Falk's strike salvages a point for Independence

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - When it comes to firsts in Women's Professional Soccer games, Independence defender Allison Falk is second to none.

Falk scored the first goal in franchise history in Sunday's comeback 1-1 tie with the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium.

It was Falk's second goal of her two-year WPS career, and it was also her "second" first.

Playing last season for the Los Angeles Sol, Falk scored the first goal ever in WPS history, on March 29, 2009, in a 2-0 win over the Washington Freedom.

Falk scored the first Independence goal on a header from Lori Lindsey's service off a free kick to the far post in the 55th minute.

"First goal last year and first goal this year, but I'm sorry I couldn't score the second goal," Falk said. "Hopefully, I will be able to score more this year."

Falk sat out last week's scoreless tie with the Atlanta Beat due to a red card that she received while playing for the Sol in last year's WPS championship loss to New Jersey's Sky Blue.

"It was really tough going through preseason and not being able to play that game," she said.

Not only did Falk tie the score in Sunday's game, she took away the momentum Boston had gained after Kelly Smith scored on a 20-yard free kick in the 49th minute that deflected off the defensive wall set up by the Independence.

"I didn't think the ball was going to go in," Smith said of her goal. "I don't think I had enough lift on it."

Philadelphia fans will remember Smith playing for the Charge of the WUSA. The 31-year-old English national remains among the most dangerous offensive players in the world.

Falk's goal energized the Independence (0-0-2), and they did a much better job holding onto the ball and attacking after her score, in a fairly wide-open second half.

"The best thing was that we got back in the game almost immediately after they scored," Independence coach Paul Riley said. "We hadn't scored a goal, and to get one off a set piece gave us a big lift."

In the 86th minute, Independence midfielder Jen Buczkowski received her second yellow card and an automatic red-card ejection, forcing her team to compete with a player short. Buczkowski will now sit out the next game, on Sunday at West Chester University against the Washington Freedom.

Boston (1-0-1), with the player advantage, kept applying the pressure. In stoppage time, the Breakers' wide-open Lauren Cheney headed a ball over the goal.

There was early controversy in the game's sixth minute, when Independence defender Heather Mitts, returning to action after missing the last game with a quadriceps injury, took down the ageless Kristine Lilly in the box.

The Breakers were originally awarded a penalty kick by referee Bryan Roslund. But then he conferred with assistant referee Amy Willing, who had called offside before the foul took place, and the penalty kick was waived.

As she had in the opening scoreless tie with Atlanta, Independence goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc kept her team in the game with several big saves. The best came in the 32d minute when Boston's Liz Bogus sent Smith on goal, and LeBlanc just tipped the ball away at the last second, saving a sure goal. It was one of many big plays in the team's first-ever road game.