Foxborough, Mass. (August 31, 2026) - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) tied its single-game scoring record Monday with a 5-2 victory over Boston Legacy FC in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The five goals tallied tonight broke Angel City’s single season record for goals scored with a total of 32.
Angel City scored three times in the opening 18 minutes before adding two more goals in the second half, with forward Prisca Chilufya recording her first career brace and Maiara Niehues scoring in her return to the field.
Ally Sentnor opened the scoring in the fifth minute, delivering a right-footed strike from outside the box to give Angel City an early 1-0 advantage. The goal came in a homecoming match for Sentnor, a Massachusetts native playing in front of family and friends.
Boston responded quickly, with fellow Massachusetts native Samantha Smith finding the equalizer in the eight minute. Smith finished with a left-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom-left corner following an assist from Boston captain Nichelle Prince.
Angel City quickly regained the lead. In the 14th minute, Chilufya found space outside the box and fired into the back of the net following a corner kick to put ACFC back in front 2-1. The goal marked the Zambian forward’s third of the season.
Sveindís Jónsdóttir then extended the lead in the 18th minute, finishing from a tight angle on the right side with a low shot into the bottom-right corner. Savy King provided the assist on the goal, which marked Jónsdóttir’s seventh on the season.
Jónsdóttir returned to the starting lineup after missing three matches due to injury, while King made her first start since April 3.
“This was a big game for us,” Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud said. “We wanted to build on what we have been doing well. We wanted to bounce back and we wanted to attack the backline. We knew we could hurt them with Sveindís and Prisca, and we managed to do that. Really happy and proud of the performance tonight. It was dominant.”
Angel City’s attack continued to create opportunities throughout the opening half, getting numbers into the box and forcing Boston goalkeeper Laurel Ivory into multiple saves.
“We spoke a lot about the game plan this week. I’m happy with how we showed that on the pitch; it’s what we trained this whole week,” Chilufya said. “That’s what we need moving forward.”
Angel City entered halftime with a 3-1 advantage before Chilfuya continued her standout performance in the second half.
After seeing an initial right-footed attempt blocked in the 58th minute, Chilufya stayed with the play, winning the rebound among two Boston defenders before finding the back of the net to extend Angel City’s lead 4-1.
The goal completed Chilufya’s first NWSL brace and doubled her season goal total.
“I’m trying to convince [Chilufya] to understand how good she is and can be,” Smerud said. “She is very difficult to play against. She has tremendous power. And she works so hard for the team. She has a big heart and she sacrificed a lot to be here and to be on this team. To see her succeed like this is really nice.”
Angel City added another goal in the 66th minute when Maiara Niehues found the back of the net with a strike from outside the box. Niehues, who entered in the 62nd minute, scored in her first appearance since July 26. The goal marked her seventh of the season, with Sentnor providing the assist.
Jónsdóttir and Niehues’ returns provide Angel City additional attacking options, aiming to accumulate more points heading into the final stretch of season.
“[Jónsdóttir and Niehues] are very brilliant players, and whenever we have them, it’s like a boost to our team because they have contributed a lot,” Chilufya said. “It’s good to have them back, and the team is excited because we know how important they are and what they bring to the team.”
Boston added a late goal from Aïssata Traoré in the 87th minute, but Angel City held on for the 5-2 victory.
“We want to build on our development. This gives us a lot of energy and belief,” Smerud said. “The game against Louisville last time is enough motivation for us. We want to go there and try to win. We want revenge.”
Angel City travels to play Racing Louisville FC on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 3:30 p.m. PT. The match will be televised on ION.
