CHICAGO (May 12, 2014) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Monday that Homegrown midfielder Harry Shipp has been named MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week Ten of the 2014 MLS season. Shipp scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Fire’s 5-4 road victory over the New York Red Bulls Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena.
The Lake Forest, Ill. native opened scoring in the fourth minute when his right-footed shot from outside the box cleared the defense and bounced past Red Bulls ‘keeper Luis Robles for his first goal of the season.
After two Red Bulls goals in the first half, Quincy Amarikwa equalized for the Fire in the 49th minute. Six minutes later, the Men in Red grabbed the lead when Patrick Nyarko stripped the ball from Armando just inside the 18-yard box. Shipp received the ball, took a touch to settle, and with a low, driven shot through traffic, sent his right-footed shot past Robles for the 3-2 lead.
The 22-year-old completed his hat trick in the 58th minute after he stripped the ball from Kosuke Kimura deep in the Red Bulls half, dribbled into box and curled his right-footed shot just inside the far post.
The Fire Homegrown product capped off his night with his assist on Nyarko’s eventual game-winning goal in the 64th minute.
Shipp’s hat trick is the just the sixth hat trick scored by a rookie and the first since Kekuta Manneh did it for the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 4-1 win vs. Seattle Sounders FC on October 9, 2013.
Shipp is the first Fire player to receive Player of the Week honors since Chris Rolfe in Week 21 last season for his brace against D.C. United.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.
The Fire host reigning MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City, presented by Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program, on Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. CT (My50/TWCSC Wisconsin/Unimas/La Ley 107.9FM). Tickets for the match are available via Ticketmaster or www.Chicago-Fire.com.
