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3 clusters · 6 sources · 11 days · First seen · Last updated

NWSL 2026 scoring race and records

Overview

During the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season, Ashley Sanchez emerged as the league leader in scoring. Sanchez initially established herself in the golden boot race by recording 13 goals, significantly outperforming her expected goals total.

Following a 2-0 victory over Angel City, Sanchez extended her season total to 15 goals. This performance allowed her to break the North Carolina Courage club record for single-season goals, surpassing the previous record of 14 set by Lynn Biyendolo in 2019. Her 15th goal, which secured the new record, arrived in the 78th minute following an assist from goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

Sanchez continued her record-breaking campaign during a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Stars, where she recorded her first career hat trick. With 18 goals recorded, she set a new NWSL record for the most goals scored by an American in a single season, surpassing the previous record of 17 goals held jointly by Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn. This performance also marked her fifth multi-goal game of the season, establishing a new league record for such occurrences.

As the season progresses, Sanchez is approaching the overall NWSL single-season record of 20 goals set by Temwa Chawinga in 2024. The recent victory helped the North Carolina Courage move from seventh to third in the NWSL standings.

Entities

Ashley Sanchez · North Carolina Courage · National Women’s Soccer League · Angel City · Chicago Stars

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 7 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Ashley Sanchez sets NWSL American single-season scoring record

    North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez set a new NWSL record for most goals by an American in a single season, reaching 18 goals following a hat trick against the Chicago Stars.

  2. 17 days ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Ashley Sanchez breaks North Carolina Courage scoring record

    Ashley Sanchez scored twice to break the North Carolina Courage single-season goals record during a 2-0 win against Angel City, bringing her NWSL total to 15 goals.

  3. 17 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    NWSL 2026 season: Ashley Sanchez leads scoring as playoff race intensifies

    With two-thirds of the 2026 NWSL season complete, Ashley Sanchez leads the golden boot race while Gotham FC tops the table in a competitive playoff hunt.

Sources

equalizersoccer.com · mesport.me · mymotherlode.com · proreferees.com · theathletic.com · winnipegfreepress.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history