11:20 p.m.: That’s it from Game On! The Rev Girls have five new members. If you see them around town, be sure to give them a shout out. It’s not easy making it onto this squad.
11 p.m.: We’re here with one of the celebrity judges — Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles. She’s a former cheerleader who doesn’t have much soccer knowledge, but she knows just what to look for when judging a talent show.
“We’ll see who’s got spirit and who wants to represent the Revolution,” she said. “When they were going around and doing the crowd interaction, I walked around too and saw how people interacted with them. Audience members said that a contestant was telling them what a big fan she is and where the best places to sit in the stadium are. So it was really about enthusiasm and interaction with the crowd because that’s what they were looking for.”
The radio personality thinks any one of the contestants could have made a great Rev Girl. She also shares a common problem with one of America’s most famous talent judges.
“I’m one of those people that feels bad — like how Paula Abdul was on American Idol — we feel bad for saying anything negative. But everyone was really good. You wish there were spots for everyone.”
Finally, Pebbles assures us that there were no irregularities in the judging process or the voting.
“The judging were no shenanigans going on with the judging,” she added with a chuckle. “It was all straight up, absolutely.”
10:45 p.m.: We just spoke to two of the winners. Wendy Pollack and Brittany Clement were chosen as two of the newest members of the Rev Girls.
Both said it was a dream come true to be selected for the squad.
“It’s [being a Rev Girl] something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Pollack said. “I heard about this competition on Facebook and decided to get involved.
“I’m really looking forward to the games. I’m a big soccer fan and I’ve played all my life, so being there should be really fun.”
Clement enjoyed the competition. She thinks her quick-thinking in front of the judges earned her some points.
“I answered my trivia questions really quickly,” she says.
10:30 p.m.: And the winners are (drumroll, please):
Contestant No. 2, Contestant No. 5, No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 are the newest Revs girls.
We’ll see if we can get a word with some of the winners.
10:15 p.m.: While the judges are deliberating, we had the chance to speak to a former Rev Girl.
Anja Thomas of Ashland, Mass., was a Rev Girl during the 2012 season. She declined to participate this year due to other commitments, and she regrets not being on the team this year.
“I miss them 110 percent,” she says. “I’ve never been with a more committed group of girls. They’re very dedicated and take it very seriously. There was so much camaraderie among the girls, I think I miss that most.”
Thomas thinks this year’s selection process is not as tough as it was in 2012.
” This year’s competition is a little easier,” she says. “Last year we were at the Greatest Bar. There was more spotlight on us, and we had to do chants like ‘We love New England, We Do!’ It was kind of nerve-wracking.”
Thomas hopes to return to the squad in the future. If and when she does, she expects her friends Graf and Ringler to be part of the squad.
“They’re really bubbly and personable. They’re the kind of girls who light up a room when they walk in.”
10:10 p.m.: Melissa asks the judges what qualities they’re looking for in the contestants.
Alston says he’d like to see someone fun-loving. Dell wants to see confidence (squared). O’Neil says he wants to see someone who can handle an awkward moment with grace. Pebbles thinks contestants displaying spirit will have an edge.
In a light-hearted moment, Alston seconded all his colleagues’ answers.
10:05 p.m.: We’re on to the Q&A segment of the competition.
First question: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Second question: If you could play one position for the Revs, what would it be?
Third question: If you had $250 million dollars, what would you do with it?
Fourth question: If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Fifth question: If you could only watch one show for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Melissa asks contestant ten, “If you could witness one moment in sports history, what would it be and why?”
The judges will take five minutes to deliberate over the answers, and the judges will decide who the five newest Rev Girls will be.
10 p.m.: We’re live with three supporters of two of the contestants. Ellysa Spenard of Manchester N.H., Tony Hyppolite of Boston, Mass., and Floresca Isme, Orlando Florida are here to cheer on their friends Danielle Ringler and Jessica Graf.
Hyppolite thinks Ringler and Graf have a great shot at becoming Rev Girls.
“They’ve got a very good chance because they’re pretty, smart and have good personalities,” he said.
They also have what some might call an inside track. Anja Thomas, one of last year’s Rev Girls urged them to try out for the squad.
Spenard thinks the girls took a while to warm up, especially during the trivia phase.
“They’re a bit shy,” she says. “They should show a little more energy.”
Spenard, Hyppolite and Isme want to send a message of support to their friends.
“Best of luck, be confident, be yourself, smile,” they say. “Congrats for making it this far, and have fun. You’ve got this!” they add.
9:40 p.m.: The trivia portion went at breakneck speed. It was clear that the contestants studied up on all things Revolution.
The next phase of the competition sees the contestants take step down from the stage and work the crowd. They have items and souvenirs to hand out to the judges, fans and other patrons.
This part is to test their mingling skills, as it is an important part of the job.
9:35 p.m.: The first phase of the competition is trivia.
First question: Who is the current head coach of the Revolution?
Two contestants answered incorrectly before the third nailed it.
Question two: When is the first Revolution home game?
Contestant nine answers on the first try.
Question three: Who are the Revs playing on the day of the home opener?
Question four: In what year did the Revs play their first season?
Question five: Who is the Revs’ mascot?
Question six: Who was the Revs’ leading scorer in 2012?
Question seven: Who is the youngest member of the 2013 Revolution squad?
Question eight: Who wears No. 30 for the Revs?
Question nine: Who is the Revs’ jersey sponsor?
Question 10: Who is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Revolution?
Question 11: How long is each half?
Question 12: How many home games are in a season?
Question 13: Where do the Revs play their home games?
Question 14: What position does Matt Reis play?
9:30 p.m.: Melissa is kicking off the event with greetings and a little bit of energy to hype up the crowd.
First there are some introductions. The judges and returning Rev Girls are coming out one at a time.
9 p.m.: We’re live from Game On! Boston, waiting for the start of the event. Contestants and judges are taking their places.
We have a quick news update. Champion boxer Danny O’Connor had to withdraw from the judges’ panel due to injuries he’s nursing from Saturday’s fight. We wish him a speedy recovery.
5 p.m. ET: Those young ladies you see around town raising awareness of the New England Revolution didn’t land that gig by chance. They were chosen.
The Rev Girls are the New England Revolution’s official promotions team. They will round out their 2013 squad Thursday night  at Game On! Boston — with the help of a few special guests.
NESN’s own Jenny Dell, Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles, Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix & Slate.com contributor Luke O’Neil and Revolution fullback Kevin Alston will serve as celebrity judges, as 10 local hopefuls compete for four open spots.
They will face Revolution trivia, a Q&A session, crowd giveaways judge fan-interaction skills along the way.  Hot 96.9FM’sMelissa will emcee the event, which will run from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. at Game On! (82 Lansdowne Street). The event is open to the public age 21 and older.
If you can’t make it, we’ll have all the action covered in our live blog. Join us here at 8:45 p.m., and see who will make the 2013 Rev Girls squad.
Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
Photo via Twitter/@RevGirls
