Boston Breakers' Smith Wins WPS's First Player of the Week Honors

Boston Breakers forward/midfielder Kelly Smith was named the WPS Player of the Week, it was announced this afternoon by Women’s Professional Soccer for the week ending April 12.

Smith notched her second goal of the year and added an assist in the Breakers’ 2-0 win over Saint Louis Athletica in Boston’s home opener Saturday night at Harvard Stadium.

The England international has been involved in all three of the Breakers’ goals this season and is tied with the league lead in goals scored along with Marta (Los Angeles) and Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago).

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the league,” said Smith. “My teammates deserve much of the credit. It was a great effort by everyone on Saturday and we are really starting to come together as a team.”

The WPS Player of the Week award is voted on each week by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). Each weekly winner is then nominated for the WPS Player of the Month award.

Smith and the Breakers are set to take on the Washington Freedom at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Germantown, Md., in the first of back-to-back road games for the team. This will be the first Breakers-Freedom match-up since the 2003 WUSA semifinals.

The Boston Breakers are one of seven Women’s Professional Soccer franchises and opened play in April, 2009.

The team plays its home games at Harvard Stadium and single-game tickets for all games, as well as group and season tickets are now on sale by calling 781-251-2100. For online orders, package details and a seating chart, visit www.bostonbreakers.com.

About Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)

The mission of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women's soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women's professional sports are measured.

The Inaugural Season kicked off on March 29 and runs through August 22, 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

The league's eighth franchise, Philadelphia, will begin play next season with Atlanta expected to join as the ninth team in 2010, as well. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.