Breslin selected by Angel City FC in third round of 2022 NWSL College Draft
Midfielder Hope Breslin runs onto the field during the game against Wisconsin on Oct. 8. Breslin was selected by Angel City FC in the third round of the NWSL Draft.
December 18, 2021
In the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft, fifth-year senior Hope Breslin was selected by Angel City FC with the No. 28 overall pick.
Breslin opted to come back for her fifth year and did not disappoint after a quiet senior year. The Massapequa native started off hot, scoring five goals within the first three games of the season, which included a hat trick against Illinois State and a screamer against then-No. 2 North Carolina.
She has been crucial to Illinois ever since she stepped foot in Champaign in 2017. As a freshman, she played in 12 games and totaled 758 minutes. She then stepped it up her sophomore and junior years and started in every game she played in, scoring a total of 11 goals.
As one of the key pieces in the midfield, she was a skillful dribbler who kept the ball glued to her feet and could score when needed.
This past season saw her move up top, after spending the summer with the NJ/NY Gotham Reserves, and convert into a forward, where she was a threat in front of goal.
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Angel City FC is one of the several teams that will have its inaugural season in the NWSL in 2022.
The roster features big names like United States Women’s National Team players Julie Ertz and Christen Press, who Breslin will join next year.
Breslin will join fellow Illini and current midfielder and captain of the Chicago Red Stars Vanessa DiBernardo in the NWSL.
The fifth-year midfielder is the seventh Illini player to be drafted, with the last coming in 2015, when Jannelle Flaws was picked by the Chicago Red Stars.
@AngelleCortes
