Ashley Sanchez’s historic NWSL season just keeps getting better.On Sunday, the North Carolina Courage player scored her 16th regular-season goal this year — setting a league record for most goals scored by an American in a single season. The 27-year-old then scored again, and again, in North Carolina’s 6-0 win over the last-place Chicago Stars.Sanchez’s hat trick — the first in her career — also gave her a sizable cushion in the NWSL Golden Boot race. With an impressive 18 goals scored this season, Sanchez is also closing in on Temwa Chawinga’s single-season record of 20 goals scored in 2024. The Courage still have seven matches to go this season.North Carolina’s first goal came in the 11th minute, when Sanchez shot a loose ball into an open net after it ricocheted off players in the buildup. The attacking midfielder converted a penalty in the 69th minute for her second and completed her hat trick in the 82nd minute off a header. Another trio of goals came from NWSL rookie Chioma Okafor, Shinomi Koyama and Ryan Williams, helping the club jump from seventh to third in the NWSL standings over the weekend.
ASHLEY SANCHEZ NAILS HOME HER 16TH OF THE SEASON 🇺🇸‼️
The most goals ever scored by an American in a single NWSL season! pic.twitter.com/U1Ft8X1rDU
