On a frigid March afternoon at BMO Field in Toronto, midfielder Lewis Morgan was on fire.
His first half hat trick sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory against Toronto FC and would be a sign of things to come for the offseason addition whose 17 goals across all competitions lead the Red Bulls and earned Morgan team MVP.
The Red Bulls were flying high after starting the season with a 3-1 victory at San Jose, but a trip to Toronto posed a challenge and a test. New York hadn't won at BMO field since 2018.
Morgan started the scoring early with a 17th minute strike, and then added two more in the 24th and 41st minute, helping the Red Bulls take a 4-1 lead into the half. New York would hold that scoreline for a second consecutive road win to begin the 2022 season.
With the win, New York had recorded two road match victories to start the season for the first time in franchise history.
It was the first time New York recorded back-to-back games with at least three goals since April 28-May 5, 2018 when they defeated LA Galaxy, 3-2, and NYCFC, 4-0 in consecutive games.
Forward Patryk Klimala assisted on all three of Morgan's goals against Toronto. The performances earned Morgan and Klimala spots on the MLS Team of the Week, and also lead to Morgan being named MLS Player of the Week.
This wouldn't be the last of Morgan's standout moments for New York.
He would go on to score 14 more goals across all competitions during the 2022 season, helping lead the Red Bulls to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference.
