Racing Louisville has a new record holder. Forward Emma Sears set a new high for rookie goal scoring, notching her fifth goal of the season on Sunday at Washington.
Sears, the Ohio State graduate, surpassed midfielder Savannah DeMelo and former forward Reilyn Turner for the new mark. Turner scored four goals this year before her trade to Portland. DeMelo scored four goals in 2022.
“If you ask me to describe Emma in one word, I would say that she’s special,” said Racing coach Bev Yanez. “And the reason why I think she’s so special is because she takes advantage of her opportunities, and they come in different fashion in different ways. She looks to impact the group however her role is presented. And she is just phenomenal. When you watch her from the sidelines and you get the understanding throughout trainings, she has an incredible attitude and an incredible coachability, and when you ask her to do something, she’s very at the forefront of, ‘I can do it. I can do it absolutely.’ She wants to be coached and that’s something that you can’t teach, but she also has some very, very incredible natural ability, and I know that she will continue to do very good things in this league and there on and there on.”
Sears has five goals and one assist in 24 NWSL regular season appearances. She also had a goal and an assist in the NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. A second round NWSL Draft pick, Sears ranks in the top 15 in the league in goal- and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, and her 75 progressive carries this season ranks eighth in the NWSL.
“I think that it’s kind of a weird feeling that the season is almost over,” said Sears on Sunday. “At the beginning of the season and preseason, everyone is always like, ‘It goes by so fast,’ and I remember thinking like no way, the season is so long compared to what I’m used to in college. So, looking back, it flew by. I’m super thankful for my rookie experience. The staff have really pushed me to get better as well as my teammates, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. I think I’ve grown a lot as a player and a person across the course of this season, and I’m hoping to continue that throughout my career and moving that into next season as well.”
