Sky Blue FC forward Sam Kerr was officially honored on Monday as the winner of 2017 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Golden Boot, which is awarded to the player who scored the most goals during the NWSL regular season.
Kerr, 24, finished the season with 17 goals in 22 appearances to eclipse the previous record of 16 goals that was set by former Seattle Reign FC midfielder Kim Little in 2014. Her 17th goal came on Saturday night in Sky Blue FC’s 2017 season finale against the Boston Breakers, an eventual 4-3 comeback victory at Jordan Field.
The Perth, Australia native etched her name into the NWSL history books on a few different occasions this season, beginning with her overtaking of the career goals record. She officially claimed the top spot on the all-time list when she scored her 35th goal on July 8 against FC Kansas City, a match where she registered a second-half hat trick in just 12 minutes to lead Sky Blue FC to an improbable 3-2 comeback win at Yurcak Field. She finished the 2017 season with 43 goals overall and remains the career leader.
On Aug. 19, Kerr became the first player in NWSL history to score two hat tricks in a single season when she led Sky Blue FC to another incredible comeback victory, this time a 5-4 win over Seattle Reign FC at Yurcak Field. She registered a total of four goals in the second half of that match-up, becoming the first player in NWSL history to score four goals in a single game.
After finishing the 2017 season with 17 goals and four assists, Kerr became the first player in NWSL history to reach 50 career points, and she now sits on 58 points overall. For her career, she has registered 43 goals and 15 assists.
Kerr finished the 2017 season with five game-winning goals, and she tallied against eight of the nine other clubs in the NWSL, with the Washington Spirit being the only team to keep her off the score sheet. She was particularly devastating in the second half this season, recording 14 of her 17 goals after the halftime intermission. Sky Blue FC was also victorious in all but two of the matches where Kerr registered a goal this year.
Complete log of Sam Kerr’s goal during the 2017 NWSL season:
| Goal | Date | Opponent | Min | Assist | Result |
| 1 | 5/13/17 | Houston Dash | 87 | McKenzie Meehan | W 3-1 |
| 2 | 5/27/17 | Orlando Pride | 43 | Daphne Corboz | W 2-1 |
| 3 | 6/17/17 | Portland Thorns FC | 70 | Maya Hayes | W 3-1 |
| 4 | 6/17/17 | Portland Thorns FC | 88 | Madison Tiernan | W 3-1 |
| 5 | 6/28/17 | Orlando Pride | 46 | Maya Hayes | L 2-3 |
| 6 | 7/1/17 | North Carolina Courage | 84 | Maya Hayes | W 1-0 |
| 7 | 7/8/17 | FC Kansas City | 78 | Kelley O’Hara | W 3-2 |
| 8 | 7/8/17 | FC Kansas City | 81 | Daphne Corboz | W 3-2 |
| 9 | 7/8/17 | FC Kansas City | 90 | Taylor Lytle | W 3-2 |
| 10 | 7/15/17 | Chicago Red Stars | 90 | Sarah Killion | D 2-2 |
| 11 | 7/22/17 | Seattle Reign FC | 76 | Daphne Corboz | L 4-5 |
| 12 | 8/19/17 | Seattle Reign FC | 48 | Unassisted | W 5-4 |
| 13 | 8/19/17 | Seattle Reign FC | 68 | Daphne Corboz | W 5-4 |
| 14 | 8/19/17 | Seattle Reign FC | 71 | Sarah Killion | W 5-4 |
| 15 | 8/19/17 | Seattle Reign FC | 94+ | Taylor Lytle | W 5-4 |
| 16 | 8/26/17 | Boston Breakers | 5 | Nikki Stanton | W 1-0 |
| 17 | 9/30/17 | Boston Breakers | 34 | Maya Hayes | W 4-3 |
2018 Sky Blue FC season and half-season tickets are on sale now, and fans can purchase them today by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849). For all of the latest news on Sky Blue FC, visit the team online and follow us on social media: @SkyBlueFC
