Washington Spirit Forward Leads the League with 15 Goals
Soccer News: Washington Spirit forward Crystal Dunn was voted the National Women’s Soccer League Player of the Month by the media for the month of August of the 2015 NWSL season.
Dunn, 23, helped Washington earn a 2-1-3 record in August to help the Spirit earn a spot in the 2015 NWSL Playoffs and move into the number four spot in the standings with a 8-5-6 (30 pts.) overall record going into the final week of the campaign. The Spirit are hoping for a win during Week 21 and a loss or draw for Chicago in order to clinch home field advantage during the Semifinal match.
The New York native registered six goals and recorded one assist during the month to help her earn Player of the Week for the sixth time this season. She currently leads the league with 15 goals scored this season.
Dunn started off the month with a phenomenal performance against the Houston Dash where she recorded a first half hat-trick and led Washington to a 3-1 win at home.
The University of North Carolina alum recorded her fourth goal of August during Week 19 against the Chicago Red Stars as she helped the Spirit avoid a draw by getting past the Red Stars defenders and slipping the ball inside the goal during the final minutes of the match.
On August 30, Dunn scored her fifth and sixth goals and recorded her first assist of the month in an epic battle against Portland Thorns FC to help the Spirit earn a point on the road in a 3-3 draw. Her assist came early in the game as she found teammate Francisca Ordega, who was able to get the ball past Thorns’ goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, giving Washington an early 1-0 lead.
Dunn’s first goal gave the Spirit a two goal lead going into halftime, as she headed the ball into the back of the net during first-half stoppage time. Her scoring run would continue late in the game by getting past the Portland defenders and blasting a shot into the goal.
She is the first player for the Washington Spirit to be named National Women’s Soccer League Player of the Month.
The Washington Spirit will return to action on Saturday, September 5, 2015 against Seattle Reign FC at Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD.
The National Women’s Soccer League Player of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by a selection of journalists that cover the league on a consistent basis.
