The Year That Was: New England soccer

Twenty ten was an eventful year for a number of New England-based teams.

Perhaps the most notable moment within the confines of the region was Boston Aztec’s capture of the WPSL national championship back on August 1st. The Aztec (12-1-1, 37 pts.), who also serve as the feeder team for the Boston Breakers, claimed the title with a 2-1 win over Ajax America down in the oppressive, unforgiving Dallas heat thanks to goals from Becky Ryan and Becca Mays.

The aforementioned Breakers also found their way into the playoffs in 2010 after second place finish (10-8-6), thanks to impressive performances from the dependable Kelly Smith (11 goals, 5 assists) and surprising rookie Jordan Angeli (7 goals, 3 assists). However, their postseason journey took an abrupt detour when they were upset by the upstart Philadelphia Independence 2-1 in the WPS semis.

Then, there was the sucess of MPS Portland Phoenix, a first-year entry in Premier Development League that finished in second place (10-2-4, 34 pts.) of the Northeast Division. Goalkeeper Ryan Thompson, who landed a training invitation from the Revolution during the season, also received a trial with the Shamrock Rovers after the season concluded.

Meanwhile, the Vermont Voltage (5-7-4, 19 pts.), Western Mass Pioneers (4-6-6, 18 pts.), and New Hampshire Phantoms (3-9-4, 13 pts.) all finished fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, in the Northeast Division.

Last, but certainly not least, the Boston College women’s soccer team made a remarkable run deep into the NCAA tournament that brought them all the way to the Final Four, before they fell to Stanford. The Eagles, who went 17-7-1 (52 pts.) on the season, boasted a pair of capable goalscorers in Victoria DiMartino (14 goals) and Kristie Mewis (10 goals) during a season that won’t soon be forgotten.