Whitney Engen snapped a season-opening 468-minute goal drought for the Breakers, who clinched their first win of 2016 by beating FC Kansas City 1-0 on Sunday at Jordan Field in Allston, Mass.
Engen tallied the first Boston’s first goal of the season in the 19th minute on a corner kick from Kristie Mewis.
“We worked on it in training yesterday and we were focusing on the back post,” Engen told the media after the match. “Kristie Mewis served a gorgeous ball and it kind of got lost in the sun. It just appeared, and I stuck it in the back of the net.”
Goalkeeper Libby Stout made four saves to collect the club’s first clean sheet of the season.
Boston outshot their foes 14-10, and forced four stops from Kansas City keeper Nicole Barnhart.
Longtime Breakers fan favorite Heather O’Reilly went the full 90 for Kansas City.
With the win, the Breakers mark went to 1-5-0 (3 points) while defending champion Kansas City, now the lone club in NWSL without a victory, fell to 0-4-2 (2 points).
Sunday’s win was first set for three points in NWSL play for Breakers first-year head coach Matt Beard, who was impressed with his club’s performance.
“Tonight,” Beard told the media, “from start to finish, I thought we were fantastic.”
The Breakers will return to action on Friday against the Western New York Flash at Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm.
*Originally published on NE Soccer Today
Boston Breakers
