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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (April 18, 2010) – The Boston Breakers (1-0-1, 4 points) and the Philadelphia Independence (0-0-2, 2 points) played to a 1-1 tie Sunday evening at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

Boston opened the scoring in the 50th minute as forward Lauren Cheney drew a foul 20 yards out from the goal.  Kelly Smith took the free kick, firing a left-footed shot off the Philadelphia wall and into the lower left corner past off-guard Independence goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc.  The goal was Smith’s second in as many games.

The Breakers’ lead was short lived as the Philadelphia Independence recorded the first goal in team history in the 56th minute.  From the right flank, midfielder Lori Lindsey served a free kick into the penalty area.  Making a far post run, defender Allison Falk rose and nodded the ball into the left side of the goal.  Falk now holds the distinction of scoring the first goal in WPS history – for the Los Angeles Sol on March 29, 2009 – and tallying the first goal in Philadelphia Independence history.

Philadelphia midfielder Jen Buczkowski was ejected in the 86th minute after earning her second yellow card of the match.  Boston played with a player advantage for the remaining four minutes plus stoppage time but could not find the equalizer.

“We’re creating chances, but we have to create chances on goal,” said Breakers captain Kristine Lilly.  “We have to put more on goal.  The more we put on goal, the more chances we have to score. We'll keep plugging away and hopefully next weekend we get one more goal than the other team." 

The Breakers head to St. Louis on Sunday, April 25 to play the Athletica in a match that can be viewed on Fox Soccer Channel, on the WPS Webcast and on iPhones (6pm ET/3pm PT).  The Independence, meanwhile, return home to host the Washington Freedom on Sunday, April 25 at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

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POST-GAME QUOTES

Boston Breakers

Midfielder Kristine Lilly

On missed opportunities
We had opportunities but we don’t still have enough shots on goal to get the chances, but the team fought so you can’t be disappointed with how they fought.  Our effort is there, now we have to really finish the chances because we had two chances and we didn’t finish them. And you have to, at this is the level you have to [finish off chances].  And now we just keep focusing, we get a point out of [the tie].  We move onto the next week.

On the physical play
Soccer is physical.  They’re a physical team.  They have some heavy presence in there.  This game is extremely physical in this league so it’s not any different.

On the team’s performance
We did alright.  When we possessed the ball, we looked good.   We’re creating chances, but we have to create chances on goal.  We have to put more on goal.  The more we put on goal, the more chances we have to score so you know we keep plugging away and hopefully next weekend we get one more goal than the other team.

Midfielder Kelly Smith

On what the Breakers can improve on
Finishing when we have our opportunities.  You know I had one where I should’ve scored early on.  [Kristine] Lilly had one that she probably deserved and was disappointed that she didn’t put away.  [Lauren] Cheney at the end there with the header.  Opportunities that you need to put away in games like this.

On her knee
Fine.  Good, healthy.

Head Coach Tony DiCicco

On the offsides call
Yes, strange.  I mean they didn’t argue.  Nobody on their team said offsides.  I have no angle to see if it’s accurate or not so I have to assume the assistant referee got it right.

On the second half
Second half is more the way we like to play.  I thought we dominated the second half and scored.  There’s was a play when we were up 1-0 and Lilly crossed the face of the goal, [if that went in] we’d go up 2-0, I think we win that game but that’s the nature of the game of soccer.

On Lauren Cheney
She’s doing well.  She’s learning and she’s playing hard.  I have to see the goal to see if she had any chance to get to the ball before it was headed, but certainly once it was headed she had no chance on it.  But, we’re pleased with that and I’m pleased with our defense.  In both our first two games, we haven’t given up that many opportunities and now we need to reap the benefits of hard work defensively and get a clean slate.

Philadelphia Independence

Defender Allison Falk

On her goal
It was the perfect ball that came in.  I was wide open went up for it, put a head on it and it went in.  It was very exciting that first goal [for us] that tied the game and brought momentum back in our favor.

Midfielder Lori Lindsey

On Falk’s goal
It was important to get that goal.  After they scored we said there was plenty of time and we wanted to get it back quickly and that is what we did.

Head Coach Paul Riley

On the road and with ten players at end of game.  We would have gone after the game and tried to pinch it maybe if they kept eleven.  We lost that player and settled for that point.

On Falk’s goal
The best thing is that we got back in the game almost immediately. We hadn't scored a goal and to get a goal off a set piece was huge.