Today, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) released their preseason roster in preparation for their fourth season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as well as announcing the hiring of their new Interim Head Coach Sam Laity and Interim Goalkeeper Coach Ludovic "Ludo" Antunes. Preseason training kicks off today at the club’s brand new performance center in Thousands Oaks, CA.
ACFC’s preseason roster features the following players (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Goalkeepers: Angelina Anderson, Bre Norris (NRI), Hannah Stambaugh
- Defenders: Elizabeth Eddy, Vanessa Gilles (ON LOAN), Sarah Gorden, Alanna Kennedy (NYR, INTL-AUS), Megan Reid, Ali Riley (SEI), Gisele Thompson, M.A. Vignola
- Midfielders: Scottie Antonucci (NRI U18), Jun Endo (SEI, INTL-JPN), Kennedy Fuller (U18), Madison Hammond, Macey Hodge, Hannah Johnson (NRI), Lily Nabet, Katie Zelem (INTL-ENG)
- Forwards: Messiah Bright, Julie Dufour (INTL-FRA), Claire Emslie, Sydney Leroux, Casey Phair (U18), Leena Powell (U18 NRI), Christen Press, Riley Tiernan (NRI), Alyssa Thompson
Key: Non-Roster Invitee (NRI), International Player (INT), Not Yet Reported (NYR), 2023 NWSL Draft pick (DRAFT)
The 21 active players and five non-roster invitees will train under Interim Head Coach Sam Laity, Assistant Coach Eleri Earnshaw, Interim Goalkeeper Coach Ludovic "Ludo" Antunes, Technical Assistant Coach Mykell Bates, and Performance Analyst Oliver Blitz, under the leadership of Technical Director Mark Wilson to prepare for the club’s upcoming season.
Laity brings extensive coaching experience in the NWSL with Seattle Reign FC from 2013-2022, and Houston Dash in 2022. He has coached in more than 200 NWSL regular season and playoff games during his tenure as an assistant coach and interim head coach at Seattle Reign FC and head coach of Houston Dash, and spent most of his career as the primary assistant under Seattle Reign FC’s head coach Laura Harvey. Laity also served as an interim head coach during the 2021 season for six games and finished with a 4-2-0 (WLD) record.
ACFC’s offseason acquisitions this year feature French forward Julie Dufour, Australian defender Alanna Kennedy, and 2024 SEC Midfielder of the Year Macey Hodge.
Returning players include veteran forwards Christen Press and Sydney Leroux who both signed contract extensions with the club ahead of the 2025 NWSL season along with forward Claire Emslie and defender M.A. Vignola.
ACFC will compete in the 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, with preseason matches against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, February 16 at 11:00 a.m. PT, and Seattle Reign FC on February 22 at 12:00 p.m. PT.
Full details on ACFC’s 2025 complete regular-season schedule will be released shortly.
