Breakers Preparing for NWSL Draft

Published on January 17, 2013 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Boston Breakers News Release


The 2013 National Women's Soccer League Draft is less than 24 hours away, and Boston Breakers Head Coach Lisa Cole and her staff are looking to fill key positions as they build their roster. The Draft takes place Friday, Jan. 18, at 9 a.m. ET at the NSCAA Convention in Indianapolis.

"We were given players at certain positions (in the allocation), and we don't have any in other spots," Cole said. "So that'll be a need for us."

In the allocation, the Breakers received U.S. Women's National Team players Heather O'Reilly, a midfielder who trained with Boston last year and played in two games, former Breakers defender Heather Mitts, and rising star forward Sydney Leroux. From Canada, the Breakers received veteran defender Rhian Wilkinson, a mainstay on the back line for Canada, and up-and-coming forward Adriana Leon, who recently scored her first goal for the senior team at this week's Four Nations Tournament in China. From Mexico, the Breakers got keeper Cecilia Santiago, who was the youngest player at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, and forward Anisa Guajardo, who recently wrapped up a stellar career at Pepperdine University.

Cole is looking at a number of college players and has had the benefit of seeing them play throughout their college careers.

"I'm lucky that I have good connections with college coaches. We have coaches send video of their players. In a lot of cases, I've watched them throughout their career," Cole said. "So I can see how they fit into our team."

Fans can follow the draft live on Twitter @NWSL or via the Boston Breakers Twitter @BostonBreakers.

The draft order is as follows:

1. Chicago Red Stars

2. Washington Spirit

3. FC Kansas City

4. Sky Blue FC (New York/New Jersey)

5. Boston Breakers

6. Western New York Flash

7. Seattle Reign FC

8. Portland Thorns FC

The draft will consist of four rounds with each team receiving three minutes to make a selection in the first two rounds, and five minutes to make a selection in the final two rounds. After the first round is completed the order will remain the same for the following three rounds, with Chicago selecting first to start each round. The Breakers have picks No. 5, 13, 21, and 29.

The draft order was determined with assistance from a panel of experts and agreed upon by all eight clubs. The panel ranked the strength of each club based on their allocated players, and conducted a weighted draw.

Friday's draft is another opportunity for the eight clubs to shape their roster for the league's inaugural season. Last Friday, the league announced allocation of 55 players from the U.S., Canadian and Mexican National Teams.

U.S. Soccer is subsidizing the salaries of the American players, while the Canadian Soccer Association and the Federation of Mexican Football will each do the same for their players. All 18 U.S. players on the gold medal-winning 2012 Olympic team were included in the allocation, while 13 of the Canadian players were part of the bronze medal-winning team.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from January 17, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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