Breakers sign Christine Latham

January 11, 2009 - The Boston Breakers have signed former Canadian National Team forward and WUSA Rookie of the Year Christine Latham to a multi-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed per team policy.

Christine Latham played in 49 matches for the Canadian National Team. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Breakers)

"I am ecstatic to become a part of such a well-known organization," said Latham, who is the Breakers' first international signing. "I know from playing in the WUSA last time around that the Boston Breakers pride themselves on having and maintaining such a strong organization, so I look forward to contributing to the team this year and being a part of the Boston Breakers family."

"We are delighted to bring in a player of Christine's caliber and to have signed our first international player," said Breakers President and General Manager Joe Cummings. "She gives us a strong, physical presence up front and has a proven ability to score goals at the highest level."

Latham is no stranger to American soccer. The Calgary native enjoyed a stellar career at the University of Nebraska, where she was a three-time All-American and two-time Hermann Trophy (national player of the year award) finalist. Latham, who played for Nebraska from 1999-2002, remains the Huskers' all-time leader in goals scored (69) and points (167).

After finishing her collegiate career, Latham went on to be named the WUSA's top rookie while playing for the San Diego Spirit during the league's final season in 2003. She tallied six goals and three assists that year after being signed as a Discovery Player by the Spirit in February 2003.

Latham has earned a total of 49 caps with the Canadian National Team. She started in her first appearance with the team in a 1-0 win over Korea on May 5, 2000 at the Nike Cup and scored her first international goal a month later in a 5-1 win over Japan. She started all six matches for Canada at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, scoring a team-high three goals in the tournament. She played the full 90 minutes in her most recent appearance, a 2-0 loss to the United States in a July 30, 2006 friendly.

Latham has continued to play in the United States over the past four years for a pair of W-League clubs. She played for the New Jersey Wildcats in 2005, and captained the Atlanta Silverbacks from 2006-2008. She was the leading scorer for the Silverbacks in 2007 with 10 goals and two assists, and ranked third in the league with 15 goals in 2008.

Latham joins a Breakers strike force with an international flavor, including Brazilian Fabiana, Shinobu Ohno of Japan, and England’s Kelly Smith.