Washington Spirit clinched a playoff spot in an exciting 4-0 win at home over Houston Dash on Sunday afternoon, thanks to a hat trick by a Gift Monday who keeps on giving and an extra goal from Sofia Cantore.

The hat trick was Washington’s first since 2015 in NWSL play and the fastest (from kickoff to third goal) in league history. With eight goals, Monday is now the Spirit’s leading goal scorer for the season, surpassing Ashley Hatch.

It was also personally important to Monday, who impressed in her first NWSL matches earlier this season but had fallen out of a starting spot since Cantore joined the Spirit this summer, playing limited . She said she was “grateful” for the opportunity she’d been given to start today, attributing her goals to “hard work and team spirit.”

“I think that hat trick has been waiting for me for a very long time,” Monday said.

She began in the 18th minute, winning the ball from Houston and laying it off to Trinity Rodman on the wing. The two made parallel runs toward the goal, until Rodman saw the opportunity to pass forward into the box. Monday met goalkeeper Abby Smith at the ball and maneuvered it behind for a slanting shot that just made it across the goal line.

Buoyed by their success, the Spirit pressed forward again, getting the ball and several players back into the box within minutes and winning a corner. Leicy Santos took a short corner kick to Croix Bethune, who crossed the ball in high. Monday’s header was blocked, but she stayed with the ball, knocking it into the goal at short range for her second of the day.

Now well in control, the Spirit had a few more attacks before the play that allowed Monday to complete her hat trick. The back three switched the pitch, getting the ball to Rodman on the right wing. Rodman played a bouncing cross in to an on-running Monday, who made sure she was in the right place to score, part of what she called a perfectly-executed game plan.

Monday was subbed off at halftime, possibly to avoid any disciplinary trouble after an early yellow card — Hal Hershfelt, newly returned from a suspension and sitting on four yellows herself, left at the same time. Without them, the Spirit were slow to score again, though they continued to test Houston’s keeper, taking 16 shots with nine on target over the course of the match.

In the 81st minute, Bethune tried to cross the ball from the edge of the box, but it was immediately blocked back to her chest. Trying a different tactic, she dribbled in and chipped the ball to Narumi Mirua, who made a quick pass to Cantore. With a clever flick behind her back, Cantore lobbed the ball into the far corner of the goal, earning several rounds of cheers as fans watched the replays.

Up next: The Spirit have a busy week ahead, beginning with a W Concacaf Champions Cup match against NJ/NJY Gotham FC on Wednesday evening and ending with a home match next Sunday against San Diego Wave FC.

Three takeaways 

• Practice makes perfect. After the match, Esme Morgan said she expected this kind of performance from her team because the quality of their training had been “outstanding” over the course of the week. Adrián González agreed that training, especially the extra time his team had between an early game last week and this one, had helped them be fully prepared for today. “We all had a great feeling during the week,” he said.
• Playoffs clinched. The Spirit are now the second team to clinch a spot in this year’s playoffs, although they’ll need to stay sharp over the four remaining matches to secure a home quarterfinal game. Happily, today’s win gave them a bit of room to breathe. They currently sit six points ahead of the closest team, Gotham FC.
• Hometown girl returns. Spirit fans proved their loyalty to DMV native Anna Heilferty when she subbed on for Houston in the 87th minute of the match. Drafted by Washington in 2021, Heilferty made 45 appearances for the team but suffered two successive ACL injuries. The Spirit announced that they would not re-sign her at the end of last year. In her second match with Houston, Heilferty returned home and was rewarded with huge cheers from the Buzzard Point crowd. She also led teammates in donning “Free DC” shirts before greeting the supporters’ section after the game.

Box Score

NWSL Regular Season –  Game 22

Washington Spirit 4 (Monday 18′, 21′, 36′, Cantore 82′)

Houston Dash 0

Lineups

Washington Spirit (532): Aubrey Kingsbury (C); Tara McKeown, Gabby Carle (Brittany Ratcliffe 83′), Esme Morgan, Kysha Sylla (Kate Wiesner 65′); Croix Bethune, Leicy Santos (Narumi Miura 74′), Hal Hershfelt (Deb Abiodun 46′); Trinity Rodman, Rosemonde Kouassi, Gift Monday (Sofia Cantore 46′)

Houston Dash (442): Abby Smith; Allysha Chapman (Michelle Alozie 46′), Malia Berkley, Paige Nielsen (C), Avery Patterson; Delanie Sheehan (Anna Heilferty 87′), Kiki Van Zanten, Sarah Puntigam (Ryan Gareis 61′), Danielle Colaprico; Clarissa Larisey (Messiah Bright 61′), Yazmeen Ryan

Misconduct Summary

Washington Spirit:  Monday 30′

Houston Dash:  Ryan 45+1′, Alozie 50′