Katie Schoepfer won’t return to Boston Breakers in 2017

Katie Schoepfer has been with the Boston Breakers through thick and thin, through three leagues and 95 caps total across all her appearances for the team. But now it’s time for the team to find its way without her, as she announced they have not picked up her contract option for 2017.

Schoepfer was a big goalscorer for the Breakers in WPSL Elite, but didn’t see the same numbers in NWSL. She also got shifted back into a defensive mid role by Tom Durkin, and was sometimes kept there by Matt Beard, especially after the departure of McCall Zerboni left a hole by Angela Salem.

In 2016 Schoepfer had eight starts in 12 games for a total of 597 minutes, bagging one goal.

It was a pretty big reduction from 2015, when Schoepfer had 17 starts in 19 games for 1421 minutes played, with two assists.

The dip in playing time, which bumped back up as a reaction to needing to fill a sudden hole in the roster, didn’t bode well for her returning in 2017, and now with Matt Beard poised to really build the roster he wants instead of Frankensteining an old roster and a new one together, she’ll only be the first of several to get cut.

Still, it’s sad to see someone with such a long history with Boston leaving. Very few players in this league manage to amass that kind of longevity for a number of reasons, among them the eventual need to find a better job with a more livable salary. Schoepfer was a rarity and a lowkey fan favorite through her solid, steady presence year after year, and will certainly be missed by the Boston faithful.