Avionic Flyers become the first Washington youth club to reach a national championship match, beating Granite City of Illinois, 1-0, in the semifinals. Linda DeBoer scores the game's only goal with 2:33 remaining in Dallas. The team from Shoreline-Edmonds come up short in the final against the Dallas Sting, losing 2-0 in sauna-like conditions. The Sting has won 47 games in a row. Princeton-bound DeBoer (Meadowdale) is one of two high school All-Americans on the Flyers the other is 16-year-old Michelle Akers (Shorecrest).

After clinching their first NASL indoor playoff berth the night before, the Sounders get two goals apiece from Steve Buttle and Steve Daley to beat Vancouver, 6-4, in the Kingdome. Defending champion Edmonton, featuring all-NASL defender Bernie James of Bellevue, eliminates Seattle in the first round. It's Seattle's second and final indoor campaign.

Tim Gerherd's second-half goal snaps the deadlock and sends Bellevue's Newport High on to the state boys' prep championship, 2-1, over Shorecrest, before 2,500 at Memorial Stadium. Phil Carson's early opener for the Knights had been answered by Mark Faller's 26th goal of the year in the 35th minute. Gerherd nods home Brian Clearman's cross in the 57th minute. Faller's brace upset previously perfect O'Dea in the semifinals, 2-0. The Irish (21-1-0) take third.

Seattle mounts a miraculous comeback to keep its season alive at Fort Lauderdale. Down 3-2 with less than two minutes remaining, second-half substitutes Ian Bridge and Roger Davies are involved as Davies heads home with 73 seconds to go in regulation. Davies then heads Peter Ward's cross to a wide-open Kenny Hibbitt for the golden goal 3:43 into overtime. The two teams will meet to decide the playoff series two days later, in Seattle.

Peter Ward bedevils Portland away, and his hat trick earns Sounders their fourth win in five games as well as first place in Western Division. Seattle, after trailing early, wins going away, 4-1. Two of Ward's goals come from headers, and Paul Hammond earns the first Seattle goalkeeper assist with a booming kick upfield. Ward now has six goals over four games.

Bellevue Blue Angels' two-year reign as women's over-30 national champions is over. Blue Angels tie San Andreas Faults, 1-1 , but go out on penalties in Sacramento. Also at Cosumnes River College, Seattle's Lowenbrau Zurich earn a third straight Western Regional women's open title by smashing Utah, 11-1, and then defeating Hawaii, 1-0, in the final. On the men's side, Croatia FC are beaten, 5-0, in the final by U.S Open Cup holders LA Maccabees.

With midfield decimated by injuries, Seattle moves to sign Wolverhampton veteran Kenny Hibbitt, who's played for Wolves for 14 years. Alan Hudson (groin), Steve Daley (shin) and Steve Buttle (ankle) have all missed games or played with limitations. With Hibbitt in lineup, Sounders go 14-5 (plus two shootout losses) the remainder of the year, with him accumulating six goals and nine assists.

Mark Peterson scores twice, in the 8th and 45th minute in 3-0 win over England's storied Manchester United. Sounders go on to win EuroPac tournament by tying Vancouver away to win the $35,000 prize. Seattle is missing injured starters Alan Hudson and Ian Bridge. United are without four starters.

Jan Smisek, the newly-named coach of Seattle University, becomes the first first woman to earn a U.S. Soccer Federation 'A' Coaching License following a weeklong course in Olympia. Earlier, at 18, Smisek had been the first female to earn a 'C' license.

A foul-marred match ends scoreless at Husky Stadium with Washington recording its fifth straight shutout and seventh in eight games, 0-0 after overtime with Simon Fraser. The Clan, who dealt UW its only loss, 2-0, Sept. 4 in the Far West Classic final, commit 43 fouls and the Huskies 19.

Peter Ward, NASL June Player of the Month, continues to torch foes for goals, scoring twice as the Sounders smash Jacksonville, 6-0, in the club's biggest rout in three years. It's Alan Hudson' return to action after missing two months with a groin strain. Mark Peterson also gets a brace, and Kenny Hibbitt opens his Seattle account. Since the Soccerdome field implementation, they have scored 13 goals in three home games.

Finding the net on each of her five shots, Annette Duvall scores five times in Western Washington’s 12-0 annihilation of British Columbia at Bellingham. Duvall, tying her record of five goals scored three weeks earlier versus Evergreen, connects three times in the first 20 minutes, after which the Vikings lead 4-nil. Hope Grimm adds three goals and Western is up 9-0 at the interval.

Seattle goes down to its fifth shootout loss (against one win) of the season at Edmonton after the teams are tied, 1-1, after 90 minutes of regulation and 15 minutes of extra time. "The shootout has nothing to do with soccer," says defender Jeff Stock. Kim Odell, president of Sounders Booster Club, agrees: “A one-on-one confrontation flies in the dace of the basic concept of soccer as epitome of team effort.”

Three members of Washington's NCAA tournament side are taken by the Sounders in the NASL draft. Co-Captain Tad Willoughby is chosen 11th overall. Mark Schuur, a youth teammate of Mark Peterson and Jeff Stock, goes 23rd overall and Steve Englebrick is 35th. Dan Pingrey of Seattle Pacific picked in the fourth round.

Mark Peterson scores with 5 minutes left as Sounders clinch second Western Division title in three years and league's No. 2 seed with 1-0 win at Portland in final regular season game. Seattle has won 16 of 23 (three shootout losses) since winning only one game outright in the first eight. Some 1,000 traveling are rewarded when Peterson converts a corner kick at the near post, his 17th goal of the season. It is a record 18th assist for Steve Daley and the final game for the Timbers in the NASL era.

Highline's Pepsi Stompers win their fifth Washington girls' state cup and Avionic Flyers from Seattle area win their fourth in a row at Renton Stadium. The Stompers claim the U14 title 5-0 over North Shore Untouchables. The Flyers are forced into overtime by Tacoma's Team Adidas before prevailing, 5-4 in the U19.

Betty Ellis works as part of the officiating crew for the Sounders game vs. Edmonton. Ellis, 40, runs one line. Wearing No. 84, she made her NASL debut in 1981, first, on Mothers' Day, as a fourth official and later as assistant referee.

Washington is 5 seconds away from earning its first NCAA tournament victory, but succumbs to No. 3 San Francisco in penalty kicks in the first round game at Negoesco Stadium. The Huskies, making their sixth trip to the NCAAs, take the initial lead through Mark Stoppler, then Curt Shugarts converts Mike Park's feed for a 2-1 advantage in the 72nd minute. However, the Dons' Vidar Larsen scores at 89:55 to send it to overtime. USF buries its first four penalties to win, 4-1. Frank Gallo's team finishes 18-1-2, its best-ever winning percentage, and ranked 20th nationally.

Seattle's Lowenbrau Zurich proves ruthless in winning its third consecutive National Women's Open Cup, 5-1, over the Rochester Wave at Chicago's Hanson Stadium. Mike Ryan's team had been known as PCI Sharks and Ramlosa in 1980 and '81. Sharon McMurtry is voted the finals MVP after scoring twice in the championship match after a hat trick in 3-0 defeat of St. Louis. Lisa Jones opens the scoring and both Joan Dunlap and Denise Bender add goals while Lorraine DeGroot anchors the backline.

The biggest crowd in 14 months (23,925) is rewarded with an impressive Sounders win over the Cosmos – the first outright series victory in eight regular season and playoff meetings dating back five years. Steve Daley and Peter Ward stake Seattle to a 2-nil lead after 21 minutes. A Ray Evans second-half free kick proves the difference in a 3-2 result, keeping the Sounders atop the Western Division and snapping the Cosmos’ eight-game win streak. It also assures New York cannot break Seattle’s league record of 25 wins. It proves to be the 152nd and final appearance for Steve Buttle across all competitions.

Seattle University plays its inaugural women's varsity game at Pullman, against the Washington State club. The Chieftains lose, 2-1, but get an 80th minute score from Theresa MacMillan. Seattle U goes 4-10-3 in its first season.

GM John Best announces Sounders will not play indoor season next winter, citing intent to reinvigorate club during the offseason. Team had played two winters in a row, only to see attendance sag each summer and players' injuries increase.

Washington women's club completes the season with a perfect record after defeating Washington State, 2-0, at Husky Stadium. For the first time, the Huskies win the NCSC, comprised of 10 club and varsity programs, at 18-0-0 and a goal difference of 83-7. Traci Cooke and Kathy Ballew score against the Cougars. Cooke tallies her 24th goal and Ballew her 20th. It's the 15th shutout for Arlene Beerman.

Ten days after being named new Sounders GM, John Best shortens Kingdome field by 10 yards (to 100) and moves pitch closer to western stands and adds 2,500 bleacher seats installed on east sideline. The new configuration is dubbed Soccerdome and debuts June 30. Best believes the changes can produce more action around each goal.

Tad Willoughby nets a brace, and Mark Schuur collects his record 14th shutout of the season and 31st of his career as Washington concludes regular season play by beating Puget Sound, 5-0, at Husky Stadium. The victory clinches Washington’s first NCSC crown in six years. It’s the Huskies' 18th win and extends their unbeaten run to 17 games (16-0-1) going into the postseason.

Meeting for the third time in seven days with 5,400 air miles traveled in between, the Sounders and Strikers settle their NASL semifinal series but only after going into extra time. Kenny Hibbitt collects a loose ball, juggles it twice and his 19-yard shot somehow finds the corner for the sudden-death winner, 1-0, off the hand of Fort Lauderdale keeper Jan van Beveren. A Kingdome throng of nearly 29,000 erupts and continues roaring for several minutes as the weary winners take a lap of honor.

A perfectly-hit free kick from Jose Reyes proves the difference as Seattle's Croatia FC claims the U.S. Amateur Cup, 1-0, over Virginia Kicks in Chicago. Reyes connects from the edge of the box in the 32nd minute after Kit Favorite is brought down. Reyes and Favorite are among four former Seattle Pacific players, with three Washington alums also starting for Croatia, which won its semifinal the previous day, 2-1, over Milwaukee's Pabst Blue Ribbon on goals from Favorite and Andy Churlin.

Peter Ward continues to feast on Portland defenders, scoring two second-half goals in a 3-0 home victory. A week earlier Ward had scored three goals against the Timbers. This time he breaks a scoreless stalemate in the 56th minute, then, after Mark Peterson scores, adds a late tally. Steve Buttle assists on the first two goals, giving him a career record 44 in league play.

Giorgio Chinaglia, whose goal decided the 1977 NASL title, scores the only goal of Soccer Bowl '82 as the Cosmos defeat Seattle, 1-0, in San Diego. The Sounders start strong, out-shooting New York 8-1 in the first 15 minutes, with Kenny Hibbiitt and Steve Daley forcing saves and Jeff Stock whistling a shot inches wide. Chinaglia spins and scores past Paul Hammond in the 31st minute. About 1,500 fans make the trip from Washington.

Just two weeks prior to the season opener, Seattle acquires Peter Ward, 26, and Gary Mills, 20, from England's Nottingham Forest. Mills, who at 18 played in Forest’s 1980 European Cup Final, is an England U21 international while Ward has one full England cap and led the English League with 32 goals for Brighton in 1976-77. Hinton says of Ward, "Seattle fans will see a player the likes of which they have never seen before.”

Mike Enneking accounts for both Washington goals as the Huskies earn their third win of the season, 2-1, over crosstown rival Seattle Pacific before 1,500 at Memorial Stadium. Enneking's second goal, in the 36th minute, is his 16th of the year, tying Danny Vaughn's UW record. The victory also secures the Sounders Cup for Washington for the first time since 1978. Gerard McGlynn pulls SPU a goal back in second half and nearly ties it in the final minute. The next day Mark Schuur posts his record 14th shutout in 6-0 rout of Puget Sound.

Alan Hinton's Promised 'Flying Machine' attack was delayed two months for takeoff but is now performing acrobatics. After sputtering early, Seattle is averaging over three goals during a six-match run after beating San Jose, 5-4. Outcome lifts Sounders above the playoff red line for the first time. Steve Daley ties a team record with three assists and Mark Peterson's brace gives him five goals in six games. Says coach Alan Hinton: “We’re the hottest team in soccer.”

Sammamish High School's Chance Fry adds the clinching extra-time goal as the U.S. Under-20 National Team defeats host Guatemala, 3-1, in the Concacaf Championships. Fry scores his third goal of the tournament in the 106th minute after Tab Ramos put the U.S. ahead. Fry, who recently signed with the Sounders, also scored the game-winner in a second-round win over Canada. He's joined on the team by Seattle's Geoff Wall. Although beaten by Costa Rica in the final, the USA qualifies for the 1983 World Championships.

Hazen of Renton rides a late goal from Cissy Shopshire to win the girls' WIAA state championship, 1-0 over Shorecrest, at Auburn's Troy Field. Shopshire scores from 10 yards in the 64th minute to end a scoreless stalemate. It's the first loss of the year for the Scots (15-1-1), who got two goals from Michelle Akers to beat Auburn in the semifinal. Hazen, runner-up to Meadowdale a year earlier, had won two unofficial state titles in 1979 and '80.

Jan Smisek is chosen to guide the Seattle University women's varsity program out of the gate. Smisek, who recently won a national title with Lowenbrau Zurich, served as Lynnwood High School coach in 1981. She both played and coached the women's club program at UC Santa Barbara from 1975-80.

Attendance plummets below 10,000 for a regular season game for the first time in nine seasons, with just 4,954 for a lackluster Easter afternoon scoreless draw with San Jose. Ultimately the visitors win in a shootout. At one point the Earthquakes play shorthanded for five minutes before putting a jersey on backup goalkeeper Billy Phillips and asking him to play defender. It’s the first back-to-back scoreless outings to start season since 1977.