Sam Kerr has been voted Player of the Week for Week 15 of the 2018 season by the NWSL Media Association. In Week 15, the Chicago Red Stars forward became the first NWSL player to score 50 goals. In Chicago’s second game of the week, Kerr scored a hat trick (scoring goal number 49, 50, […]

Sam Kerr has been voted Player of the Week for Week 15 of the 2018 season by the NWSL Media Association.In Week 15, the Chicago Red Stars forward became the first NWSL player to score 50 goals. In Chicago’s second game of the week, Kerr scored a hat trick (scoring goal number 49, 50, and 51 in her NWSL career) to lead her team to a 3-1 victory over Sky Blue FC. With the three-goal performance, Kerr became the first NWSL player to score three career hat tricks, all of which happened at Yurcak Field. Kerr’s hat trick against her former team also gave her the league lead in goals this season, with eight. Kerr and the Red Stars went 1-1-0 in Week 15, falling to the league-leading North Carolina Courage on Wednesday and then bouncing back to defeat Sky Blue on Saturday. In the two games, Kerr combined for 16 shots, four key passes, and three goals. Her standout performance came against Sky Blue, where she finished with 10 shots (six on target) and connected three key passes on 58 touches. It is the sixth time Kerr has been honored as the NWSL Player of the Week. Kerr’s first goal on Saturday night came in the 40th minute when Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher played a long service over Sky Blue FC’s backline into forward Alyssa Mautz. Mautz served a ball towards the top of the box to Kerr, who settled it and finished in the lower left corner for the 1-0 lead. Her record-breaking 50th career goal came just after the first half in the 46th minute. Yuki Nagasato played Kerr over the top from midfield and Kerr collected it and finished at the far post for the 2-0 lead. In the 63rd minute, Kerr finished her third of the night when Nagasato played her over the top of Sky Blue’s backline down the middle and Kerr finished it in the left corner. [Youtube oembed has failed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXCl1HlHZX4] The NWSL Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis. For more information on the NWSL Media Association, follow them on Twitter.