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BOYDS, Md. (April 10, 2010) – The 2010 WPS season kicked off at the Maryland Soccerplex Saturday evening as the visiting Boston Breakers (1-0-0, 3 points) notched a 2-1 victory over the Washington Freedom (0-1-0, 0 points).

Aggressive from the first whistle, the Breakers tallied the season’s first goal in just the 7th minute when Lauren Cheney tapped the ball in off a Kristine Lilly corner kick.  The score was the first professional goal for Cheney, the second overall selection in the 2010 WPS Draft.

Thirteen minutes later Kelly Smith, the Breakers leading goalscorer in 2009, recorded her first goal of the 2010 campaign when she shot past Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod and into the far corner of the goal.

“A good win tonight against a good Washington Freedom team,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco.  “Early goals by Cheney and Smith, defending by the back four led by Amy LePeilbet, and excellent goalkeeping by (Ashley) Phillips in her first start was the difference.  I am very proud of this team.”

"Overall we did pretty well," said Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra. "It's tough when you're down two and you've got to start making some changes."

The Freedom exerted more attacking pressure in the second half, with their most dangerous chances coming late in the match.  In the 86th minute, Abby Wambach fired a cross in front of the Boston goal that found the feet of second-half substitute Lisa De Vanna. De Vanna took the shot but Boston goalkeeper Ashley Phillips quickly collapsed on the ball and cleared it away from the Boston goal.  A minute later Allie Long latched onto an Abby Wambach pass to score Washington's first goal of the season.

"We're still learning defensively what to do - we've got some growing pains - but I think Rebecca Moros and Nikki Marshall did really well out there," said Freedom defender Cat Whitehill. "We got better as the game went on and that's encouraging and that's what we're going to build on right now."

Phillips, Boston's developmental goalkeeper in 2009, made her professional debut in the victory.  Freedom goalkeeper McLeod logged a number of key stops in the second half, including punching a hard shot from Boston's Amy LePeilbet over the crossbar.

The Breakers return to Boston to host the Philadelphia Independence on Sunday, April 18 (6pm ET/3pm PT on Fox Soccer Channel).  The Freedom will host the Atlanta Beat on Sunday, April 18 at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

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POST-GAME QUOTES

WASHINGTON FREEDOM

Jim Gabarra, Washington Freedom Head Coach:

"Overall we did pretty well. I thought Nikki [Marshall] looked very comfortable. She's got the pace and the willingness to recover. Becca [Moros] is back there because she can defend and has the ability to possess the ball and connect some passes out of the back.

It's tough when you're down two and you've got to start making some changes. We weren't as sharp as they were in midfield and that's where we kind of lost the battle.

Kelly Smith and [Lauren] Cheney are two very dangerous players and they were doing pretty much whatever they wanted. We needed to be tight on them and we weren't.

It has [4-2-3-1 system] been a successful system for us in the preseason. For the personnel that we have, it's a system that's been working for us.

They [Boston Breakers] didn't have any great chances unless it was from our mistakes. We certainly weren't broken down by their play. We were broken down by our lack of intensity.

We need to play another system aside from the 4-2-3-1 and we have to learn more systems. We need time.

We went to a 4-4-2 when we took Sawa out because Abby [Wambach] wasn't comfortable. We went to a 4-3-3 with Welsh coming in."

Cat Whitehill, Washington Freedom Defender:

"We're still learning defensively. What to do, where to be. We're working on that.

We're going through some growing pains.

We got better as the game went on so it's encouraging.

We started tentative, almost nervous, at the beginning. That might have to do with first game jitters.

They scored early and that set the pace. The first five or ten minutes of a game are usually the most dangerous. Especially the first ten minutes of the first game of the season. "

Rebecca Moros, Washington Freedom Forward:

"We were slow transitioning and that's why we had a slow start.

It surprises you when the first goal goes in. It takes the wind out of your sails. We didn't really get it back until the second half. Boston did a really good job. They're a good team.

We didn't have anyone attacking up top until the second half when Abby [Wambach]] started staying up top more."