CHICAGO – North Carolina Courage forward Ashley Hatch was voted the National Women’s Soccer League rookie of the year.

Hatch, 22, tied the NWSL rookie record with seven goals this season. She also added one assist in 22 appearances (13 starts) and logged 1,200 minutes to help the Courage to a 16-7-1 record and the NWSL Shield, awarded for the best regular-season record.

The Gilbert, Ariz. native finished the year ranked second on her team in scoring – with her seven goals also tied for eighth overall in the league. She scored three game-winning goals during the 2017 campaign – with the game-winners coming against the Boston Breakers (June 24), Seattle Reign FC (July 8) and Washington Spirit (Aug. 19).

The U.S. international earned a place on the NWSL team of the month in June when she scored in all three matches the Courage played that month. Included in that haul was the first goal of her professional career on June 3 against FC Kansas City.

The BYU product was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the NWSL college draft in January. She is the second straight player taken with the second overall selection to earn the award. None of the five No. 1 overall picks in the NWSL college draft have gone on to become Rookie of the Year through the first five seasons of the league’s existence.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.