boston Breakers vs. Washington Freedom game Wednesday night for Comcast SportsNet New England, conducted the interview during the Dennis and Callahan Show. Meter and Iggy spent more time talking to Mitts about her looks, her fiance, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley, and quizzing her on current events than they did about soccer. Promoting the segment, WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan website featured a “who’s hotter poll,” pitting Mitts against Brazil’s Laisa, and they had a tease that read, “one of the hottest female athletes, Heather Mitts will stop by the studio.”

Following the Breakers 1-0 win over Washington Wednesday night, a reporter asked Mitts what she thought about all the attention she receives off the field.

“I think it all depends,” Mitts said. “Obviously my interview with WEEI was one of those times where it’s unfortunate, but I think for the most part I’m very flattered, and I think that I’m just out here to help the game to grow, and that’s why I went on the interview. Those guys were tough, but it’s all about the game, and I try to do everything possible in a positive way to help it grow.”

Mitts sat through what WEEI producer Steve Ciaccio (Chach) called, “train wreck radio at its best” in his blog. Early in the interview, Meterparel said of Mitts, who wears number 2, “Number two in your program, but number one in your hearts. The most recognizable female soccer player … worked for ESPN as a sideline reporter. By the way more beautiful in person than Erin Andrews. You were Erin Andrews before Erin Andrews. You’re the most famous Gator in my mind.”

Meterparel then segued, “We’ll get to the soccer part in a moment, but Iggy has a couple questions that he wants to get off his mind.” Iggy asked Mitts a handful of questions about current events that Iggy said Dennis and Callahan wanted him to ask her.

“They said you couldn’t hang current-events-wise, and I disagree,” Iggy said. Iggy asked Mitts about the U.S. Open, the Red Sox, the reality show Jon and Kate Plus 8, and Feeley. “Why don’t you tell everyone who your fiance is. Does he play football still. Is he in the UFL?”

Meterparel quickly jumped in, saying, “not only does he play football, he’s going to beat out Donovan McNabb this year.” They asked Mitts about her planned February 2010 wedding in Cabo. “Cabo? You’re a bigger star than I thought,” Meter said. “Cabo’s reserved for Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.”

Iggy asked Mitts who she voted for in November’s presidential election. She voted for Obama. Iggy asked Mitts what Obama has done that has impressed her the most.

By the time they got back to the soccer, Meterparel said, “This is now the W League they’re calling it.” Mitts corrected him. “WPS, I knew that,” Meterparel said.

Curt Schilling called into the show at one point, defending Mitts. “She’s got actual fans beyond the two goofs in the booth acting like idiots right now,” Schilling said. “You guys are killing me. You gotta get Iggy and Meter back out of the chairs and let this girl relax and enjoy herself.”

Listen to the interview below:

“We played a solid two halves, which we hadn’t been doing,” said Latham, who scored on a great service from Heather Mitts off a set piece in the 37th minute. Latham knocked in a header back post, a half step before crossing the endline. Mitts’ ball, from just outside the far corner of the box, was met by a surging Latham, who knocked it off the gloves of Freedom keeper Erin McLeod.

“We’ve been working on just bending them hard back post,” Latham said. “And I happened to have that back post run, so I just stuck with it and went all the way through and the ball was right there. It was easy. It was a really good service from Heather. It probably didn’t look easy, but it was.”

The ball came into the box, and it appeared as if Angela Hucles would get a head on it, but Latham said she called her off as soon as she saw she had a clear opportunity to beat McLeod.

“I told Ange to leave it, and she ended up ducking a little bit, so she left it for me,” Latham said. “(We have) selfless teammates. She could’ve probably tried to go for it, but she didn’t.”

Mitts talked about the set piece and how she’s worked to elevate her play as a left back.

“It’s something that I’ve been working on all season long is really bending the ball in there, trying to look for the back post,” Mitts said. “Luckily for me, I whipped it in there, and Latham got on the end of it. It’s been a real challenge for me, getting used to playing on the left, so I’m constantly after practice working on anything that involves my left foot. Obviously I want to have the ball on my right, but right now it’s about focusing on my left. The first couple games it felt like I was starting over, and every game has gotten a little bit better.”

Mitts also appeared frustrated that she hasn’t been able to make more of an impact on the attack and getting involved in overlapping runs, ones that right back Alex Scott has taken advantage of.

“I felt like I really didn’t get as involved tonight as I would like,” Mitts said. “The past couple games, I don’t know why, but I’m usually very, very involved getting crosses combined with getting up the flank. It just was the way the game was.”

Latham’s goal, her second against the Freedom when she scored what proved to be the game winner in the April 18 game in Washington, came 25 minutes after Kelly Smith nearly put Boston on the board with a blast off the bar. The play was set up when Kristine Lilly slid into the corner to save the ball from going out of play and then crossed it to Smith, who ripped a shot from just outside the box.

In the 16th minute, Boston had another scoring opportunity, set up by recent call-up Sophia Mundy. The ball came to the top of the box to Mundy, who flicked it off her back heal and right to Amy Rodriguez, who cut in and put a shot on goal. But McLeod managed to tip the ball over the net. Mundy turned in an impressive performance for Boston in her first WPS start.

“Being out there, it’s just a great feeling. I think I’ve come a long way. Tony’s been patient, and I’ve been working hard in practices,” Mundy said. “I finally got on the field, so it’s a relief. I feel like I earned something, Your first WPS game, there’s always a little bit of nervousness, but I tried to relax and talk to a lot of the girls about what I need to do offensively and defensively. I knew that I needed to possess the ball and keep possession for our team.”

The victory was a huge one for Boston, which passed Washington in the standings. The Breakers improved to 5-4-3 (18 points) and are in sole possession of second place. They have the weekend off before getting back into action July 4 at Sky Blue FC, a team they lost to (2-1) back on May 31 in New Jersey. Coming away with a 2-1-1 mark after the four games in 11 days sat well with head coach Tony DiCicco.

“I thought it was a very good performance, especially considering it was our fourth game in 11 days. We played Sunday in the heat and humidity. The players were drained, but they came with a lot of incentive to do well,” he said. “I’ve been telling them that we’re not far off. It’s the little things that make the big difference. I thought the first half was our best soccer both from a defensive standpoint and an offensive standpoint because this Washington team is a good team.”

The Breakers managed to hold off Washington in the second half even when Abby Wambach came off the bench and sparked the Freedom attack. Wambach didn’t start due to a recent injury, but her presence alone when she came onto the pitch in the 54th minute changed the pace of the game and tested Boston’s back line.

“We knew she was coming in. I thought she was going to start the second half, so we were prepared for it,” DiCicco said. “I thought they would move (Sonia) Bompastor into the midfield, where she’s such a good player. We put Kristine Lilly on her, and Lil did a really good job not letting her get in. She still got some dangerous service in, but we didn’t let her get in. I thought that was Kristine Lilly’s best defensive game in a long time.”

Following the game, a frustrated Wambach said she felt like she could’ve played the full 90 minutes, but didn’t want to risk further injury to her hamstring, which she tweaked last weekend against St. Louis.

“Unfortunately I think me not starting puts us on our heels and puts us in a defensive mindset, and it’s hard to break that once the game gets going,” Wambach said. “Boston’s a great team. They’ve got a lot of different threats, and it’s hard to defend 90 minutes against all the different players on the field – Kelly Smith, Kristine Lilly, Alex Scott.”

Washington had three solid scoring opportunities in the final 30 minutes, but Lipsher came up big. She leaped up to save a shot off the foot Rebecca Moros in the 60th minute, and then in the 85th minute, Lipsher snagged a blast from Lori Lindsey. Lipsher’s biggest save of the game came in stoppage time. Japanese international Homare Sawa put a shot on goal, which Lipsher tipped up high off her fingertips. She then caught the ball inches before the goalline.

“It was near the line, but it wasn’t anywhere close to going in,” Lipsher said. “I had it covered.”

Add the fact the many WPS firsts took place Sunday night made for quite an interesting draw, albeit neither team gained the ground they were looking for – the Breakers hoped to get within a point of first-place Los Angeles, while Washington looked to take a big step out of last place.

The game featured first-ever WPS goals by Boston’s and England national team member Alex Scott and Washington’s Rebecca Moros, and first-ever assists from Boston’s Christine Latham, a former member of Team Canada, and Washington’s and Australian national Lisa De Vanna. Still neither team could avenge an early season 3-1 victory by Boston.

“Both games have been pretty even,” Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco said. “I think in some ways, this is the highest-level game we’ve been in. What I tried to tell my team is, they don’t have their star, so that makes them incredibly dangerous because every one of them is going to say to themselves, ‘I need to play a little bit better because we don’t have Abby Wambach, and collectively that makes them an incredibly dangerous team, and in the first half they were much quicker to the ball. They put us under pressure.”

Wambach served a one-game suspension for her tackle on Brazil’s and St. Louis’ Daniela in last week’s draw.

“We have trust and faith in all over our players,” Washington Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “When asked to do the job, they can do it. I don’t think there’s a way you can replace a player like that, but it does give opportunities for other players to step up. It’s a little bit of a turning point, and it’s a point on the road, so we’ll take it.”

Without Wambach, who leads WPS in shots on goal with 25, the Freedom relied on the fiery midfielder, France’s Sonia Bompastor. Coming off a two-goal performance against Athletica, Bompastor didn’t factor into the scoring Sunday night, but did make a couple of nice runs and created a bit of havoc defending Boston’s Kelly Smith, the league’s leading scorer.

“I think it’s a good result from us because Boston is a very good team. I think 1-1 here is a good result,” Bompastor said. “It’s a good job because we defend as a group. It’s good because have a good draw without Abby. ”

The Freedom struck first when Moros took a great through-ball from De Vanna into the box. De Vanna’s shot beat Boston keeper Kristen Luckenbill, who had made a couple of key stops up to that point.

“We didn’t come out hard in the first half, and they got a goal, so we had to play a little catch-up,” Boston captain Kristine Lilly said. “But I think overall we are improving. We have to put a 90-minute game together to really make us feel good and to show teams we’ve got 90 minutes and not 65-70 in us.”

The Breakers, a bit sluggish and sloppy in the first half, came out a different team in the second half, exuding more patience, which led to an early game-tying goal by Scott. On an overlapping run on the right wing, Scott broke to the corner when Christine Latham threaded a pass from midfield to a streak Scott, who caught right up to the ball and stormed into the box before unleashing a shot that managed to get between the outstretched reach of Washington keeper Erin McLeod and the underside of the crossbar.

“Latham held the ball up really well, and I overlapped, and she played a great ball through to me,” Scott said. “I think Kelly was screaming for it in the penalty box, and said if I didn’t score, she would’ve gone mad, so I’m glad it went in at the end.”

In practice, DiCicco encouraged his backs to make overlapping runs to give the team an added attack.

“Tony’s always encouraging for me to get forward and Heather Mitts, and it’s part of our game, and we like to attack,” Scott said. “We’re glad that we work on it in training and it comes off in the games.”

Boston had two great second-half chances, but failed to capitalize. In the 68th minute, Smith rocketed a shot from 25 yards out, and McLeod made a phenomenal save to keep the game even.

“Their goalkeeper came up with the best eave of the season on Kelly Smith, where we would’ve taken the lead there, 2-1,” DiCicco said.

Lilly had a great chance in the 83rd minute when Candace Chapman, a late-game substitute for Stacy Bishop, sent a great ball to Lilly in the box. Lilly trapped the ball but flicked it over the net.

“The last one, I should’ve finished that,” Lilly said. “There’s no excuse for that. It was a good ball by Candace, and I think when she came in the game, she gave me a couple great balls. You’ve got to finish, and this is the type of game you want to and I can’t get down about it and get ready to play again. I got a great first touch on it and I went to hit it and I think I was going to get hit, so I was trying to get it off, thinking I needed to, but I didn’t. I just over-hit it. It was bad, just bad.”

Following the game, DiCicco went on a tirade against WPS referees. The two teams received a total of 10 fouls and three yellow cards.

“The only part of the game that wasn’t up to the level was the refereeing, which is getting scary now because the coaching’s getting better, the players are getting better, and the refereeing is starting to lose ground to the game’s higher level of intensity and play so I think every coach, I know Jim and I are concerned with it. It’s just not good enough,” DiCicco said. “They’re over their head, and they have to learn just like the players have to learn to play at this level. The refereeing has to get better at this level. It becomes a safety concern. These games are going to get more intense. They’re going to have more hitting and more combative play. The refeering has to get better, and they have to find that if it isn’t good enough, they have to find people who are good enough. And it’s not just the center referee either. It’s the assistant referees on the outside. There are things that happen on the field. There can be a foul, but there can be a play on, but she didn’t even see what the play-ons were, and I don’t think the assistant referees helped them. It’s something the league has to be concerned about.”

A midfield tussle between Bompastor and Smith led to Smith getting hauled down to the ground. Smith jogged aside the center referee for a few seconds and lifted up her shorts to show her the turf burn. The official didn’t blow the ball dead and didn’t issue a warning after Smith got taken down.

“I don’t want to see my players hurt, and Jim Gabarra and the other coaches in the league don’t want to see their players hurt. You’ve got to protect the creative player,” DiCicco said. “Every time Kelly Smith gets the ball, they are at her heals and kicking, and she’s not going to dive. She’s the most fouled player in the league, and she’s played one less game than anyone else. She’s been fouled twice as much as Marta. And the third most fouled player in the league is Kristine Lilly.”

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Breakers notebook:

Coach Tony DiCicco said his team needed to win this game, particularly since the Breakers have a bye week. “There’s a lot of teams in the league that are pretty happy that this was a draw. Winning the game would’ve given us 13 points, kept us right on the heels of LA, and now we’ve brought teams closer.” … FC Gold Pride have a chance to take sole possession of second place if they beat the Sol Sunday, while Chicago, which plays St. Louis Saturday, could tie Boston in the standings with a victory over Athletica … 4,241 people turned out Sunday night, roughly 600 less than the team’s home opener and more than 7,000 fewer than the team’s home match against the Sol … During a halftime ceremony, former Breakers star Maren Meinert became the first inductee into the Breakers’ Pillars of Excellence … The Breakers will be without seven players this week, although none of them will miss any WPS action (Boston doesn’t play again until May 31 when it visits Sky Blue FC). Kelly Smith and Alex Scott left Monday morning for a four-day training camp in England to prepare for EURO 2009, while Angela Hucles, Amy LePeilbet, Amy Rodriguez, and Heather Mitts all were called by up U.S. national team coach Pia Sundhage for a friendly against Canada, a team that called up Boston’s Candace Chapman.