EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – MetroStars striker Clint Mathis is on a roll.

Mathis had a hat trick Wednesday to spark New York-New Jersey to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.

"I guess you could say that I'm in kind of a zone," said Mathis, who now leads the league in scoring. "Everything seems to be rolling in my direction."

MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano, who saw his team improve to 3-1-1 with 10 points, was quick to praise Mathis.

"It's difficult to score goals against this team," Zambrano said. "But right now Clint is riding a wave. He's doing great."

Kansas City, the defending MLS champion, came into the match with a four-game unbeaten streak, but slipped to 3-2-1 with 10 points.

"We played hard, but not smart," Wizards coach Bob Gansler said. "We came out of the chute well, but the disappointing thing is we let them come right back.

"Right now Mathis is on fire," Gansler said. "Everything he touches turns to gold."

Kansas City scored the first goal in the 10th minute. The MetroStars were unable to clear a corner kick and Mo Johnston headed the ball to Kerry Zavagnin, who scored from 20 yards.

Then Mathis, who also has starred this year for the U.S. national team, went to work.

He drew a foul as he tried to push the ball between two Wizards defenders just outside the box. He bent his ensuing free kick around a four-man wall into the upper right corner from 27 yards to tie the game in the 16th minute.

Mathis made it 2-1 in the 32nd minute by driving a shot past Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola.

He completed the hat trick in the 50th minute when he headed Tab Ramos' corner kick into the goal.

The MetroStars added a fourth goal in the 58th minute when Adolfo Valencia knocked a rebound into the net.

Mathis said he didn't feel well before the match and wasn't sure how he would play.

"Maybe it was the weather, but I didn't get much sleep, I was tired and my back was bothering me," he said. "I guess sleep is overrated.

"I'm not sure that I've ever scored right-footed, left-footed and on a header. I don't score on that many headers."