Seattle University's Board of Trustees votes unanimously yesterday to move up from NCAA Division III to II, a switch that will have two primary effects. Seattle U will again offer scholarships, mostly in basketball and soccer, and it will apply for membership in the Pacific West Conference. Administrators weighed adding sport to comply with Div. III requirements or adding scholarships and going Div. II.

Darren Sawatzky returns to the Pacific Northwest, being named head coach of USL League One expansion club Sporting Cascades FC in Eugene, Or. Sawatzky, a Federal Way native, has been coaching the USL 1 Richmond Kickers since 2019. The Cascades begin play in 2027.

Bryan Codd scored two of four second-half goals for the Seattle All-Stars in a 4-4 draw with their Vancouver counterparts at West Seattle Stadium. Bobby Hough and Roger Goldingay also tallied for the locals. Vancouver's side was largely comprised of players from Eintracht FC and defunct Vancouver Royals of the NASL.

While they are committed to Qwest Field for 2006, the Sounders submit a lease proposal draft play home games at Thunderbird Stadium on the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Bremerton. They averaged just 2,864 for 14 matches at Qwest in 2005, which has a capacity of 67,000. Thunderbird Stadium has 6,500 seats.

A pair of Tom Hardy first-half goals send Seattle University on its way to a long sought-after win over crosstown rival Seattle Pacific, 3-0 at slippery East Field. SPU had won 23 straight meetings from 1979-95 before Seattle U earn a draw in 1996. Hardy's goals both came on headers, and Kurt Swanson tacked on the final marker.

U.S. Women's National Team coach Greg Ryan suspends Hope Solo for the third-place match vs. Norway. Ryan says he consulted team leaders and barred Solo from training and attending the team's final World Cup match in Shanghai, which the U.S. would win, 4-1. Solo apologized to her teammates for her postgame comments about being benched for the semifinal loss to Brazil, and said she didn't intend to criticize Brianna Scurry, whom Ryan chose to start.