CARY, N.C. – North Carolina FC announced on Monday the club had signed forward Evan Conway to a two-year contract through the 2025 USL Championship season. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Conway joins NCFC having spent the past two campaigns with San Diego Loyal SC, where he recorded 19 goals and four assists in 65 appearances across the regular season and playoffs in the Championship. The 26-year-old posted a 51.3 percent shooting accuracy rate and 24.4 percent shot conversion rate in his two seasons with SD Loyal, while also contributing 47 chances created.

“I’m excited to join NCFC at such an important time in its history,” said Conway. “I deeply value the winning culture this team and community has fostered and look forward to contributing to its continued success in 2024. With NCFC’s return to the USL Championship, we have a unique opportunity to make an impact and a statement. I can’t wait to step onto WakeMed for the first time and meet the fans in March.”

Prior to San Diego, Conway spent two seasons in USL League One with Union Omaha, where he scored 19 goals in 34 appearances across two seasons. Across 2,415 minutes of action, Conway created 29 chances and helped Los Buhos claim the League One title in the 2021 campaign, scoring the opening goal in the side’s 3-0 victory against Greenville Triumph SC in the League One Final that season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Evan to the club,” said NCFC head coach and sporting director John Bradford. “We got to face him a few years back in USL League One and it was clear then that he had the ability to make an impact at the Championship level. He’s proven so the past two seasons in San Diego. His skills in the final third, along with his first-hand knowledge of the jump from USL League One to the Championship, will be huge for us heading into 2024.”

Analysis

Evan Conway is the next high-profile addition to the North Carolina front line alongside Rodrigo Da Costa as the side adds to its returning group from the 2023 USL League One title winners, and the native of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin should bring plenty to his new club. Conway has been a consistent contributor in the final third with 38 goals across the Championship and League One over the past four seasons across the regular season and playoffs.

He likely would have reached double digits in goal contributions in each of his four professional campaigns after recording six goals and two assists in 16 appearances for Union Omaha in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Conway’s nose for goal in the penalty area – only three of his goals have come from outside the penalty area in his career so far – make him a keen finisher and poacher that opposing defenses have to keep close attention to, and that should provide a great option for Head Coach John Bradford in his attacking contingent.