Kelly Smith Named WPS Player of the Month for April

High five!

England's Kelly Smith has had a great start to her 2nd stint as a professional footballer in the WPS. She agonised over her decision to leave Arsenal and try once again to elevate her game and live out her dreams. So far it's all going swimmingly well. Other people have also taken note.

Boston Breakers forward Kelly Smith was named the WPS Player of the Month, it was announced today by Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) for the month of April.

Smith becomes the league’s first-ever monthly award recipient. She scored goals in all three of the games she played during the month of April, leading the Breakers to a 2-1-0 record in those matches. The English National Team forward was an automatic nominee for the award after claiming the WPS Player of the Week award on April 12 for Week 3. Smith beat out two of her opponents for the next two weekends, Los Angeles Sol forward Marta and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who finished second and third, respectively, for the monthly honor.

The award was selected by team ballots, media vote and online fan voting with each group accounting for one-third of the final tally. Nearly 1,000 fans voted at the league’s Fan Corner at http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com to help select the winner.

In Boston’s home opener a week later, Smith was involved in both goals in the Breakers’ 2-0 win over Saint Louis Athletica. Smith scored the first goal and then provided the decisive pass on Kristine’s Lilly’s late goal to put the game out of reach. That performance led her to being named the WPS Player of the Week.

On April 18, Smith scored the league’s first-ever penalty kick to open the scoring in Boston’s first road victory, a 3-1 triumph over former WUSA rivals the Washington Freedom.

The England international is tied for the league lead in goals scored with Los Angeles’ Marta. Smith has finished as a finalist to Marta, the three-time reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, in two of the past three years.

The WPS Player of the Month award is voted on at the end of each month by media, fans and teams. Nominees come from each of the WPS Player of the Week award winners during the month, and write-in votes are accepted. The weekly award is voted on by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR).

Congratulations Kelly from all at Womens Soccer Insider.