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Angel City FC’s Evelyn Shores settling in after ‘whirlwind’ last year

March 26, 2026

Evelyn Shores didn’t have much time to prepare or adjust to the professional life last season.

In July, Shores signed with Angel City FC, bypassing her final two years of college at North Carolina. She signed a four-year contract with the ACFC through 2028.

The midfielder made her Angel City debut Aug. 1 and ended up playing in 12 of the final 13 games of the season.

“Honestly, I kind of got thrown straight into it,” she said. “It was definitely a whirlwind coming straight from college, coming off the summer, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity … it kind of feels like a six-month head start to my first season.”

Fast forward to 2026. Shores, 21, is in her first full season.

“I’m extremely comfortable now, I really love it here. I love L.A., I love the team and the culture that we’re building here,” Shores said.

Shores has picked up where she left off, starting the first two games heading into Friday’s home meeting against the Houston Dash.

“I invested in playing her from the start,” ACFC coach Alex Straus said. “She’s been good most of the time, but also we have to accept that sometimes, you know, she will also have difficult moments, but we need to keep her on to that she can grow from that and she can learn from that and take the next step and become a better player.”

Youth is the path that Angel City has taken, especially with this first full season under Straus.

Last week’s starting lineup against Bay FC had an average age of 23 years, 142 days, which, according to OptaJack sports data, was the youngest in NWSL history to record a win.

That youth movement does include 20-year-old Gisele Thompson and 19-year-old Kennedy Fuller, who bypassed college and are in their third seasons with Angel City FC.

“That’s the roster that we have now and it’s a young team and there’s a reason why because we want a team that can grow in the coming years and become better and better and start jelling,” Straus said. “That doesn’t happen in a week or two, but it’s been looking pretty good.

“It’s a young team and we need to make … we need to understand that it will be some days where it’s a little inconsistent as well, but that’s what we want to work with. We want to have a team that we can develop and that can grow.”

Angel City’s current roster has just four players older than 30 – Sydney Leroux, Claire Emslie, Sarah Gorden and Hannah Seabert. Only Gorden figures in the starting lineup. Seabert is the backup goalkeeper. Leroux (excused absence) and Emslie (maternity leave) are out.

“We have started to build the core (of the team) of how we see the club in years to come,” Straus said.

Angel City’s hot start

For the first time in its history, Angel City has won its first two games to start a season. The previous best stretch to start came in its inaugural season when ACFC won three of its first four games.

Angel City, in its fifth season of existence, has never won three consecutive games in its history.

HOUSTON DASH at ANGEL CITY FC

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: BMO Stadium

How to watch: Prime Video

Orange County Register

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Angel City FC’s Evelyn Shores settling in after ‘whirlwind’ last year

Angel City’s hot start

HOUSTON DASH at ANGEL CITY FC

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