Eastern New York ODP Graduate Crystal Dunn Honored as MVP of the National Women’s Soccer League
Washington Spirit forward Crystal Dunn, the last cut on the 2015 US Women’s World Cup team, turned that snub into an opportunity to show off all her skills, finishing the 2015 regular season with a league-high 15 goals and winning the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Most Valuable Player award. Crystal is the third player in three years after Lauren Holiday in 2013 and Kim Little in 2014 to win both the Golden Boot, as the league’s leading scorer, and MVP award.
“It is such an honor to be named NWSL MVP,” Dunn wrote on Twitter. “This has been such an unexpected year with so many ups and downs. Even though this has been one of the hardest years in my career, it has also turned into one of my greatest achievements. The NWSL has provided me with a stage in which I strived to perform to my best ability for myself, my team and for my fans. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and to everyone in the league who has made me a better player.”
Crystal, 23, also becomes the youngest player in the three-year history of the NWSL to win these awards.
She set a new NWSL record with 0.75 goals-per-team-game. Her 15 goals rank second all-time in a single season, one behind Little’s 16 goals in a 24-game regular season in 2014 as the 2015 season was reduced to 20 games. Crystal’s outstanding play this year has given her another opportunity with the US Women’s National Team as they play friendly games and train for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Crystal grew up a short corner kick from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) office in Rockville Centre and was selected first overall at the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League Draft. She spent her formative years in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), playing for the Rockville Centre Power, Rockville Centre Tornadoes and Albertson Fury ‘91. Crystal also developed her wonderful talent with Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program, competing in ODP for six years, and used it as a springboard to represent the USA internationally.
“From the age of nine, Crystal displayed a tremendous desire to learn about the game. Her drive and desire to understand all the things you teach a developing youth player were incredible. Crystal’s energy and courage for her size were as impressive as her desire to learn,” commented Tim Bradbury, who coached Crystal on her two Rockville Centre youth teams and is now Eastern New York’s Director of Coaching Instruction.
I fell back in love with soccer, b/c the past is the past
.. “I Live for what tomorrow has to offer not for what yesterday has taken away” (Twitter post)
As a junior at the University of North Carolina, she won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s best player, scoring five goals, in leading the Tar Heels to the 2012 NCAA championship. The versatile Crystal was named the 2010 and 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year plus the 2013 ACC Offensive Player of the Year while scoring 14 goals. She was the first player to be honored as ACC Player of the Year three times since Mia Hamm a generation ago, who also played for the University of North Carolina and the Spirit’s predecessor, the Washington Freedom.
Crystal is the second Eastern New York ODP and LIJSL alumnae to be honored by the NWSL in the past week as Michelle Betos of the Portland Thorns was previously named Goalkeeper of the Year.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With over 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators.
All levels of soccer are offered–from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association.
