The WPSL Elite League announced on Monday that the Boston Breakers have forfeited their May 26 game against the Western New York Flash due to the use of an ineligible player. Forward Melissa Henderson played the full 90 minutes in Boston’s 3-2 home victory but her paperwork had not yet cleared with the U.S. Soccer Federation, WPSL Elite League commissioner Jerry Zanelli said.
The forfeit bumps Boston’s record from 6-1 to 5-2 and moves the Breakers from a tie for first place to the fourth and final playoff position. Boston is now 5-2-0 (15 pts.) and WNY Flash boosts its record to 5-1-2 (17 pts.). Officially, the match goes down as a 1-0 victory for the Western New York Flash, wiping out a Katie Schoepfer hat trick for Boston.
Here is the wacky part: Henderson’s paperwork problem was with her International Transfer Certificate (ITC), which had not yet cleared with U.S. Soccer. Where was it being held? In Russia, according to Zanelli. And you thought we were done with the crazy stories out of Russia. We’ll keep looking into this. It seems there was a lot of miscommunication, but the Russia aspect is a new twist to the overseas Twilight Zone.
The Breakers are expected to issue a press release on Tuesday morning. Here is what Monday evening’s press release from the WPSL Elite League stated (with a corrected table, which was all out of sorts):
WPSL Elite League Standings for Week 6
| Team | Points | Games | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| Chicago Red Stars | 18 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 12 |
| Western New York Flash | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 10 |
| New York Fury | 16 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| Boston Breakers | 15 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 |
| New England Mutiny | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 19 | -6 |
| ASA Chesapeake Charge | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 19 | -13 |
| Philadelphia Fever | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | -6 |
| FC Indiana | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 21 | -16 |
