Indiana parlays the home-field advantage into a 1-0 NCAA semifinal win over a University of Portland team laden with Washington state players in Bloomington. Minus suspended captain Wade Webber of Federal Way, the Pilots (21-1-0) defense gives up a late first-half goal, only the seventh allowed all year. Freshman keeper Kasey Keller makes two point-blank saves in the final 25 minutes. Keller and Webber are among seven Washington players who start or play key roles. Indiana proceeds to win its third championship of the decade.

Second-half goals from Darwin Jones and Jamael Cox power Seattle Sounders U23s to a 2-0 upset of host Ventura County Fusion in the Western Conference final. Jones scores in the 58th minute and Cox secures passage to Ontario, Canada in the 85th. Seattle had beaten Washington Crossfire, 3-1, in the playoffs' first round, then came from behind to defeat FC Tucson, 2-1, on goals from Jones and Sean Morris.

Seattle acquires 21-year-old Fredy Montero on loan from Deportivo Cali, where he was two-time scoring leader in the Colombian first division. Montero joins the Sounders as they conduct their first training session in frigid temperatures at Virginia Mason Athletic Complex.

Marty Shaw's penalty save late in regulation extends the NCAA Division II semifinal to overtime where Seattle Pacific's Todd Schilperoort stabs in the winner, 2-1 over Wisconsin Green Bay in Miami. The Falcons, who had been third-seeded in the Far West, advance to the national final for the third time in four years. Servando Rivera scores the opener, and Shaw stops the penalty kick in the 80th minute. The teams battle through two scoreless overtime periods before Schilperoort breaks the deadlock 8:13 into the third stanza.

Eight days after Seattle Pacific is eliminated from the NCAA Division II tournament, the Falcons resume the regular season, and sophomore Ken Covell keeps scoring. Covell scores his 21st goal of the year in a 4-0 win over Puget Sound. He's the first collegian in the state to score 20 or more goals, and registers four hat tricks in the process. Covell had set the school scoring record of 18 as a freshman.

Seattle executes its most ambitious trade to date, acquiring forward Eddie Johnson, 27, from Montreal in exchange for Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle. Johnson, who scored 35 goals in seven seasons with Dallas and Kansas City from 2001-07, returns stateside following five years primarily in England. He was little used by Fulham, making just 18 appearances and getting loaned to Cardiff City, Preston North End and Greece's Aris.