What's A Hat Trick? Carli Lloyd Got One

By halftime, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team was up 4-1 against Japan in the 2015 Women's World Cup. With a stunning four goals in a little over 15 minutes, fans nationwide were celebrating the team, but even more so lauding one specific player: Carli Lloyd. Twitter was buzzing with messages about Lloyd and her amazing "hat trick." But exactly what is a hat trick? Lloyd earned one when she scored her third goal, which was an incredible kick from midfield.

A hat trick is when a player scores three or more goals in a single match. It's also used in other sports to describe any big accomplishment that one player earns in one game (i.e. three goals in hockey, three tries in rugby, three bullseyes in darts). So, with Lloyd's two goals within the first five minutes of the game, and then her third goal from midfield, there's her big hat trick of the 2015 Women's World Cup.

And Lloyd's hat trick was incredibly impressive. She had a full 90 minutes to get one, but she did it in only 16. It's a pretty rare feat, so many props to her for earning one so quickly and so historically. She's the first woman to ever get a hat trick in a women's final.