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Kristen Marie Hamilton (born April 17, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Hamilton played college soccer for the Denver Pioneers in her home state of Colorado, where she set multiple program records. She was selected with the last pick of the 2014 NWSL College Draft by the Western New York Flash (which later became the North Carolina Courage). During her stint with the Flash / Courage, the team won three NWSL Championships and three . In the NWSL off-season in 2019–20, she played for the Western Sydney Wanderers of the W-League in Australia and received the Julie Dolan Medal as the league's best player. She was traded to the Current in 2021.
She was one 25 NCAA players, in all divisions, to have 30+ goals and 20+ assists in their career and the only NCAA Division I athlete in history to be named player of the year in three different conferences. She ranked fourth in career points and sixth in goals. Starting all 88 games in the forward position, she averaged 0.58 goals and 0.41 assists per game, ranking No. 21 in goals and No. 5 in assists per game nationally.
In 2011, Hamilton was named Female Athlete of the year by the University of Denver and the team's Most Valuable Player. The following year in 2012, she was named NSCAA Third Team All-American and to the First Team All-West Region. She was named WAC Player of the Year and was a First Team All-WAC selection. The same year, she was twice named WAC Offensive Player of the Week for the weeks of September 10 and 24. She was also named College Sports 360's National Player of the week for Week 6.
In 2013, Hamilton was named NSCAA First Team All-American, First Team All-Great Lakes Region, and Summit League Offensive Player of the Year. She was also a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist and 2013 Senior CLASS Award Finalist. She was named to the First Team All-Summit League, Summit League All-Tournament Team and was the Summit League Tournament MVP. Hamilton earned 2013 Summit League All-Academic Team honors and was named Capital One Academic All-American as well as NSCAA Scholar All-American. She was the Summit League's Player of the Week twice for the weeks of August 26 and September 16, 2013. She was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week on September 18, 2013.
Hamilton was part of the Flash team that won the 2016 NWSL Championship, entering the match as a substitute in extra time.
In 2018, Hamilton played in 23 regular season games for North Carolina, starting 8 games. She scored 3 goals as North Carolina won the 2018 NWSL Shield. Hamilton appeared in the semi-final game as a second-half substitute as North Carolina defeated the Chicago Red Stars to advance to their second straight final. She was a second-half substitute in the championship match, which North Carolina won 3–0 over Portland to secure the 2018 NWSL Championship.
In 2019, Hamilton played in 22 games and scored 9 goals for North Carolina. While several Courage players participated in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup during June and July, Hamilton scored her first career NWSL hat-trick against Orlando Pride in June, followed by a four-goal match against Houston Dash in July that tied the league record for most goals scored by a player in a single match. She was subsequently named to the league's Team of the Month in both months and featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. By the end of the season, she was one of three Courage players nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award alongside Debinha and Jaelene Daniels, and was also named to the league's annual Second Best XI roster.
Hamilton was a 75th-minute substitute in the 2019 NWSL Championship match, which North Carolina won 4–0 over Chicago.
In 2020, the Courage extended Hamilton's contract through 2022.
In 2021, Hamilton played 14 games and scored 1 goal for Kansas City. On August 25, 2021, Hamilton made her 100th NWSL appearance against Racing Louisville FC, where she scored the match-winning goal in the 40th minute.
In December 2021, the newly renamed Kansas City Current announced that it had re-signed Hamilton to a three-year contract.
In 2022, Hamilton played 32 games and scored 12 goals across all competitions. Her five goals in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, seven regular season goals, and one playoff goal set a Current record for most total goals scored across official NWSL competitions in a single season. With Kansas City's appearance in the 2022 NWSL Championship, Hamilton made her fifth appearance in a league championship match, setting an NWSL career record.
Hamilton was the top scorer in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup, scoring 5 goals en route to winning the overall MVP of the tournament. Hamilton scored the first hat-trick in Kansas City Current history and NWSL Challenge Cup history on July 22, 2023, securing a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dash.
On March 16, 2024, Hamilton came off the bench to notch a goal in the 64th minute for the Kansas City Current, who edged out the Portland Thorns 5-4 in the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium.
On September 3, 2019, Hamilton earned her first cap with the United States senior team, coming on in the second half for fellow Courage teammate Jessica McDonald in a friendly against Portugal.
Hamilton was previously in a relationship with former New Zealand international Abby Erceg.
North Carolina Courage
Kansas City Current
Individual
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