BYU Alumni Ashley Hatch Wins ESPY Award For Best NWSL Player
Jul 21, 2022, 4:14 PM
Ashley Hatch of USA shoots during the match between Jamaica and United States as part of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship at BBVA Stadium on July 07, 2022 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU Women’s soccer star Ashley Hatch has secured an ESPY award for the best NWSL player. It was the first ESPY of her career.
ESPY Winner
Hatch, 27, beat out Aubrey Bledsoe of the Washington Spirit, Caprice Dydasco of NJ/NY Gotham, and Jess Fishlock of OL Reign.
Last year, Hatch won the Golden Boot award with the most goals of any player in the league after she netted 11 for the Washington Spirit. This year, through 10 games she has scored on four occasions. There are 12 games left in the 2022 NWSL season.
HATCHYYYYY WINS ESPY FOR 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗪𝗦𝗟 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 🐣https://t.co/8TPHRCDYWS
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 21, 2022
Ashley Hatch’s Career To Date
Hatch was drafted by the North Carolina Courage in 2017 with the 2nd overall pick. She was placed on loan to Melbourne City following her debut season with North Carolina and when she returned was moved to the Washington Spirit.
While at BYU, Hatch scored 19 goals during her senior season and was one of the best players in the country.
Since joining the Spirit, Hatch has thrived at both the club and international levels.
Trending Upwards
Earlier this year, Hatch scored for the U.S. Women’s National Team 24 seconds into their fixture against Australia. It was the third fastest goal in the history of the USWNT.
Since then, Hatch has played a pivotal role for the USWNT starting two of the previous seven games. She also appeared off the bench against Colombia at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on June 28 when the U.S. prevailed 2-0.
The USWNT won the CONCACAF Women’s Championship on July 18 when they beat Canada 1-0 in the final. Alex Morgan’s converted penalty in the 78th minute was enough as the U.S. continued their dominance.
Despite contributing greatly on the international stage, Hatch is in continuous competition with U.S. legend Alex Morgan for the starting striker position. During the CONCACAF Women’s Championship, Hatch received one start against Jamaica while Morgan saw the start in the remaining five fixtures.
