Samantha Kerr became the first player in the National Women’s Soccer League to score four goals in one match as Sky Blue FC defeated Seattle Reign FC 5-4 at home on Saturday night. Maya Hayes provided the equalizer in second-half stoppage time in the 90+1′, then after Kerr missed a late penalty kick, she scored […]

Samantha Kerr became the first player in the National Women’s Soccer League to score four goals in one match as Sky Blue FC defeated Seattle Reign FC 5-4 at home on Saturday night. Maya Hayes provided the equalizer in second-half stoppage time in the 90+1′, then after Kerr missed a late penalty kick, she scored her fourth of the night in the 90+4′ for the win.The 5-4 win was just the latest example of late game drama at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, and Sky Blue FC will be glad to have picked up the three points, keeping them in sixth place on the table and only three points outside of the fourth playoff spot. It was a rough week for the team, with head coach Christy Holly departing, then the team announced that defender Christie Pearce would be placed on the injury list for the remainder of the 2017 season due to accumulative injury. Kerr’s four goal performance didn’t just make history for her own individual records, but helped make some extra history for Sky Blue FC as well. The club is now the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit for a win, and the first team to win a game when trailing after 90 minutes. [Empty Body] Kerr is now firmly in the lead for the Golden Boot, with 15 goals and 3 assists so far this season. She’s also the first player to score two hat tricks in the same season. Four different players from Seattle all scored in the match. Katie Johnson gave the Reign an early lead in the third minute after scoring her fourth goal of the season off a Christine Nairn assist. Jessica Fishlock finished with her stomach for the second goal of the game in the 18th minute, then Nahomi Kawasumi finished off the first half with a stoppage time goal at 45+2′ to give the Reign a 3-0 lead heading into the locker room. Enter Sam Kerr. It only took three minutes after the start of the second half for her to get the scoring for Sky Blue started, cleaning up a loose ball in the box into the corner of the goal past the Reign’s Haley Kopmeyer. She had her hat trick 24 minutes later, tallying two more goals in the 68th and 71st minutes. Reign FC forward Kiersten Dallstream scored what looked to be the late winner for the Reign in the 85th minute, and her first NWSL career goal. But the 4-3 lead wouldn’t survive past the 90th minute, with Hayes digging in for the equalizer, then Kerr’s last-gasp winner. The last time these two teams faced each other on July 22 in Seattle, the Reign walked away with a 5-4 win. Once again, the home team prevailed on Saturday night, and the two teams have tallied 18 combined goals over their last two matches. Including Seattle Reign FC’s home opener against Sky Blue, the two teams combined for 20 goals across three games, with both clubs scoring 10 each. With their season series completed, the two teams both are still in the hunt for the final playoff spot, separated only by a point with Seattle currently in fifth place, Sky Blue in sixth. Next Saturday, the Reign host Portland Thorns FC at 4 p.m. ET, while Sky Blue keeps home field advantage as the Boston Breakers come to town at 7:00 p.m. ET.