Louise Schillgard won’t return to Boston in 2017

Swedish midfielder Louise Schillgard will not return to the Boston Breakers in 2017, the club announced today. Per team press release, Schillgard is leaving “for personal reasons.”

“She is a special player,” said head coach Matt Beard, “And of course I am disappointed that she isn’t able to return, but her family comes first. I wish her, Johan, and Matteus all the best for the future.”

Schillgard signed with Boston for the 2016 season and started 16 of 18 games for 1,429 minutes of playing time. She had one goal and two assists. After a slightly rough introduction to NWSL - practically a right of passage by now for most European players who enter American women’s soccer - Schillgard came up to speed and became a decent centerpiece for Boston, eventually finding ways to click with late signing Natasha Dowie. Given a whole season to work together, who knows what kind of chemistry they might have found.

The team already signaled Schillgard’s departure with the signing of Rosie White, though, as White became their fourth international player. The team would have had to trade for a fifth international spot to keep Schillgard on or lose Natasha Dowie, Kyah Simon, or their new signing, Emilie Haavi. Schillgard was one of 13 players on whom Boston renewed a contract option for 2017, so clearly it wasn’t a matter of picking a different international over her.

This departure brings the roster back down to 17 filled spots, assuming no one else on the contract option list has to leave or decline.