WNY has outscored the Breakers 11-1 in their previous 2 meetings this season.
ALLSTON, MA. — The Western New York Flash (8-5-4), who sit in 4th in the National Women’s Soccer League standings, are traveling to New England this weekend to face the last-place Boston Breakers (3-13-1). This will be the first of two meetings between the Flash and the Breakers in the month of September, and the third meeting between the two sides this season. The previous two matches both ended with dominant Flash wins.
With two wins already this season against Boston, the Flash are looking to sweep the season series versus Boston with a win on Wednesday and a win on September 24. A win by WNY also would give them their first victory since July 9 at home against Seattle.
In the previous two games against Boston, the Flash scored 11 goals combined, while only allowing only one goal. In the first meeting, Lynn Williams led the Flash with 2 goals, providing half of the scoring in a 4-0 Flash win. Then, on June 24, the Flash had an offensive explosion for 7 goals, as Jessica McDonald tallied 3 goals and an assist, as Williams added 2 goals and an assist.
On Saturday, the Flash played the Washington Spirit at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD. Despite the Spirit being the best team in the NWSL this season, the Flash were able to rally and earn the 1-1 draw. In a game where WNY outshot the Spirit, 25-8, and dominated the possession battle, both teams generated scoring chances early and often. But it was not until the 64th minute that someone finally got onto the scoreboard, when Washington’s Katie Stengel took a feed from Crystal Dunn and barely beat a charging Sabrina D’Angelo to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead.
Fortunately, Samantha Mewis was in the right spot at the right time in the 85th minute, as she was able to corral the ball after a crazy 30-second stretch and put a shot on goal that Washington goalkeeper Kelsey Wys was only able to get a piece of before the ball squeaked over the line.
The Breakers played in Oregon last Sunday, dropping the match 5-1 against Portland Thorns FC.
After 17 matches, the Flash sit in fourth place in the NWSL standings with 28 points, trailing the third-place Chicago Red Stars by one point. Following Wednesday’s game against Boston, the Flash will fly straight to Portland to face the Thorns on Sunday, Sept. 11. The Flash will finish their regular season on Sept. 24 when they return to Massachusetts to face the Breakers again.
The Flash will be able to clinch a spot in the 2016 NWSL Playoffs with a win against the Breakers on Wednesday, paired with a Seattle loss (vs. Washington) AND a Sky Blue FC loss or draw (vs. Orlando).
This week’s match kicks off at 7 pm. at Jordan Field in Allston, MA. A live stream of the game will be available at youtube.com/NWSL.