Andrija Novakovich and Frosinone will not be taking part in the upcoming promotion playoffs in Italy, but it didn’t stop the American from leading the club to a season-ending victory on Monday.
Novakovich became the first American-born player to register a hat-trick in either of Italy’s top two divisions, leading the way in a 4-0 win over Reggina. The Milwaukee native also registered one assist in a Man of the Match performance on the final day of the regular season.
Novakovich’s opening goal came in the 28th minute as the forward headed home a cross from Przemyslaw Szyminski into the bottom corner. It was the start of a very busy afternoon for the 24-year-old.
He doubled Frosinone’s lead in the 37th minute, slotting home a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner. With Frosinone sitting on a 2-0 advantage after halftime, Novakovich helped play distributor in the club’s third goal.
Novakovich led a fast break in the 75th minute and set up Camillo Ciano for a 3-0 lead. The forward capped off his hat trick in the 77th minute, finishing off a fast break with his third goal of the match.
The U.S. Men’s National Team forward finished the season with 11 goals and five assists in 34 combined outings for Frosinone. Despite the club missing out on the playoffs by six points, Frosinone will have high heads after finishing in a respectable 10th place.
Novakovich will now head into the offseason with hopes of earning a call-up back to the USMNT.