The Boston Breakers have a reputation, and it’s not a great one. Fans of the beleaguered team saw them drop to the bottom of the table under the hamfisted guidance of head coach Tom Durkin, and then struggle with their identity all through the 2016 season under new head coach Matt Beard. But Beard was starting to turn the ship when the season ended; the potential was there, kickstarted by the arrival of English forward Natasha Dowie.
Beard completely revamped the team in the offseason. The 2016 Breakers were a sort of hodgepodge of old roster and new, with Beard trying to fuse the two into something functional.