Washington State
Legends of Soccer

Curated by the Washington State Legends of Soccer, providing information and history of the Beautiful Game in Washington State. Just as the game evolves, so will this site. We continuously add new content, so be sure to return often.

What are you looking for?
Donate Now!
Explore our history. Click on any of the panels below to learn what happened that year.
PLU Settles for Title Share
November 10, 1979

Pacific Lutheran's first year of varsity men's play ends with a share of the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges title. The Lutes finish tied three ways with Whitman and Lewis & Clark following a 1-1 draw with the Missionaries. Harold Kutz scores for PLU and John Vernon answers for Whitman. Coach Dave Asher goes out on a high note after five seasons as Lutes coach.

Akers, USA treat Sellout Crowd to Win
May 12, 1995

A capacity crowd of 3,291 sees hometown favorite Michelle Akers and the U.S. Women's National Team shrug-off a physical display by Brazil for a 3-0 win at Tacoma's Franklin Pierce High School. Mia Hamm scores two goals and Tisha Venturini adds another. It's the first USWNT appearance in Washington and comes just three weeks before the Americans defend the World Cup championship in Sweden. Tickets had been sold-out for weeks, even after adding more temporary seats, priced $15 for adults and $8 for youths under 19.

Buchan Takes Consolation Cup
April 13, 1952

Ron Tullis connects on the overtime game-winner to give Buchan Bakers the Hamilton Douglas Cup, 3-2 over the Norselander Vikings. The cup was contested by all state league teams apart from winners E&E Meats. Tullis met a pass from Lefty Lane in extra time. In regulation, Jim Everham and Joe Baltimore tally for the Bakers. Bruno Jandesek and an own goal account for the Vikings' scores.

S2 Becomes Tacoma Defiance
January 30, 2019

Tacoma Rainiers and Sounders FC unveil the new brand for the organizations' USL club: Tacoma Defiance. For its first four seasons, the second team had been known as Sounders FC 2 or S2. The team moved its home matches from Starfire to Cheney Stadium for 2018. Besides bearing the name of its hometown, Defiance pays homage to Tacoma's maritime roots and civic identity, including 760-acre Point Defiance Park. In addition, MultiCare Health System becomes the Defiance shirt sponsor.

Higgins Postseason Run Continues
November 12, 1989

Behind a pair of goals and two assists from Shannon Higgins, North Carolina cruises to a 9-0 NCAA quarterfinal rout of Hartford in Chapel Hill. It's the sixth straight postseason game in which Higgins has scored.

Fort Lewis Stuns Hungarians
March 7, 1965

Geoff Wall's Fort Lewis stuns Seattle Hungarians, handing the Magyars their worst loss in their seven-year existence in the state league and Pacific Coast League. Constantinos Tagios hits for four goals and player/coach Wall adds two more in an 8-3 hammering on the base. After the Hungarians take a 2-nil lead in the first 15 minutes, the cohesive team play of the Rangers takes effect. It's 3-2 by halftime, and Tagios scores three times in the second half.

A Seattle Pacific player (left) launches the ball upfield vs. Western Washington at Interbay Field. (Courtesy Seattle Pacific)
1968
France's OL Groupe joins Reign founder Bill Predmore to announce the club's rebranding to OL Reign in 2020. (Courtesy OL Reign)
2020
Longview Timber Barons ruled Oregon competitions during the late Twenties, and won Pacific Northwest bragging rights in 1926 by defeating Washington's champion, Seattle's Todd Shipyard.
1949
Hope Solo returned to her home state to sign with the Sounders Women for 2012, and soon after her USWNT teammates followed. (Courtesy Sounders Women)
2012
Marcus Hahnemann makes his competitive return to the state as a USMNT roster member for the Gold Cup.
2005
1992
Charlie Kosakoff scored twice in 17 minutes to fuel Ballard FC's USL 2 semifinal win, 2-1, over Flint City (Mich.) at Interbay. (Blake Dahlin/Ballard FC)
2025
Snohomish United's Stocker Field was several feet underwater during record flooding by the Snohomish River in December 2025. (Snohomish United)
2025
In 2017 Roosevelt became the first Seattle public high school to win a state 3A or 4A title since 1985. (Courtesy WIAA)
2017
USMNT players return applause to supporters and the 47,322 fans at CenturyLink Field following a 2-1 victory Ecuador in the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals. (Courtesy Celso Bayo / ISI Photos)
2016