For his hat trick in a 5-3 win against NPSL North Conference foe Minnesota TwinStars, forward Jade Johnson of Dakota Fusion FC has been named the Mitre National Player of the Week for Week 19 of the NPSL season.

The three-goal outburst raised his his season total to 17, which moved him into elite company among the top few goalscorers in the league.

“Jade had been an integral part of our team and our success in our inaugural year with the Fusion,” said Dakota Fusion FC coach Jim Robbins in the press release announcing the award. “He possesses a unique combination of size, strength, speed, power, and goal scoring ability. He is very difficult to defend in 1v1 situations and he can beat defenders and score with either foot. Most teams try to double team him whenever possible, sometimes they even try to defend him with three. He has earned his place as the top goalscorer in our conference and is one of the top goal scorers in the entire NPSL.”

The win left Johnson and the rest of his Dakota teammates with a second-place finish in their conference. The club ended up with a stellar 9W-0D-5L record, 27 points and — most importantly — a playoff berth.

“This is more of a team achievement to me than an individual accolade based off of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past two weeks,” Johnson said. “The preparation and dedication in the offseason, as well as the sacrifices made over the best months of the year in North Dakota, is beginning to pay itself off heading into the regional playoffs this weekend.”

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