University of North Carolina midfielder Evelyn Shores isn’t taking a break this summer.
Six months after helping the Tar Heels capture their 23rd NCAA title, she scored the winning goal last month for the U.S. women’s national team under-23s against Germany. And on Monday, she found the back of the net again, winning $1 million for the US Women at The Soccer Tournament (TST) just miles from her university.
Recruited by former U.S. midfielder Heather O’Reilly, 20 years her senior, Shores joined a team of legends, including O’Reilly, Carli Lloyd and Ali Krieger, for the seven-a-side, winner-takes-all competition.
“I was sprinting back to recover on defense, saw Heather (O’Reilly) win the ball, and just went. I was exhausted, but I had to go,” Shores told The Athletic. “She put it on a platter for me. I had to finish it.”
Still jetlagged from her trip to Germany with the USWNT U-23 team, Shores went straight to training alongside players she’d watched win World Cups and Olympic gold medals.
“Playing 1v1s in practice with Carli Lloyd the day after flying in from Germany? That was insane,” she said. “They made us feel like equals. That was the craziest part.”
She was one of the five UNC players O’Reilly invited to join her and the other World Cup…
