The NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee approves a proposal to consolidate the Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships by having all 48 women’s teams and all 36 men’s teams compete in Cary, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas. The move is effective for the championships, which were postponed last fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee believes having both championships in one geographic location will minimize travel and condense the overall time to conduct the tournament. Normally the women have a field of 64 teams and the men 48.

Just three weeks into his loan spell at Swansea City, Jordan Morris is stretchered off against Huddersfield. It is later learned that Morris suffered a torn left ACL. He debuted Jan. 30 and was only making his fourth appearance. Morris immediately returns to the U.S. to undergo surgery. He tore his right ACL in February 2018 and missed the remainder of that season.

Hosting an NCAA tournament game for the first time, Pacific Lutheran knocks off No. 2-ranked Trinity (Tx.) in penalty kicks at East Field. After 110 minutes, the Lutes oust the Tigers, 1-1 (4-2), in a first-round game. Following a scoreless first half, the Tigers strike first in the 51st minute, but PLU's Trevor Thompson answers in the 76th. Both team's make their first two penalties, but Lutes keeper Nicholas Gaston stops back-to-back shots, and Dane Helle scores the fourth for Pacific Lutheran. trinity had entered the game 16-0-2.

Crossfire Premier lays claim to the first-ever Elite Clubs National League Boys U14 national championship in St. Louis. Crossfire 07 beats San Diego Surf, 2-1, in the final. It is the first ECNL national title won by a program from Washington.

A promising campaign is collapsing for Tacoma Defiance. The team is in free fall after losing its record seventh straight, 1-0, at Austin. Once second in the division, Tacoma has sunk to seventh, one game out of a playoff position, with six matches remaining. The Defiance has scored just four times during the skid.

Washington State Legends of Soccer presents a free webinar featuring five local professionals discussing what it takes to reach the next level. The panel features Sam Hiatt (OL Reign), Katherine Reynolds (11-year veteran), Cristian Roldan (Sounders), Kelyn Rowe (Sounders) and Morgan Weaver (Portland Thorns). Sportscaster Tom Glasgow serves as moderator.

Cristian Roldan of the Sounders comes off the bench to set-up the winning goal as the United States advances to the Gold Cup semifinals. Roldan substitutes in the 63rd minute and following an active 20-minute span, floats a cross from the right wing that's headed in by Matthew Hoppe in the 82nd minute. That gives the U.S. a 1-0 win over Jamaica at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tx. Roldan had gotten his first USMNT assist vs. Martinique on July 15. His younger brother and Sounders teammate Alex Roldan made his international debut for El Salvador July 11, scoring in his debut vs. Guatemala.

After 11 months on the sidelines, kids get the go-ahead to compete again. Washington Youth Soccer, in accordance with the state's third phase of COVID-19 re-opening, permits league play to resume in many counties, albeit with stipulations. All players, coaches and spectators (up to 200 allowed) must wear masks, socially distance themselves off the field, and no postgame handshakes or fist bumps are allowed. It soon becomes apparent participation numbers are significantly lower and referee ranks need rebuilding.

With the aid of a young Seattleite, Santa Clara claims the NCAA Women’s College Cup via penalties against top-seeded Florida State in Cary, N.C. Freshman forward Sally Menti converts the second of four shootout attempts for the Broncos, who win, 1-1 (4-1). Menti, who scored the game-winning goal in a quarterfinal vs. Clemson, makes the all-tournament team. Kylie Foutch of Lake Stevens is the back-up keeper.

A pair of first-half goals pave the path for Washington's Senior Day win over Oregon State. The No. 22 Huskies, who finish 7-1-1 at home, rise to third in the Pac-12 with a relentless attack of 27 shots. It all but assures UW of a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Sianna Siemonsma floats a cross to the middle of the box and Summer Yates pushes it home at 27'. Following an OSU handball on a UW shot, Olivia Van der Jagt convert converts from the spot five minutes before halftime.

Sounders Homegrown star forward Jordan Morris officially joins Swansea City of the English Championship on a six-month loan with an option to buy at the end. Morris is expected to be eligible for the Jan. 27 match against Brentford. Swansea's reported purchase price would be over $7 million. Morris, 26, is coming off an MLS Best XI season in which he scored 10 goals for the second year in a row and added a career-high eight assists.

For the second straight NCAA tournament match, Dylan Teves scores three goals to lead Washington to the next round. After falling behind twice to No. 15 Indiana, Teves gets all three goals for the Huskies, including the overtime game-winner. The visiting Hoosiers dictate play early, earning a penalty kick by Victor Bezerra in the 29th minute. Three minutes into the second half Teves, who had a second-round hat trick vs. Portland, converted a UW penalty. Four minutes later, IU's Spencer Glass restores the lead. In the 75th minute, Charlie Ostrem spots Teves on the back post for an open header. Barley six minutes into overtime Lucas Meek leads Teves into space and he buries it in the left corner, sending Washington through to the Elite 8.

Chad Bodnar, who took Eastern Washington to its first two NCAA tournament appearances, is out after seven seasons in Cheney. Bodnar's contract is not renewed despite going 73-44-15. Elsewhere, Paul Meehan is dismissed after three seasons with the Gonzaga men's program where he was 8-33-4.

Seattle's Henry Wingo celebrates another league championship, this time with Hungary's Ferencvaros. A 3-0 home win over Ujpest gives Ferencvaros a third straight crown. Wingo, a wing-back, has become a regular (12 appearances) since joining the Budapest side on a $1 million transfer Jan. 18. He had also won a domestic title for Norway's Molde after leaving the Sounders midway through 2019.

Pacific Lutheran secures its fourth consecutive Northwest Conference men's title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament with a commanding 4-0 victory over George Fox in Tacoma. Cris Lozano scores his fifth goal in the last six matches after just six minutes of action, and the Lutes are off and running. Cole Dobson, Jared Simarago and Keegan Dolan tack-on second-half goals for the fifth win in a row, all by shutout.

The state's postponed 2020 collegiate season begins with a men's match between Seattle University and Gonzaga at Championship Field. Due to the pandemic, not since December 2019 has a competitive game been played. NCAA Division I and NAIA conduct national championships while Division II and III do not. Junior colleges return and all but two of the state's four-year programs opt to play. The Great Northwest Athletic Conference chooses not to sponsor play nor champions in D2, leaving members to make patchwork schedules. Seasons are truncated, and health and safety protocols prompt several cancellations and postponements.

Crossfire Premier cap a dominant performance with a signature performance in the girls' U19 final of the Dallas Cup in Frisco, Tx. They crush host FC Dallas, 5-1, behind the MVP efforts of Maia Tabion, who bookends the scoring in second and 90th minutes In between, Kate Toomey (13'), Ashly Berge (70') and Alexandra Akers (89') supply goals. Crossfire finishes the tournament 5-0-0 with a goal differential of 22-1. Dallas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious U.S. youth tournament, had not previously conducted a girls' division.

OL Reign has reached its nadir. Eight hours after losing their coach, they lose their third consecutive game, 2-0 at Houston. It the longest skid since 2013, and it leaves them 2-5-1 and ninth out of 10 teams. They have scored just five goals. Farid Benstiti resigned midway through his second season on the morning of the match.

Jimmy Gabriel, instrumental and influential to the advancement of Puget Sound area soccer for more than 35 years and the original Mr. Sounder, has died in Phoenix. He was 80. Gabriel served as original captain and second head coach of the NASL Seattle Sounders as well as the first coaching director for Washington Youth Soccer. He was coaching director and later head coach for FC Seattle, which provided a competitive environment for development of the area’s top players following the NASL’s demise. Later, Gabriel served as an assistant coach for the University of Washington men’s and women’s programs, and he was Brian Schmetzer’s top assistant with the A-League Sounders.

The Tacoma Stars' Nick Perera scores as the U.S. Beach Men’s National Team beats Mexico, 5-2, in the semifinals of the 2021 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Perera's goal is his fourth of the tournament and puts the U.S. ahead 3-1 with 56 seconds to go until halftime. He also assists on two scores. El Salvador defeats the U.S. in the tournament final, but both teams qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

Seattle Pacific head coach Mark Collings resigns to take an assistant role across town at Washington. Collings had held the reins of his alma mater for 14 seasons, going 129-68-32. Former USL Sounder Kevin Sakuda, an assistant for the SPU women, is named interim coach.

DeAndre Yedlin is on the move to Turkey following his free transfer from Newcastle to Galatasary. Yedlin played four-plus years at St. James' Park, making 125 appearances. He scored 3 goals and added 11 assists. Yedlin joins one of the most famous clubs in Turkey for 3.5 years. Galatasaray are currently in a battle with arch-rivals Fenerbahçe for the lead in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Just like the parent club, Tacoma Defiance now has a former Sounder as head coach. Wade Webber is named the USL Championship club's fourth coach. Webber replaces Chris Little, who resigned to take an assistant post with Colorado Rapids. Webber played for the A-League Sounders from 1994-96 before moving to MLS. He was an assistant with Defiance/S2 since 2018, working under both John Hutchinson and Little. Webber also coached for two seasons with the Sounders FC Academy, and he boasts more than two decades of experience working in youth soccer in western Washington.

Tacoma's abbreviated MASL season comes to a close in the playoffs and on the road, as always. All 13 regular season and postseason games have been away from home due to COVID-19 restrictions, and yet the Stars go 4-7 and take eventual champion San Diego to overtime in both playoffs. They fall to the Sockers for the second time in three nights, 6-5, at Ontario, Ca. Game 1 of quarterfinals had an identical score.

With the approval of state and county officials, Seattle Sounders announce that fans will be allowed to return to home matches for the first time in more than a year. Beginning with the April 16 home opener vs. Minnesota, Lumen Field capacity will be limited to 25 percent, or 7,000. The date, OL Reign fans will return to Cheney Stadium in accordance with state and Pierce County guidelines. The Reign played two home games in 2020, both behind closed doors. The Sounders have not played with spectators since March 7, 2020.

Megan Rapinoe scores a brace as th United States wins the Olympic bronze medal by defeating Australia, 4-3, in Kashima, Japan. Rapinoe begins with a dazzling Olimpico, driving her corner kick cross directly into the net in the eighth minute. In the 21st minute, a failed Australia clearance falls into her path for a firm volley into the net and a 2-1 lead the U.S. would not relinquish. Carli Lloyd's brace makes it 4-1 early in the second half. Rapinoe’s brace makes her the first USWNT player with multiple multi-goal games at the Olympics. She also scored twice (including another Olimpico) in the 2012 Olympic semifinals against Canada.

One of the most senior college coaches abruptly departs his position. Central Washington's Michael Farrand resigns three games into the women's season with immediate effect. The Wildcats (1-2-0) are guided by assistant coach Emmy Koflanovich for the remainder of season. Farrand leaves with an overall record of 146-204-38, highlighted by a 14-6-1 season in 2016 that ended with the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II regional appearance.

Washington Youth Soccer, in accordance with the State of Washington's COVID-19 reopening plan, affirms that masks are no longer necessary to wear for training and games around the state.

Western Washington women's coach Travis Connell reaches a milestone with the Vikings' 2-0 victory over Simon Fraser at Harrington Field. It is Connell's 400th career victory. He began his head coaching tenure with the Western men's program in 1999 and added women's team responsibilities in 2003. In his 19 seasons with the women, the Vikings are 275-74-32 with eight GNAC titles and the 2016 NCAA Division II title. In Connell's 14 seasons as men's coach, WWU went 125-123-17.

A nomadic return to play for the Tacoma Stars begins in Independence, Mo., with a season-opening MASL victory, 6-5 over the Kansas City Comets. Cory Keitz scores shorthanded to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Keitz then gets the winner with 2:58 left in overtime. The Stars must play each game on the road or at neutral sites since state and local COVID-19 regulations not allowing in-person events.

Sam Adeniran scores three second-half goals as Tacoma ends a record seven-game losing streak by defeating Orange County, 4-1, at Cheney Stadium. Following a scoreless first half, Adeniran breaks the game open early in the second period, beginning with a curling left-footed shot in the 46th minute. A soft chip from close range makes it 2-nil in the 52nd. Orange County pulls a goal back and is pushing for the equalizer when Alec Díaz puts home a rebound in the 90th minute. Adeniran completes only the second hat trick in S2/Defiance history in added time for his 10th goal of the season. Tacoma goes 3-0-1 vs. Orange County, the eventual USL Championship champion.

Major League Soccer announces the formation of a new league in 2022 for its affiliated reserve teams. MLS NEXT Pro will be sanction for Division III by U.S. Soccer, and all MLS reserve teams – including Tacoma Defiance –currently in USL Championship or League One will move there by 2023. The Defiance (formerly Sounders 2) has been in the Div. II USL Championship since starting in 2015.

Seattle Sounders run rampant in Portland, torching the Timbers for six goals at Providence Park. A first-half brace from Fredy Montero is followed by Raul Ruidiaz doing likewise in 6-2 romp. It ties the most goals scored in an away match, and it starts early with Montero in the 13th and 29th minutes. He has six career goals vs. Portland. Three minutes after the Timbers tie it, Ruidiaz scores twice in 17 minutes before Jimmy Medranda smashes home a volley. Nicolas Benezet gets the sixth in added time. It's part of a four-game win streak across all competitions.

A U.S. team heavily flavored with OL Reign and Washington connections defeats Australia, 3-0, in the penultimate match of 2021. Rose Lavelle of the Reign scores the game's second goal on an 8-yard, first-time shot in the 49th minute. Reign teammate Alana Cook also starts both Bethany Balcer and Morgan Weaver earn their first caps as second-half substitutes and Sofia Huerta makes her return after last playing for the USWNT in 2018. Balcer becomes the first player from an NAIA school (Spring Arbor) to be capped.

It's the end of an era for The Evergreen State College men's soccer program as coach John Purtemann ends a 15-year run. Purtemann was 112-115-33 with the men since 200 and also guided the women's team from 2007-09.

Tacoma Stars name Mike Jennings as the new head coach of the team ahead of the 2021-22 MASL season. Jennings has been with the Stars since 2016 season, both as an assistant and member of the medical staff. He replaces Nick Perera, who was player-coach since December 2018. Jennings previously was head coach of the PDL Tacoma Tide and Puget Sound women.

Less than 10 months after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL, Jordan Morris is back starting for the USMNT in a friendly vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Carson, Ca. Morris, who plays 78 minutes, had returned to Sounders action Nov. 1 and played two regular season matches, plus a playoff game.

Washington center back and Woodinville resident Ethan Bartlow is selected sixth overall by the Houston Dynamo in the MLS SuperDraft. Bartlow, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, becomes the UW's highest draft pick in 21 years. Two days earlier, he signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS.

OL Reign secures the service of French star striker Eugénie Le Sommer on loan from sister club Olympique Lyonnais. The all-time leading scorer for Lyon and the French national team, Le Sommer, 31, will arrive in Tacoma in mid-June. In 11 seasons with OL, Le Sommer won the French championship 10 times and the UEFA Women’s Champions League seven times.

Rookie central defender Jackson Ragen scores the opener and helps anchor Tacoma's defense to a shutout win over Orange County in Irvine, Ca. Sam Adeniran and Marlo Vargas also tally for the Defiance, winners of three straight and now 7-4-6 and up to second place in the USL Pacific Division. Adeniran has three goals in the three wins, and Tacoma is undefeated over eight games (4-0-4), by far the best in the franchise's history.

Tacoma Stars play their first home game in 21 months, opening the MASL 2021-22 season before 2,198 at ShoWare Center. The Stars, who last played at home on March 1, 2020, had their last three games that year canceled due to the pandemic. In the shortened 2021 campaign, they played all 13 games on the road. Tacoma goes down 3-0 early to defending champion San Diego, then takes the lead, 4-3, five minutes into the second half on a Nick Perera goal. The Sockers score five of the game's next six goals and eventually win, 10-7.

FIFA and Concacaf inspection committees arrive in Seattle to tour Lumen Field and discuss the SEA 2026 bid, chaired by Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer. The group attends Sounders, Seahawks and Kraken games over two days. With 48 teams competing in a World Cup for the first time in ’26 (instead of the usual 32), approximately 16 venues are desired. Lumen Field is among several stadiums under consideration that lack a permanent grass surface.

For the third time in four weeks OL Reign announces a key acquisition, this time central defender Alana Cook on a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. Cook had previously played with OL Reign during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup on a short-term loan from the French club. A native of Massachusetts and Stanford graduate, she signed with PSG in early 2019, and in 2021 they finally overtook 14-time defending champion Olympique Lyonnais. Cook captained the U.S. U23 national team and earned her first senior cap in 2019.

Hope Solo gets 85.4 percent of the National Soccer Hall of Fame vote yet is not elected in her second year of eligibility. Instead, the top two players – Christie Pearce and Steve Cherundolo, both above 89 percent – take the two permitted slots. In 2022, a third athlete will be admitted from the player ballot if they receive at least 75 percent of the vote.

Seattle Pacific wins emphatically to remain unbeaten during the calendar after a 6-0 shelling of Northwest Nazarene at Interbay Stadium. Makena Rietz scores just 52 seconds in, and A.J. DePinto collects two goals as the Falcons go to a combined 13-0-1 in 2021 they were 8-0-1 in the spring. SPU has now scored 17 unanswered goals since its opening fall match.

A Spokane Public Facilities District committee decides the next direction for the city's professional soccer aspirations. They choose to go with women's and men's USL teams for the new downtown stadium. There will be a USL Super League (Div. II) team for women and a League One (Div. III) men's club. The USL proposal, led by Cindy Wendle, competed against Brett Sports, owner of the Spokane Chiefs hockey and Spokane Indians Minor League Baseball franchises. Brett Sports proposed bringing an MLS farm team, potentially the Tacoma Defiance.

In complete control from the opening whistle, 15th-ranked Washington State moves forward in the NCAA tournament with a resounding 3-0 win over Montana at Lower Soccer Field. For the third game in a row the WSU attack is buzzing. Marin Whieldon, Sydney Pulver and Grayson Lynch run the Cougars' total to 10 goals in those three victories.

Returning to play nearly two weeks after the NWSL was rocked by reports of mistreatment of players by coaches in the league, OL Reign beats Chicago, 3-2, extending their unbeaten run to seven games (6-0-1). It also clinches a spot in the NWSL playoffs. Jess Fishlock scores a pair and Rose Lavelle opens her Reign account. The NWSL canceled all games from Oct. 1-3 following public allegations of sexual harassment and abuse at multiple clubs over several seasons.

With no postseason tournaments and their Senior Night match three days later canceled, Seattle Pacific puts everything into a second-half surge to beat rival Western Washington and finish the 2020 spring season undefeated. The Falcons come from behind to score four times in the final 35 minutes of a 4-1 victory at Interbay. Claire Neder sparks 7th-ranked Falcons' rally, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute and a penalty at 85'. SPU goes 8-0-1, its only blemish a 4-4 draw at Western. Only four other state varsity programs have completed undefeated seasons.

Seattle’s record autumn rainfall has consequences. The Washington-California men’s game, tied at 1-1, is called after 60 minutes when field conditions prompted officials to rule that it was no longer safe due to the waterlogged Husky Soccer Stadium pitch. Since it did not reach 70 minutes, it is ruled a no-contest and is not rescheduled. Over two inches of precipitation is measured during the day.

Trinity Rodman, Washington State's most coveted signee in program history, will not play a single game in Pullman. Rodman is selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Draft and will forego her collegiate career, instead reporting immediately to the Spirit training camp. She signed in December 2019 as the top-ranked forward in the 2020 class and the highest rated recruit in WSU program history. Rodman scored eight goals and added six assists, helping the U.S. to the 2020 CONCACAF U20 championship.

It's far from normal, but some degree of normalcy is beginning anew for high school athletes during the pandemic. With approval of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, traditional fall prep sports, including girls' soccer, begin practicing again. The abbreviated season will run through April 17 in Seattle's Metro League, to be followed by winter and spring sports such as boys' soccer from April 19-June 12. Schedules vary depending upon the league, and most are dispensing with postseason tournaments, and the WIAA will not hold state championships until fall.

OL Reign are moving back to Seattle in 2022, this time to Lumen Field, home of the NFL Seahawks and MLS Sounders. Reign Founder and CEO Bill Predmore says the NWSL team has signed a multiyear agreement to play home matches downtown. The Reign have played at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium since 2019, with the expectation it would be an interim step toward an adjacent new soccer-specific stadium. That project was suspended as a result of the pandemic, then NWSL required a minimum 10,000 capacity and cost estimates leapt from $60M to $158M. Within three weeks, 2,500 season-ticket packages are sold, nearly doubling the 2021 total.

Farid Benstiti abruptly resigns as OL Reign head coach, the announcement made just hours before a game in Houston. Assistant coach Sam Laity is named interim coach. Benstiti, hired to succeed Vlatko Andonovski in 2019, was 6-8-6 across all competitions over his year and a half at the helm. It is learned later, in September, that the Frenchman was asked to resign after an allegation of verbal abuse during a team meeting prior to the June 26 home game vs. Gotham FC.

For the first time in Washington's 60 seasons of varsity play, the Huskies have broken through to the NCAA College Cup semifinals. In front of a record Husky Soccer Stadium crowd of 3,629, UW eliminates the lone remaining undefeated team in the country, St. Louis, 2-0. Midway through the first half, Nick Scardina jumps to deflect the Billikens keeper's attempted clearance, and the ball falls to the feet of Gio Miglietti, who fires it home. Less than five minutes later, it's Miglietti again. Christian Soto slices through the defense and finds Miglietti near post for the 2-nil advantage.

Washington wastes no time in getting in front in its NCAA opener and goes on to blank Liberty, 3-0, in Matthews, N.C. It's UW's biggest postseason margin of victory since 2010 and a 4-nil scoreline vs. Oklahoma. Just 67 seconds into the match, Ameera Hussen put the Huskies up. Karlee Stueckle and Olivia Van der Jagt tally on either side of halftime.

A national top-four matchup decides the outcome of the Pac-12 race in Corvallis, and No. 3 Washington is unable to overtake No. 1 Oregon State. The Beavers break through first, 15 seconds into the second half. The Huskies press forward and get the equalizer on the hour. Ryan Sailor comes up to nod in Charlie Ostrem's corner kick. In the 86th minute UW seems to have the conference crown in hand. Following a pair of solid saves by Sam Fowler, Gio Miglietti knocks in a goal after Ostrem recycles his cleared corner to Kendall Burks. OSU responds in the 89th minute to tie it, 2-2, and two scoreless extra periods the Beavers win the Pac-12.

Missy Strasburg is introduced as the fourth head coach in Eastern Washington program history and the first female to guide the program in 22 years. Strasburg takes over following a five-year assistant coach stint at the Air Force Academy. She started her coaching career in the Spokane area as a youth and high school coach at Spokane Shadow and Riverside High. Strasburg played collegiately at Gonzaga from 1997-2001, ending No. 3 in career assists.

Nick Perera of the Tacoma Stars scores two goals plus an assist, but the United States falls to host Russia, 5-4 in extra time, in the opening group stage match at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Moscow. The U.S. proceeds to lose all three of its games, while Russia goes on to win the tournament. Perera finishes with four goals.

Alex Roldan steps between the posts and comes up with three clutch saves to preserve the Sounders' 1-0 win at San Jose. When Stefan Frei is injured making a save in the 90th minute and Seattle having exhausted its substitutions, Cristian Roldan recommends his brother as an emergency replacement to coach Brian Schmetzer. Normally the right back, Roldan becomes the Sounders' first field player to play in MLS play and only the 12th in the league's 26-year existence. Cristian Roldan's goal extends Seattle's unbeaten string to five.

Chris Erikson celebrates her 500th victory as Kamiakin girls' coach following the Braves' 4-0 win at Hermiston. Erikson has coached at the Kennewick school for 33 years, twice guided the team to the state 4A final. More than 60 players have gone on to play in college.

Camas completes an unbeaten campaign, but it doesn't come easily. The Papermakers get a couple saves in the shootout to turn back Issaquah, 0-0 (4-2), for the girls' 4A title at Sparks Stadium. Although Camas pushes relentlessly in the second half and overtime (17-3 in shots), it comes down to penalties. Keely Wieczorek saves a pair of Eagles attempts, and Nora Melcher nets the clinching penalty in the fifth round. It's the Papermakers' second crown in five years and sixth runner-up finish for Issaquah.

Under new coach Wade Webber, Tacoma Defiance is off to a strong start a 2-0-1. Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez scores the lone goal in the 21st minute of a 1-0 win over Orange County at Cheney Stadium. Christian Herrera makes two saves for his first shutout. It's the club's best start since Sounders 2 started 3-0-0 in 2015.

More than a year after closing for the pandemic, the Greater Seattle Soccer League resumes play with the start of the spring season. All is not normal, however. Players and officials must wear masks at all times, and six feet of distance must be maintained on the bench and team huddles.

An all-Metro League final goes to Lakeside in a 2-1 decision over Seattle Prep for the 3A girls' championship in Puyallup. Cate Lewison puts away a rebound in the 35th minute, giving the Lions the lead. Halle Fenkner doubles it on the 46th, punching home a short-range shot. Prep replies five minutes later through Emory Bozzuti. Lakeside finishes first for the sixth time but first since 2003.

Nick Perera, best known as the prolific scorer and player/coach of the Tacoma Stars, is named executive director of Washington Youth Soccer. The captain of the U.S. Beach National Team, Perera, 35, replaces Terry Fisher, who held the post since 2009.

Gonzaga finishes its season with a fourth straight win to set a new program standard for victories. The Bulldogs blank Loyola Marymount, 1-0, in Los Angeles for a 15th win (15-5-0). The lone score comes in the 58th minute when a Willow Collins free kick finds Hannah Hale. Lyza Bosselmann's four saves makes it stand-up for a record 12th shutout.

Spokane Public Schools board approves a downtown location for a new sports stadium. The $31 million, 5,000-seat facility was originally planned to go on the Joe Albi Stadium site, but the site just north of downtown and east of the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena became the preference for its accessibility. Those promoting the return of pro soccer also favored the downtown location. Construction groundbreaking takes place November 30.

Second-half goals by Judah Johnston and Alex Mejia power 7th-ranked Seattle Pacific past Western Washington, 2-0, at Harrington Field. It's the Falcons' seventh straight victory as they go to 10-1-0. Under interim coach Kevin Sakuda, SPU is in the midst of the school's best start since 2014. Mejia, coming off a hat trick five days earlier, raises his season to 12 goals.

After 29 seasons at Bellarmine Prep, Joe Waters retires as boys' and girls' coach. Waters, who came to Tacoma to play for the MISL Stars in 1984, won two state championships with the Bellarmine boys in 2004 and 2008, and one with the girls in 2004. The 2004 boys' team was also voted as the national champion by a national coaches association.

Both the Sounders and OL Reign play at home in record-breaking heat as the entire Pacific Northwest endures an oppressive heat dome. Temperatures reach 102 degrees at SeaTac International, and it's the start of an unprecedented three straights days of records, topping out at 108 on June 28. The Reign-Gotham game at Cheney Stadium begins at 1 o'clock, when the thermometer hits 91 and keeps rising. Up at Lumen Field, by 6 p.m. the high slips back to 95, still breaking the mark for the highest game time temperature of 91, set in 2015. The Reign wilts, 3-0, to Gotham. The Sounders and Whitecaps draw, 2-2.

Western Washington advances to the NCAA Division II Women's West Regional Championship for the eighth time in nine seasons by beating Point Loma, 1-0, in Bellingham. The second-round win is a combination of Jenna Killman's early marker and a key save by Natalie Dierickx. Killman scores her 14th goal in the seventh minute. Dierickx stops a Point Loma free kick in the 61st.

Behind 2-nil with under four minutes remaining, Seattle University stuns host Grand Canyon with a miraculous comeback and wins the WAC tournament in penalties in Phoenix, 2-2 (4-3). Sam Tessler sparks the rally with a header off a cross from James Morris in the 87th minute. Noe Meza then equalizes in the 89th minute on a free kick from 10 yards outside the box. In penalty kicks, GCU scores on its first attempt but Morris ties it at 1-1. In the tiebreaker, Akili Kasim saves the Antelopes' second and fifth penalties while the Redhawks go 4-for-4.

After 19 months OL Reign is reunited with both its fans for an NWSL Challenge Cup match versus Chicago. Megan Rapinoe also makes her first start (second appearance) for the club since October 2019. There are just over a thousand socially-distanced fans at Cheney Stadium. Two home dates had been played behind closed doors. Second-half goals from Leah Pruitt and Tziarra King give the Reign a 3-2 win.

Washington's late-season scoreless string finally ends and unfortunately the Huskies cannot muster a reply. Second-ranked North Carolina ousts UW from the NCAA tournament, 1-0, at the Sweet Sixteen phase in Cary, N.C. Washington, in its first season under Nicole Van Dyke, does not allow a shot in the first half and has a 13-7 shot advantage overall. Yet the 653-minute defensive shutout streak ends midway through the second half on Tori Hansen's header off a Tar Heels corner. It's the second-longest shutout streak in Husky history.

Washington's bid to finally reach the NCAA semifinals comes up short with a 3-0 loss to No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh in Cary, N.C. It’s 1-nil until the final two minutes, when the Panthers twice score into an open net after every UW player pushes forward. It's the second season in a row that UW has exited at the Elite Eight.

A resurgent OL Reign humbles Houston, 5-1, in Tacoma for the third win in a row and fourth in six games under interim coach Sam Laity. Bethany Balcer scores her fourth and fifth goals during that stretch, and the Reign has risen from ninth to fifth in the table. Incoming head coach Laura Harvey is in attendance and will now take the handoff from Laity and begin her second stint as head coach of the Reign.

Santa Clara, again with two starters from Washington, comes within two wins of repeating as NCAA Division I women’s champions. Sophomore goalkeeper Kylie Foutch posts her fourth shutout vs. BYU in the semifinals, but the Cougars prevail in penalties, 0-0 (3-2), before 7,600 at Santa Clara. Foutch makes eight saves, and Sally Menti makes the first Broncos penalty. Makaylie Moore, a senior from Auburn who scored two goals in BYU’s 4-1 quarterfinal win over South Carolina, starts for the Cougars in the College Cup final, which Florida State wins, 0-0 (4-3).

Seattle establishes a record for the best start to a season in MLS history, beating Houston, 2-0, to remain unbeaten (8-0-5) through 13 matches. Kelyn Rowe and Raúl Ruidíaz supply the Sounders' goals in front of 27,421 at Lumen Field. The unbeaten run ties for the longest single-season streak in team history, props Seattle to first in the Supporters' Shield race. Rowe finally dents the Dynamo defense in the 62nd minute, tapping in a cross from Alex Roldan for his first goal since joining his hometown club. Ruidíaz gets his 10th goal in added time.

A sensational spring keeps getting better for Washington. A goal with only 18 seconds remaining lifts the 23rd-ranked Huskies over Washington State, 2-1, in an Apple Cup Series home match. The non-conference win makes UW 6-1-2, and it's the second straight win over WSU. Ruby Hellstrom's early strike is canceled out by Makamae Gomera-Stevens in the 73rd minute. Karlee Stueckle's shot from the top of the box finds its way through the keeper's fingers for the winner. Under new coach Nicole Van Dyke, Washington has scored four goals in the 80th minute or later and outscored opponents 9-2 in the second half of games.

Nine months after trading for her NWSL rights, OL Reign announces that U.S. international midfielder Rose Lavelle is coming to Tacoma. Lavelle becomes a USWNT allocated player and is expected to be available for selection within a couple weeks. Her rights were acquired August 16, 2020, from Washington. She has been with Manchester City during the 2020/21 European season.

Washington Youth Soccer, in accordance with the State of Washington's COVID-19 reopening plan, affirms that masks are no longer necessary to wear for training and games around the state. Masks had been required for players, coaches and spectators when play restarted in February.

Eugénie Le Sommer's brace fuels a 3-0 win at Kansas City to wrap-up the No. 2 seed in the NWSL playoffs on the final day of the regular season. It completes a complete turnaround since a midseason coaching change, with the Reign going from ninth to second (13-8-3) with 10-4-2 run. After a first-half own goal by KC, Le Sommer doubles the margin early in the second half and secures her third brace since July in the 84th minute.

Battling from behind almost from the outset, Washington cannot fire-up its attack in falling to Clemson, 2-0, in the NCAA championship game at Cary, N.C. The Huskies finish with advantages in shots (9-4) and corners (5-3) yet the potent production (12 goals) of the past five games is missing. The Tigers put UW in a hole before a full minute is gone. A mistake in the back leads to an open net for Clemson's Isaiah Reid at 27 seconds. Just 14 minutes later, Reid scores a second goal on a looping header. Washington's best chance did not come until the 88th minute, when Dylan Teves was on target but saved.

They had started incredibly fast, but the Sounders complete their slow fade with a first-round playoff exit at home. Real Salt Lake upsets third-seeded Seattle in penalties, 0-0 (6-5), before a season-high crowd of 34,012. RSL advances despite failing to record a shot in regulation and overtime. The Sounders' 21 shots rarely trouble keeper David Ochoa, who makes three routine saves. Ochoa seals the shootout, denying Kelyn Rowe in the sixth round. Seattle goes 0-3-4, scoring only five goals in its last seven fixtures.

The Washington Husky Hall of Fame inducts its first male soccer player, former standout defender Craig Waibel. From 1994-98 Waibel, a Spokane native, anchored the backline and helped lead Washington to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Uw won its first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title his senior year.

OL Reign original Jess Fishlock is named the NWSL Most Valuable Player and Laura Harvey earns Coach of the Year for a third time. Fishlock scored five goals and four assists, but it was her leadership that really shined as the Reign surged from a slow start to make the playoffs. Harvey returned for her second tour with the club in August and was 7-2-2 at the helm. Fishlock is joined on the league's Best XI by newcomers Alana Cook and Eugenie Le Sommer.

The fizz suddenly goes out of a seemingly magical OL Reign season with a 2-1 loss to Washington in an NWSLS semifinal before 5,273 at a soggy Cheney Stadium. Eugenie Le Sommer puts the Reign in the driver's seat with a third-minute goal. However a young Spirit quickly strikes back through 19-year-old sensation Trinity Rodman (12'). Ashley Sanchez, 22, executes a clever chip from a sharp angle to beat Sarah Bouhaddi to put the visitors ahead. The Reign out-shoots Washington, 23-13, but only three tries are on-frame. The Spirit proceeds to win the NWSL championship.

Governor Jay Inslee announces the State of Washington will fully reopen after June 30, clearing the way for OL Reign, Tacoma Defiance and Seattle Sounders to open seating to full capacity at home games. While there will no longer be a requirement to show vaccination verification before entry, that changes when the Delta variant surges. In September masks are required, both indoors and out, and proof of vaccination or a negative FDA-approved test are necessary for entry to games and events.

Once more exhibiting an ability to shift into a higher gear come the second half, the Sounders remain undefeated and win their fourth in a row, 2-0, over LAFC. It matches 2019 for the best start in the MLS era (5-0-1). Xavier Arreaga flicks a near-post header from Joao Paulo's corner kick in the 57th minute. Then in the 73rd, Seattle’s wingbacks combine when Alex Roldan dinks a lofted ball for Brad Smith’s late-arriving run. Stefan Cleveland makes his first start with for the injured Stefan Frei and makes three saves. Seattle has not outscored opponents 10-1 in the second half.

Washington scores its second straight win over fellow top-five opponents, with the 4th-ranked Huskies taking down No. 3 Oregon State, 2-1, in Corvallis. Gio Miglietti and Ryan Sailor tally in the first 21 minutes to give the Huskies a 2-nil lead. Charlie Ostrem assists on both goals. Four days earlier UW beat No. 2 Stanford, 1-0, at home with Ostrem finding Dylan Teves for the 85' winner.

With an MLS-record five teenagers starting, the Sounders manage to overcome the absence of 10 players to win, 1-0, at Austin. Fifteen-year-old Obed Vargas becomes the third-youngest player to ever appear in a league match. Joining Vargas are fellow teens Reed Baker-Whiting (16), Ethan Dobbelaere (18), Danny Leyva (18) and Josh Atencio (19). Also, Sam Adeniran gets his first MLS start while on loan from Tacoma. Altogether, the lineup average age is 21.4 After coming off the bench, Raul Ruidiaz scores a stunning winner from 40 yards.

Olivia Sekany both saves and shoots Washington into the Sweet Sixteen. The Huskies knock off No. 15 Saint Louis, 0-0 (4-3), to reach the NCAA third round for the first time since 2014. After a scoreless 120 minutes, Sekany makes a huge punch save in the fourth round the tied shootout, then slots home the decisive penalty. UW out-shoots the Billikens, 15-9.

The scoring sensation of the Sounders' first four seasons, Fredy Montero has signed a one-year deal to return home to Seattle after nine years away. Montero scored the first goal for the Sounders in 2009, when he was MLS Newcomer of the Year. Now 33, he returns an experienced veteran after stops in Colombia, Portugal, China and Vancouver.

Laura Harvey, architect of OL Reign's first two NWSL Shield winners, is coming home. Harvey is returning as head coach, replacing the departed Farid Benstiti. She led the Reign for their first five seasons, earning NWSL Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015. She left after 2018, to coach the Utah Royals for one season. Harvey will join the team following the conclusion of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she is serving as an assistant coach for the USWNT. Interim head coach Sam Laity will continue to lead the team for its next four matches.

It all seems to come together for OL Reign. Enjoying an extended run of success, playing their arch-rival and finally appearing on a big stage, they show they are ready for the moment. The Reign beats Portland, 2-1, before a record NWSL crowd of 27,248 at Lumen Field. It's the first game of doubleheader, with the Sounders hosting the Timbers in the evening. Megan Rapinoe scores both goals in the first half for the sixth win in eight outings. Rapinoe opens the scoring in the 16th minute after collecting a pass from Jess Fishlock, then connects on a penalty in the 39th minute. Sarah Bouhaddi’s amazing late save against Portland’s Morgan Weaver preserves the victory. The attendance is a state record for women's play and more than three times as large as the club's previous record, set two years earlier in Tacoma.

DeAndre Yedlin sparks what proves to be the game-winning goal in the U.S. win at Honduras in World Cup qualifying. Two minutes after coming in, Yedlin lifts a ball from the right to Ricardo Pepi, whose 10-yard header put the Americans ahead, 2-1, in the 75th minute and on their way to a 4-1 victory. Yedlin plays in seven of the eight qualifiers through December. During a 2-1 home win over Mexico on Nov. 12 he reaches 70 caps.

Brian Schmetzer's new formation gets rave reviews following a comprehensive Sounders performance to open the season. Seattle, with a 3-5-2 alignment, breaks loose for four second-half goals in a 4-0 home win over Minnesota United before some 7,000 socially-distanced fans. It's the biggest margin of victory for a first game in Sounders MLS history, with Joao Paulo's sensational volley, Raul Ruidiaz scoring twice in three minutes (following a missed penalty), and Fredy Montero making his return with his 48th career goal for Seattle.

Fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific methodically completes its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference double by pounding Western Washington, 4-0, in the tournament final at Harrington Field. It's the Falcons' third GNAC postseason trophy. Nine days earlier SPU clinched its first regular season title since 2011. SPU gets an early strike and bang-bang goals to start the second half in extending its unbeaten streak to 13 games (12-0-1). Sophie Beadle scores at 92 seconds and Makena Rietz bags a brace, including the second of two SPU goals in 2:18.

Washington's perfect start goes on but not without a scare at Seattle University. The Huskies win a 2-1 decision in overtime to reach 6-0-0. It's scoreless until just over five minutes into the second half, when a long throw-in by Charlie Ostrem is flicked on by Ryan Sailor to the waiting head of Kendall Burks who scores. The Redhawks are unrelenting in searching for the tying goal. Finally, after creating numerous chances, the Championship Field capacity crowd of 1,377 is rewarded in the 73rd minute when Declan McGlynn finds the back of the net. In overtime, Nick Scardina delivers the golden goal in the 98th minute for UW's fifth WAC/101 Club Cup in six meetings.

Two goals in the final 25 minutes push Washington through to the NCAA quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Missouri State in Cary, North Carolina. It's the second shutout tournament win in four days for the Huskies, who defeated Grand Canyon in the first round. Sam Fowler makes six saves, and Lucas Meek gets the go-ahead goal in the 65th minute.

While they fall short of their objective of reaching the playoffs, Tacoma Defiance reach their 10th win by defeating L.A. Galaxy II at Cheney Stadium. Sam Adineran's second-half brace is the difference in a 3-2 outcome. Tacoma goes unbeaten (1-0-3) over the final four games to finish 10-13-9, the most wins since 2015. Adeniran totals 13 goals.

Raul Ruidiaz scores the decisive goal in the third minute of added time to send Seattle through to the Leagues Cup final with a 1-0 home win over Santos Laguna. Ruidíaz gets past two defenders on a ball from Léo Chú and slots in his second attempt after his first is saved by Santos keeper Gibran Lajud. Stefan Frei records his second consecutive shutout after returning from injury.

Central Washington names Lindsey Lee as new coach of the women's program. Lee spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Cal Poly. She is also head coach and director of goalkeeping for the Central Coast United organization. Lee played in goal for Westmont, anchoring the Warriors' defense during their run to the 2013 NAIA championship.

Washington State regains the upper hand in the Apple Cup with a dominant performance in defeating Washington, 4-2. The Cougars pick up their first win in Seattle since 2015 and clinch third place in the Pac-12, their best placement since 2013. Three goals in the first 23 minutes of the second period decide matters. It begins with a 30-yard rocket from Alyssa Gray (51'), followed by Sydney Pulver on a rebound clean-up (61') and punctuated by Margie Detrizio (68') for a 4-1 lead. The Huskies had been 2-0-1 in the three previous Apple Cup Series meetings.

It's not easy beating your rival three times, let alone four, in the same season, but No. 4 Seattle Pacific does just that in the NCAA West Region championship game in Dallas. Sophie Beadle earns a first-half penalty kick and scores shortly after intermission to inspire a 2-1 win over 13th-ranked Western Washington. Beadle is fouled in the box by WWU goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx in the 12th minute. Claire Neder converts the ensuing penalty kick. Beadle makes it 2-nil with a shot off the left post in the 52nd minute. It's the fourth regional title SPU but first since 2008.

It's a milestone day for Pacific Lutheran with the women (18-2) setting a school-record for most wins in the NCAA Division III era with a 1-0 win at George Fox. The Lutes also set a program mark by winning a fifth straight Northwest Conference title, surpassing the previous streak of four straight set from 2016-2019 and from 1985-1988. Kimber Thomas finds the game-winner at Newberg, Or., in the 51st minute, hitting into the left corner off a pass from Hannah Cecil. It's the 14th shutout for PLU.

Two years after being eliminated by Georgetown, Washington returns the favor at the NCAA semifinal stage. Making their College Cup debut, the Huskies dispatch the Hoyas, 2-1, at Cary, N.C. After 45 minutes without either side mustering a shot on goal, Lucas Meek breaks the ice. In the 54th minute Meek whips a ball with pace and spin through the box and into the back of the net. Only three minutes later, Charlie Ostrem increases the UW lead with a firm, bending shot from outside the box to the far post. Georgetown, which beat Washington in a 2019 quarterfinal, pulls a goal back in the 80th minute.

Braces by Kendall Burks and Nick Scardina on Senior Day send No. 7 Washington to a 5-1 victory over UCLA on Montlake. Charlie Ostrem collects three assists as UW moves to 10-2-0. Scardina is the first Husky since Handwalla Bwana in 2017 to have a hat trick and a brace in the same season. Burks bags both of his goals in the first 16 minutes, and it's 4-nil at halftime. Following an overtime loss at Stanford, the Huskies slip to second in the final Pac-12 standings.

OL Reign and Canada midfielder Quinn becomes the first openly nonbinary and first openly transgender athlete to medal in Olympic history. Quinn, 25, starts as Canada wins the 2020 Summer Games gold over Sweden, 1-1 (3-2), in a shootout at Tokyo.