Australia International Recorded Three Goals, One Assist in June
For the second consecutive month, Sky Blue FC forward Sam Kerr has been named the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Player of the Month by the NWSL Media Association.
“It is great news to hear that Sam has won Player of the Month in back-to-back months,” said Christy Holly, Sky Blue FC head coach. “This is fantastic recognition for all of the hard work and tremendous drive that she shows our team. Sam is constantly improving her own game as well as those players around her, and we are excited for to see the next stage of her development within Sky Blue FC.”
Kerr, 23, registered three goals and one assist during June, all of which came in spectacular fashion. The Australia international becomes just the second player in league history to win Player of the Month in consecutive months, joining former Seattle Reign FC forward Kim Little in that elite club.
In a 3-1 win over Portland Thorns FC earlier this month, Kerr had quite the performance in a record-breaking evening for Sky Blue FC, also earning NWSL Player of the Week honors for her efforts. The night got started very quickly, as Kerr set up a Raquel Rodriguez finish just 24 seconds into the match, which was the fastest goal in NWSL history.
Kerr then put the game out of reach in the second half by recording two goals on a pair of perfectly-timed runs. The first one came in the 70th minute, as U.S. international Kelley O’Hara sent a ball to the midfield, where Maya Hayes headed it onto a racing Kerr. After gathering the ball, Kerr touched around Thorns netminder Adrianna Franch before slotting the ball into the net. Her second tally occurred in the 88th minute, as Madison Tiernan delivered a ball into the final third, where Kerr flicked it past Franch before striking it home.
Kerr then proceeded to cap off the month in style with a fantastic bicycle kick score this past Wednesday. The sequence originated in the defensive third of Sky Blue FC, where Daphne Corboz and Kerr did a quick one-two before Corboz sent the ball down the left flank for a speeding Hayes. The New Jersey native then collected before running towards the end line near the left post, eventually chipping a feed to Kerr inside the six-yard box. As the ball began to arrive, Kerr quickly set her feet before firing a well-driven bicycle kick past Orlando goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe. The incredible finish was shown on ESPN that night as the no. 3 selection on the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays list.
Also during the month of June, Kerr became the all-time leading goal scorer in Sky Blue FC franchise history. Kerr now has 16 goals as a member of Sky Blue FC, and her 31 total scores are just two behind the NWSL record that is currently held by North Carolina Courage forward Jessica McDonald. Additionally, Kerr is the only player who has tallied 15 or more goals for two different NWSL teams.
This recognition marks the third time that Kerr has been honored as the NWSL Player of the Month, and it is the fifth time a Sky Blue FC player has earned the accolade. Other winners include Brittany Cameron (May 2013), Monica Ocampo (August 2013) and Nadia Nadim (August 2014) to go along with Kerr’s consecutive awards over the past two months.
Sky Blue FC heads south this Saturday to play the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL on Lifetime Game of the Week. The pre-game show will get underway at 3:30 p.m., with kickoff planned for 3:50 p.m. The team will return home to Yurcak Field on Saturday, July 8, hosting FC Kansas City for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. Individual tickets for that match are available now online or by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849).
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