Racing Louisville FC forward Emma Sears is on a roll for both club and country.
Already the highest-scoring American this season in the National Women’s Soccer League, Sears registered a hat trick Wednesday in the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 6-0 friendly victory over New Zealand.
Sears netted shots in the 8th, 55th and 84th minutes of a dominant USWNT victory at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. It marked the first U.S. hat trick since Sophia Wilson scored three times against Uzbekistan in April of 2022.
“Honestly, I want to give a lot of credit to my teammates,” Sears told TNT after the final whistle. “I felt like especially with that first goal Michelle (Cooper) served it on a platter for me to just tap it in. The goals following, I felt like it was good to carry on that momentum throughout the game and ultimately get the win.”
Sears’ performance happened just a year and a day after she earned her first senior international cap. That night, she became the fourth USWNT player to both score and assist a goal on debut.
“I’ve heard from some of the more experienced players on this team that in international games, you only get a few opportunities each game to really show what you’re great at,” Sears said. “Making the most of those opportunities is super important.”
Solid form has carried over to the 24-year-old’s current regular season. Her 10 goals are the most ever for a Racing Louisville player in a single campaign. The total — highest among American players in the league — also ranks fourth in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race.
Off the international break, Sears will return to Louisville for Racing’s biggest game of the year: Sunday’s regular season finale against Bay FC. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium, where Racing would clinch its first-ever trip to the NWSL Playoffs with a victory.
The first first 1,000 fans will receive a free flag as gates open at 3:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit RacingLouFC.com/fans.
