CHICAGO – Red Stars forward Sam Kerr won the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Golden Boot Award, becoming the first player in league history to earn back-to-back honors.

The Australian international has notched 16 goals this season, just one away from her previous single-season record of 17 set with Sky Blue FC in 2017.

The feat was more impressive as the forward missed a month of the season due to international duty qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup with her Australian National Team.

Kerr’s first goal for Chicago came during the eighth week of play in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage on May 6. She scored three more goals in the next three matches for the Red Stars.

Kerr became the first NWSL player to record three hat tricks in her career, earning the three-goal game playing her former team for the first time since being traded in January. Kerr went on the score the game winner and a match equalizer the next two weeks.

The Aussie’s five-goal August earned her the Player of the Month and Player of the Week (22).

During the 2018 season, 25-year-old Kerr managed to continue her lead of most career goals in the regular season with 59, becoming the first player in the NWSL to reach 50 goals.

2018 Sam Kerr Goals:
#          Date                Opponent                    Final Score
1          May 6              at North Carolina         1-1 D
2          May 12            vs. Houston                 2-2 D
3          May 26            vs. Orlando                  2-5 L
4          May 26            vs. Orlando                  2-5 L
5          June 2              at Washington             2-0 W
6          July 7               at Sky Blue FC             1-3 W
7          July 7               at Sky Blue FC             1-3 W
8          July 7               at Sky Blue FC             1-3 W
9          July 14             vs. Seattle                   1-0 W
10        Aug. 10            vs. North Carolina       1-1 D
11        Aug. 18            at Portland                  2-2 D
12        Aug. 18            at Portland                  2-2 D
13        Aug. 25            at Orlando                   1-3 W
14        Aug. 25            at Orlando                   1-3 W
15        Sept. 4             vs. Sky Blue FC            5-0 W
16        Sept. 8             vs. Utah                       2-1 L