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North Carolina FC

Samantha Mewis Nominated For 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of The Year

December 7, 2017 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


CARY, NC - North Carolina Courage midfielder Samantha Mewis is one of five nominees for the 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award, U.S. Soccer announced today. In addition to Mewis, this year's field features midfielders Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan, and forwards Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.

All five players played prominent roles during 2017 which featured a 16-game schedule and matches against seven of the other nine teams in the top-10 of the FIFA Women's World Rankings, making this year's slate of games the most challenging ever in the year after the World Cup/Olympic cycle.

Finishing on a hot streak, Morgan and Ertz topped the list of goal scorers for the WNT this year with seven and six goals, respectively. All their goals came in the final eight games of 2017. Rapinoe (five) and Horan (four) were tops on the team in assists. Rapinoe also scored three times while Horan had one goal. For Mewis, 2017 represented a year of growth that saw the 25-year-old become a leader in the center of the midfield while starting every match and playing the second-most minutes on the team. All five players had excellent NWSL seasons as well, with Mewis being named to the NWSL Best XI. The other four nominees were all named to the NWSL Second XI.

* 2017 Nominee Bios -the-year-mini-bios) * Past Player of the Year Award Winners (https://www.ussoccer.com/about/history/awards/player-of-the-year)

A new voting process was put in place starting in 2014. Votes will be collected from National Team coaches and staff, WNT players who have earned a cap in 2017, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer's Athlete Council, National Women's Soccer League coaches, select college head coaches and select media members.

Only one of the nominees has won the award before, with Morgan earning the honor in 2012. Julie Ertz (neé Johnston) and Lindsey Horan have previously received the Young Female Player of the Year award, with Ertz winning in 2012 and Horan in 2013.

Abby Wambach holds the record for most Female Player of the Year awards with six honors (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013). Her win in 2013 broke the previous record of five held by Mia Hamm.

The U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year has been awarded since 1985, when midfielder Sharon Remer (known then as Sharon McMurtry) earned the inaugural honor.

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