Hatch made history on Saturday when she scored the 40th goal for the Washington Spirit.
When the Spirit played reigning champion Gotham FC, Hatch scored a penalty kick in the 69th minute that helped the Spirit win 2-0.
The former BYU Cougar scored her 47th goal in the NWSL. The NWSL says she got seven goals in her first season with the NC Courage.
What Ashley Hatch did to make NWSL history
OptaJack says Hatch has made her last 10 penalties, which ties Christine Sinclair for the longest perfect penalty run in the NWSL. Her first goal of the season came on Saturday.
Football Stats says she has taken 11 penalty kicks in the NWSL and has only missed one.
The goal puts her in very good company. The Spirit says she has joined Sinclair, Megan Rapinoe, Jess Fishlock, and Lynn Williams as the fifth player to score 40 goals for the same team.
What Ashely Hatch could have done to help her team win the 2023 FIFA World Cup
Jenna Tonelli of the Equalizer said that Hatch’s skill with penalties could have helped the U.S.
women’s national team at the World Cup last summer. But her name wasn’t on the list.
One reason the U.S. team was kicked out of the World Cup early was that they missed penalties.
A veteran striker on the team named Alex Morgan missed a chance in their first game in the group stage against Vietnam.
Finally, in Round 16, the U.S. team’s game against Sweden came down to a shootout.
The first three penalties for the U.S. were made by Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, and Kristie Mewis. However, Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith, and Kelley O’Hara all missed.
The U.S. was knocked out of the World Cup earlier than any other team in history because they missed penalties and the other team made them.
How are things going for the Washington Spirit this year?
The Spirit have won four straight games thanks to Hatch’s goal. The team says this is their longest win streak since the end of the 2021 season and the start of the 2022 season.
The Spirit are in second place in the NWSL right now, just one point behind the KC Current. The team has had a tough two seasons and hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the NWSL title in 2021.
