SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Former Santa Clara
University All-Americans and close friends, Jordan Angeli and Leslie Osborne, have reunited in the Women's
Professional Soccer League (WPS) to help the Boston Breakers
emerge as contenders for the 2010 WPS Championship.
Teammates on Santa Clara's Final Four team in 2004, the
midfielders are playing together once again, this time at the
professional level. They have helped Boston win six of their last
eight games and position for a run in September's WPS playoffs.
"What an amazing opportunity this has been for us," said Osborne,
who not only played with Angeli in 2004, but also mentored her on
two different occasions as a volunteer assistant coach at Santa
Clara in 2005 and 2009. "We have been through so much together and
would do anything for each other on and off the field."
It was off the field in 2008 when their relationship really grew.
Both suffered devastating ACL injuries that spring, costing Osborne
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the U.S. at the
Beijing Olympics. Angeli was being forced to sit out a
second-consecutive season at Santa Clara.
"I remember making those drives together, four hours a day,
commuting from Santa Clara to San Francisco. We talked, we cried,
we leaned on each other," said Angeli, reflecting on their physical
therapy sessions in San Francisco.
"There are few people in your life you can open up to and be
vulnerable with," said Osborne about those drives. "We were able to
really connect, tell each other what was on our minds. That helped
us get through that tough rehab time, mentally and physically,
pushing each other to comeback."
Both players did bounce back. Osborne signed on with the Bay
Area's F.C. Gold Pride for their inagural season in 2009 while also
assisting the SCU coaching staff. She watched from the sidelines as
Angeli co-captained the Broncos into the third round of the 2009
NCAA College Cup Tournament.
Osborne inked a free agent contract with Boston prior to the 2010
WPS season - the same team who would select Angeli as the
16th overall pick in the 2010 draft.
The pair helped spark a midseason turnaround for the Breakers.
After a slow start, Angeli was inserted into the starting lineup
and has emerged as a first-year star. She scored four goals in July
and became the league's first true rookie to earn WPS 'Player of the Month' honors. She
currently leads all WPS newcomers in goals and is a strong
candidate to be named the WPS 'Rookie of the Year.'
"I'm thankful for every day," said Angeli about her first year in
professional soccer. "The novelty has not worn off, putting on that
jersey, living out my dream. I feel very blessed."
"We recognized her leadership qualities right away, early on at
Santa Clara," said Osborne. "So I am not surprised to see her
having the success she is having at this level – not at all.
What I'm really happy for is to be part of it together, for us and
our families."
Known for her tireless work ethic and character, Osborne has
consistently been a role model for Angeli. A seven-year veteran of
the U.S. National Team, Osborne says she would love to continue
coaching and mentoring young players, citing Santa Clara as a
program she would like to remain connected to.
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No. 11 SCU Shuts Out Utah, 1-0
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