Massapequa’s Hope Breslin Drafted To Angel City FC

MASSAPEQUA, NY — Massapequa soccer standout Hope Breslin will take her game to the professional level after she was selected by Angel City FC in the 2022 draft of the National Women’s Soccer League on Saturday.

The Los Angeles-based Angel City selected Breslin No. 28 overall out of 50 players drafted on Saturday, making the University of Illinois forward the first draft pick of the expansion team. Angel City is one of two new NWSL franchises for the upcoming season that will kickoff in March 2022. Angel City’s website lists Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, Alexis Ohanian, and Abby Wambach as the founders of the franchise.

“I’m super excited,” Breslin told reporters about being drafted in the third round, according to SB Nation. “And I’m just so grateful to be that first player selected for Angel City. You know, you hear how it’s just a historic club already. And there are so many big names and I’m just really excited to get there and learn from these big players and kind of see what I can bring to the table, but I’m really just excited to be in that environment overall.”

During her career at Massapequa High School, Breslin was named national player of the year in 2017 and earned two honors as New York State Gatorade Player of the Year. She holds the school’s record with 82 career goals, while scoring 35 in her senior year, and she led the team to three straight New York state championships.

At University of Illinois from 2017 to 2021, Breslin started 72 of 76 games for the Big Ten School and earned a career 18 goals, nine assists, and 46 points. She is the third player from the program drafted into the NWSL.

Angel City will play home games at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.