Dan Vaughn scores for the 16th time in 17 games as Washington completes a sweep of the Sounders Cup series by beating Seattle University, 4-1, at Memorial Stadium. Vaughn closes his Huskies account with a career record 52 goals in four seasons. The Tacoma senior finishes fast, netting eight his final six outings. Although unbeaten in its final 15 games under new coach Mike O’Malley, UW is denied an NCAA berth. The Huskies did not face an opponent outside the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle native Jimmy McAlister, 20, is voted NASL Rookie of the Year. McAlister, who grew up in West Seattle and attended Kennedy High School, was also named to the NASL all-star third team. “I didn’t come out of college like the No. 1 draft choices. I just came out of high school. Gabriel and Bobby Howe really put me in over my head, but they had confidence in me,” said McAlister.

Skagit Valley College becomes the first unbeaten NWAACC champion by defeating Edmonds Community College, 1-0, at Memorial Stadium. Mark Kaufman scores in the 50th minute and Mark Thompson earns the shutout for the Cardinal, who go 13-0-3 through the regular season and playoffs.

Tacoma Tides cease operations after one season of play in the American Soccer League. General manager Stan Naccarato cites losses of $200,000 while averaging 2,873 in attendance at Cheney Stadium in 1976. The Tides made the ASL playoffs and reached the semifinal round after going 10-5-6. Naccarato added that lacking a suitable facility and ASL leadership, ownership could not go forward. Utah and Oakland also fold.

Mike O’Malley, 27, is named the new University of Washington head coach. O'Malley, who succeeds Mike Ryan, played at Chico State and was assistant coach at UC Davis last season.

Tacoma’s Franklin Pierce Stadium hosts North American Youth Championships for U16 boys. KCPQ airs nine hours of same-day telecasts with Bob Robertson delivering play-by-play. Virginia won the U.S. tournament and Ontario the Canadian. The Tacoma Kickers represent Washington and got four tournament goals from Chris Hellenkamp.

Seattle gets a 13th-minute header from Jocky Scott, and Adrian Webster marks out L.A. star George Best as the Sounders defeat the Aztecs, 1-0, before a raucous crowd of 56,256 to advance to Soccer Bowl. A potential late equalizer by Des Backos bounces behind goal line but is ruled out. It is the fifth straight win in the playoffs.

Jimmy McAlister becomes the first Washington native to earn a cap for the U.S. National Team. Fresh from being named NASL Rookie of the Year, McAlister, 20, comes on as a substitute in 2-1 win over El Salvador in San Salvador.

Todd Schilperoort’s goal in the third overtime period gives Seattle Pacific a 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay in the NCAA semifinal in Miami. Marty Shaw had saved a penalty shortly after Green Bay canceled out Servando Rivera’s opener.

TVS, which syndicates NASL national telecasts, instructs KIRO 7 to delay broadcast of the Sounders-Cosmos game for one week. Short of a sellout, crowd of 41,720 sees Seattle beat Pele´, Franz Beckenbauer & Co., 1-0. KIRO, which argued for an 11-hour delay, opts not to show week-old replay.

A flurry of eight shots in the final minutes does not produce the game-tying goal, and SPU succumbs to top-ranked Alabama A&M, 2-1, in the NCAA Division II championship game in Miami. The Bulldogs go in front, 2-nil, on deflection and a rebound. Servando Rivera’s penalty in the 82nd minute queued the late rally. Earlier, the Falcons miss a penalty attempt. Scott Chase is named the game’s defensive MVP.

Down 2-0 to Portland at home and winless in the first three games, Sounders coach Jimmy Gabriel inserts himself into the game in the second half, sparking a three-goal fight back. Paul Crossley ties it and David Butler scores twice, netting the winner in the 86th minute.

Newport Bombers win fifth straight state title, this time as U19 girls, with 6-5 double overtime win (after trailing 5-3 with 2 minutes to go) over Highline Dirty Dozen at Renton Stadium.

The Sounders' new play-by-play announcer is Wayne Cody, and his preseason call of Sounders-Aztecs is in Aberdeen, where trap-door entrance to Stewart Field press box is too small to accommodate Cody’s 325-pound girth. Instead, he is lifted through a window via a crane, featuring a basket marked “30-ton limit.”

Seattle Pacific becomes the state’s first collegiate program to travel east of the Rockies for a regular season game. The Falcons face Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Wheaton College tournament, near Chicago. They lose, 3-2, but defeat Wheaton (coach Cliff McCrath’s alma mater) the following day, 1-0.

Mike Ryan resigns as University of Washington head coach after 11 seasons. Ryan cites growing pressures from his primary job and a desire to spend more time with his family. He guided the Huskies to four NCAA tournament berths and four conference championships. The program had seen declining financial support in recent years.

Mueller Barons win the State Challenge Cup over Ghirardelli following an 11-round penalty kick tiebreaker at Memorial Stadium. Ghirardelli erases a 2-0 halftime deficit on goals by Kit Zell and Dave Ellis. Barons had gone ahead through Kelly Gordon and Tim Allen. Ed Tonkin scores the decisive penalty.

Dan Vaughn completes his career as Washington’s scoring leader, getting his 16th of the year and 52nd overall to open the 4-1 victory over Seattle University at Husky Stadium.

Three red cards – players on each side as well as the Lancers’ trainer – and eight yellows are issued by referee Henry Landauer in Seattle’s 2-1 loss at Rochester. Dave Gillett, the Sounders’ ejection, needed a security escort past 50 belligerent fans. The game was halted for 10 minutes to restore order after Gillett and the Lancers’ Ibrahim Silva scuffled, before Mel Machin decked Silva. Adrian Webster had been stretchered off with a knee injury beforehand. A total of 55 fouls were whistled.

Tommy Ord scores Sounders’ historic first hat trick in 4-1 win over Connecticut Bicentennials at New Haven’s Yale Bowl. All three goals from less than 6 yards out. Ord had been acquired from Vancouver only eight days earlier.

In the final competitive game for legendary Pele´, the star-studded New York Cosmos defeat the underdog Sounders, 2-1, before a Portland record crowd of 35,548 in Soccer Bowl. Seattle’s tying goal by Tommy Ord is scored while the TVS broadcast is in commercial break. Steve Buttle hits the post with 7 minutes left after earlier equalizing attempts by Mike England and Dave Gillett hit the post and are saved, respectively. “David did not beat Goliath,” writes The Times.