After his first season with Cal Poly Men’s Soccer, freshman defender Brecc Evans is going pro.
On Jan. 3, North Texas SC announced the signing of Evans to a two-year contract, with an option for the 2021 season. North Texas SC is the reserve team of Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and will be a founding member of USL League One, the third division of American soccer. USL League One’s inaugural season kicks off in March.
While his time at Cal Poly was limited, Evans’ impact was immense. The six-foot-four freshman was just one of three players to start all 16 games in the 2018-19 season. In front of goalkeeper Simon Boehme, 19-year-old Evans helped lead the Mustangs to five shutouts during his career. Evans played more minutes than any other player on the roster, earned a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team and even registered a goal and an assist in the process.
After making life-long friends and gaining valuable experience in his one season as a Mustang, Evans said he will miss the soccer program at Cal Poly.
“Being able to train with [my teammates] every day definitely helped me,” Evans said. “Coach [Steve] Sampson also has a wealth of knowledge, obviously, with his resume. I think I got a lot out of the program and I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me.”
Head coach Steve Sampson said he was not surprised Evans was one of the first to sign to the club. Sampson will look to a mix of current players as well as incoming transfers to make up for Evans’ departure. Still, as Sampson admits, there are certain players you just cannot replace.
“Brecc is very special,” Sampson said. “He’s an intelligent young man, very balanced emotionally, yet passionate, driven. One of those individuals that is extremely internally motivated.”
That driving motivation became evident long before Evans’ arrival at Cal Poly. For five years, Evans played for the FC Dallas United States Soccer Development Academy program. At the highest level of competitive youth soccer in America, Evans helped lead his team to a national championship in 2016.
According to Evans, the FC Dallas franchise established North Texas SC to bridge the USSDA program to the MLS first team.
“It’s pretty special being a founding member,” Evans said. “Being one of the first-ever signings and to play in the first season, it’s special considering I contribute a lot of my development to FC Dallas.”
While there is still much in the air regarding the new league and team, Evans said he is happy to be back on his feet. By the end of next month, he will be appearing in his first professional soccer game with North Texas SC.
“Obviously, the goal is to win the USL,” Evans said. “To win [the league] in its first year, that’d be pretty awesome. You could wear that on your sleeve forever. This is a pretty big year for me and I’m excited to work hard and achieve as much as possible.”