Birgit Prinz scored for the fifth successive game Saturday, tying Tiffeny Milbrett's WUSA record, but Carolina needed a own goal to get past visiting Boston, 2-1, and become the first team to notch its 10th victory. Danielle Fotopoulos' back heel in a goal-mouth scramble deflected off Angela Hucles and into the Breakers' net to break a 1-1 tie and enable the Courage to return to first place in the WUSA, at least for several hours. Philadelphia can return to the top spot with a victory Sunday over Washington. Carolina (10-2-3, 33 points) plays at Philadelphia (9-1-3, 30 points) next Saturday. Both Courage losses have come at home against Philly. Atlanta ended a three-game skid in Saturday's other WUSA match, scoring three second-half goals to romp, 4-1, at lowly New York. In Saturday's WUSA action: Atlanta 4 New York 1: The Beat scored twice in four minutes early in the second half to turn a tight game into a romp before 5,128 at Mitchel Athletic Complex. Nikki Serlenga put in a penalty kick off the crossbar in the 54th minute, after New York defender Kristy Whelchel fouled Charmaine Hooper in the box, and Homare Sawa headed home a Kylie Bivens cross in the 57th to give Atlanta (7-7-1, 22 points) a 3-0 advantage. Hooper finished a through ball from Emily Burt for her seventh goal of the season in the 77th minute, and Tammy Pearman ended Melanie Wilson's shutout by striking a minute later. Sun Wen's dipping 20-yard free kick, also after Hooper was fouled, gave the Beat a 36th-minute advantage. Atlanta climbed into third place, but Washington and San Jose play Sunday and can overtake the Beat. New York (2-12-1, 7 points) extended its WUSA-record losing streak to eight games. Carolina 2 Boston 1: Prinz headed home a cross from Fotopoulos in the 57th minute to give the Courage one lead and Hucles' own goal in the 66th provided another as Carolina set a WUSA mark with its fifth consecutive victory before 6,281 at SAS Stadium. Prinz and Fotopoulos extended their points streaks to a record nine games, but midfielder Unni Lehn was the Courage's critical performer. Kristine Lilly erased Boston's deficit two minutes after Prinz's goal, finishing the rebound after goalkeeper Kristen Luckenbill halted her first shot. Lilly came very close to scoring on two other occasions. The defeat leaves the Breakers (4-7-5, 17 points) in sixth place, four points out of playoff range. San Jose and Washington, the teams immediately in front of Boston, can pick up points on Sunday. SATURDAY'S SUMMARIES July 13 at Uniondale, N.Y. New York 1 Atlanta 4. Goals: Pearman (Baumgardt-Yamada) 78; Sun 36, Serlenga pen. 54, Sawa (Bivens, Parlow) 57, Hooper (Burt) 77. New York — Webber; Pearce, Raveia, Whelchel, R. Fair; Ormen (Davey, 46), McIntosh (Baumgardt-Yamada, 27), Lalor (Stauffer, 66), Rapp (Pearman, 46); Janss, Milbrett. Atlanta — Wilson; Krzykowski, N. Augustyniak, Nonen, J. Augustyniak; Bivens (Miller, 82), Serlenga; Sawa, Sun (Cagle, 77); Parlow (Burt, 70), Hooper. Yellow cards — New York: Webber 54, Janss 56; Atlanta: Burt 86. Referee — Terry Vaughn. A — 5,128. July 13 at Cary, N.C. Carolina 2 Boston 1. Goals: Prinz (Fotopoulos, Riise) 57, own goal Hucles 66; Lilly 59. Carolina — Luckenbill; S. Burt, Fettig, Baxter, Wilson (James, 82); T. Roberts, Anderson (O'Hanley, 46), Riise, Lehn; Prinz, Fotopoulos. Boston — Ducar; Kluegel (Gulbrandsen, 82), McCann, Sobrero, Aldama; Hucles, Sanchez; Lilly, Wiegmann; Meinert, Mellgren. Yellow cards — Carolina: Burt 90; Boston: Aldama 33. Referee — Todd Perry. A — 6,281. WEDNESDAY'S SUMMARIES July 10 at Boston Boston 3 San Diego 2. Goals: Hucles (Wiegmann, Meinert) 3, Mellgren (Lilly, Meinert) 12, Mellgren (Meinert, Wiegmann) 52; MacMillan (Fleeting) 58, Foudy (MacMillan) 79. Boston — Ducar; Kluegel, Sobrero, McCann, Aldama; Hucles, Sanchez, Lilly, Wiegmann (Dacey, 72); Meinert (Yohe, 57), Mellgren. San Diego — Pagliarulo (Smolak, 46); Sauer, Fawcett, Fan, Kraus; Boxx (Pickup, 80), Lindsey, Foudy; MacMillan, Kester (Fleeting, 54), Zhang. Yellow cards — Boston: Sobrero 23, Aldama 57. Referee — Erich Simmons. A — 5,540. July 10 at San Jose San Jose 3 Atlanta 1. Goals: Katia 51, Venturini-Hoch (Sissi) 61, Katia (Clark) 68; Sawa (N. Augustyniak, Burt) 3. San Jose — Beene; Alagich, Bryan, Lindsey, French (Clark, 42); Dorn (Nanez, 44); Venturini-Hoch, Sissi, Pretinha (Wagner, 82); Katia (Hendershot-Brown, 89), Chastain. Atlanta — Wilson; N. Augustyniak, Cromwell (Cagle, 71), Nonen (Krzykowski, 76), J. Augustyniak; Miller, Serlenga; Bivens, Sawa; Burt (Sun, 69), Parlow. Yellow cards — San Jose: Lindsey 87; N. Augustyniak 60, Nanez 62. Referee — Misail Tsapos. A — 5,933. STANDINGS 1. Carolina 10-2-3, 33 points; 2. Philadelphia 9-1-3, 30; 3. Atlanta 7-7-1, 22; 4. San Jose 6-5-3, 21; 5. Washington 6-5-3, 21; 6. Boston 4-7-5, 17; 7. San Diego 3-8-3, 12; 8. New York 2-12-1, 7. SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE
Sunday, July 14
Philadelphia at Washington, 4 p.m.
San Jose at San Diego, 8 p.m. All times EDT. LEADING SCORERS
(G-A–Pts)
1. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 12-1–25
Maren Meinert (Boston) 7-11–25
3. Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 8-8–24
4. Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 10-2–22
Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 8-6–22
6. Katia (San Jose) 10-1–21
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 8-5–21
Kristine Lilly (Boston) 6-9–21
Hege Riise (Carolina) 5-11–21
10. Abby Wambach (Washington) 6-5–17