Three more colleges announce their impending move to NCAA Division II and the Pacific West Conference, which will sponsor a soccer championship in 1999. Seattle Pacific, already a PacWest member and affiliated with Div. II, will be joined by Central Washington, Western Washington and Saint Martin's, although the latter does not currently have a soccer program for men or women. To date, SPU's closest conference opponent is Montana State Billings.

Washington goes out of the NCAA tournament when USC's Courtney Barham scores her second goal 21 minutes into overtime at the Los Angeles Coliseum for a 2-1 victory. Stacy Merlitti ends a two-game UW scoring drought, knotting the score in the 70th minute. The Huskies end the year with three straight losses.

It's a momentous day for Pierce County youth as FC Royals girls and FC United boys claim Surf Cup U19 titles in San Diego. FC United beats two-time defending champion California Nomads, 2-1, to finish the tournament at 5-0-0. FC Royals defeat California Sting in penalties following a 1-1 draw. The tournament features 16 of the nation's top teams in multiple age divisions.

Although his team is denied the Gold Cup title, Kasey Keller is named the tournament's MVP following Mexico's 1-0 win over the U.S. before 91,255 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Keller is beaten by Luis Hernandez's header in the 43rd minute. He had blanked Brazil in the semifinal.

Michelle Akers is one of 10 recipients of FIFA's Order of Merit in Paris. Akers, the U.S. career scoring leader with 96 goals, has led the USMWNT to a 1991 World Cup victory and the 1996 gold medal in the Olympic Games. She is the fourth American to earn the distinction and the world's first female player.

Dick McCormick assists on a record five goals and Mark Baena scores multiple goals for the sixth time as the playoff-bound Sounders rout Albuquerque, 9-0, for their fourth straight win. McCormick's cross finds Erik Storkson's head for 2-0 in the 26th minute. Four minutes later, he finds Baena for the first of his three goals. Storkson and Patrick Beech, who headed in a McCormick second-half corner, added two goals each.

The Yakima Reds win their first USISL PDL divisional title by beating Okanagan, 4-1, at Spokane. Luiz Machado scores two goals and adds an assist. The Reds defeated the Seattle BigFoot, 1-0, while playoff host and regular season winner Spokane Shadow was upset by Okanagan, 2-1, in the Northwest semifinals.

Seventh-ranked Washington gets first-half goals from Chris Wolff and Viet Nguyen to upset defending NCAA champions and No. 1 UCLA, 2-0, on the road to all but clinch the MPSF title. Mike Casale's initial shot rebounds to Wolff to poke past Nick Rimando in the 33rd minute. At 38:00, Nguyen scores on a Wolff rebound. It's the final regular season loss for Bruins coach Sigi Schmid, who leaves for MLS the following year. The Huskies win the conference two days later at Sacramento State, 2-0.

Dana Garner's goal with less than 12 minutes remaining caps Seattle Pacific's second-half rally to beat Fort Lewis, 4-3, in an NCAA tournament playoff in a steady rain at Interbay Stadium. Garner takes a pass from Vadim Tolstolutsky and scores from 12 yards. Tolstolutsky assists on three goals and scores the Falcons'second. Fort Lewis leads, 3-2, when Barth Riedel ties it in the 73rd minute.

Mark Baena's torrid scoring run continues with a brace, including the game-winner in overtime, in the Sounders' 3-2 victory at San Francisco Bay. It's Seattle's fifth win in a row and it eliminates the Seals from playoff contention. Baena latches onto Randy Mann's long ball to score in the 99th minute. Baena and Peter Hattrup score three minutes apart in the first half for a 2-1 halftime lead. Baena has nine goals during the win streak.

Washington State scores four first-half goals – two on identical corner kick plays in the first four minutes – to defeat Eastern Washington, 4-0, in the Eagles' inaugural match at Pullman. Deka DeWitt leads the Cougars with two goals, and Beth Childs collects two assists off the corners.

Michelle Akers scores on a long-range blast as the United States cruises past Denmark, 5-0, in a Goodwill Games semifinal at Long Island, N.Y. While Mia Hamm nets a hat trick and Kristine Lilly assists on three scores, a 35-yard blast from Akers in the 18th minute wows the crowd. The U.S. goes on to beat China, 2-0, in the final.

Following five seasons at Seattle Memorial Stadium, the Sounders announce a move to Renton in 1999. They sign a two-year lease with the Renton School District to play at Renton Stadium, which has undergone $2.5 million in renovations, including a new artificial surface.

Taking advantage of a depleted and embarrassingly outmatched opponent, the Seattle Sounders hammer the California Jaguars by a final count of 10-0 at Memorial Stadium. The Jaguars pay the price for releasing six starters during recent cost-cutting moves, including the sale of striker Mark Baena to Seattle. Baena scores a club-record four goals and it's a record team total for a league match as well. It's the first of four straight wins and seven in the next nine.

Jimmy Dunn steps down as men's coach at Pacific Lutheran after 14 seasons. Dunn, once a PLU player, is the Lutes' winningest coach with a record of 149-110-24. In 1992, he guided the program to its first NAIA national tournament. "Jimmy has served the university well for many years," PLU athletic director Paul Hoseth says. "I am not aware of a part-time coach who has served with such dedication for 14 years."

For the second year in a row, Gonzaga is denied an NCAA tournament bid despite losing only once in the final 12 games. The Bulldogs, WCC co-champions who were edged by San Diego, 2-1, in game deciding the automatic berth nine days earlier, are not granted an at-large bid. Instead, third-place Santa Clara gets the nod with an identical record.

Everett's Sean Henderson and older brother Chris Henderson return home to Snohomish County and figure in three goals over nine minutes during a Sounders-Colorado Rapids exhibition. Sean Henderson scores the Rapids' second goal and he and Chris also add assists in the 4-1 win. Former Sounder Marcus Hahnemann is the Colorado keeper. The match is played on the grass at Marysville-Pilchuck High School before 2,627.

Seattle Christian wins its sixth consecutive state Class A/B championship, pummeling Holy Cross, 8-0, at Auburn Memorial Stadium. Melissa Bennett leads the way by scoring four times and assisting on a fifth Warriors goal. The six straight titles is one shy of the national record.

Joe Waters, who played eight seasons for the Tacoma Stars, is named head men's coach at Pacific Lutheran. Waters, 45, also coaches Bellarmine Prep. He played a record 358 games for the Stars from 1984-92, also serving as assistant coach the final two seasons.

Portland erupts for four goals in a 16-minute span of the second half to defeat San Diego State, 5-0, in an NCAA third-round playoff at Merlo Field. Spokane's Kim Stiles scores the spree's first two goals, seven minutes apart, before Kent's Michelle French adds the next in a driving rain. Goalkeeper Angela Harrison, another Spokane native, anchors the Pilots' sixth straight shutout win. UP later advances to the semifinal round.

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.

The Sounders announce that three players will train through November with Stockport County of England's Division One (second tier). Midfielder Ian Russell and defenders Scott Jenkins and Brandon Prideaux will work with Gary Megson, brother of Sounders coach Neil Megson.

Former Sounders and Seattle Pacific midfielder Nate Daligcon helps the Rochester Raging Rhinos take the A-League championship with a 3-1 win over Minnesota. Daligcon scored six goals during the Rhinos' 24-4 regular season. Darren Tilly scores a hat trick in the final, played before 13,772 at Frontier Field.

Sophia Pacheco's early strike is sufficient for Eastern Washington to earn its first victory, 1-0, over Idaho State in the Big Sky Conference opener at Cheney. It's Pacheco that scores off Caryn Neol's assist at the 15-minute mark to snap a string of eight straight Eagles losses to start the inaugural season.

A pair of Stan Thesenvitz goals, the second coming five minutes into overtime, give Seattle University a 2-1 win at Simon Fraser in the NAIA Pacific Northwest Regional final. The victory sends the Chieftains to Alabama to defend their national title. Thesenvitz blasts a 35-yard free kick for the first SU goal, and the winner comes from 18 yards.

Before a club-record crowd of 3,657, the PDL Spokane Shadow hold their own in an exhibition against the A-League Sounders. Erik Storkson scores the game's lone goal with 15 minutes to go. Brian Ching nearly puts Spokane in front in the 50th minute, beating Preston Burpo but hitting the post.

For the first time in 37 seasons of varsity play, Washington reaches the men's No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA coaches' poll. Dean Wurzberger's Huskies, who moved up from No. 2, are 5-0-0 and coming off a 2-0 win over No. 8 Rutgers in Portland.

Brett Fink tallies the game-winning goal with 2 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the second overtime to lift Gonzaga to victory, 3-2, at Loyola Marymount. It's the Bulldogs' seventh straight, their longest streak in 18 years. Fink notches his second goal of the game after Loyola had erased a 2-nil deficit. His first came in 31st minute. Matt Blasdel opens the scoring two minutes earlier, converting Jason Kuska's shot off the post.

Wes Hart raises his record assist total to 15, scoring once and setting-up Kai Carroll’s second in No. 3-ranked Washington’s 6-0 win at 10-man Oregon State. The Beavers unravel after a handball in the 22nd minute results in a Matt Annis penalty kick and an OSU sending off. It’s the Huskies seventh win in the last eight.

Washington maintains its share of the Pac-10 lead by winning its record sixth straight, 1-0, over California at Husky Soccer Field. Freshman Caroline Putz gets the game's only goal on Theresa Wagner's record seventh assist, and Gretchen Mensinger posts the shutout.

West Valley is extended to penalty kicks yet the Rams secure their third state boys' 3A title in six years, 1-1 (6-5), over previously unbeaten Newport at Federal Way. After 10 consecutive conversions by both teams, Newport's sixth try hits the crossbar. Tyler Nathe wins it for West Valley on the next kick. The Rams, who had lost the previous year's final in penalties, score first in regulation on David Burke's first-half penalty. Newport equalizes midway through the second period through Peter Goodwin.

Nick Downing of Redmond's Eastlake is named Parade Magazine's national high school player of the year, making him the consensus choice. A month earlier, Downing was named Gatorade's top prep player. Downing has led Eastlake to state 4A titles each of the past two years, scoring 20 goals and 14 assists.

Seattle University's Board of Trustees votes unanimously to approve a proposal to apply for membership in NCAA Division II and the Pacific West Conference. Seattle U will maintain its NAIA membership and compete in NAIA postseason events until it becomes a fulltime member of Div. II.

Four state colleges that have been longtime NAIA members join NCAA Division III. Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitman and Whitworth are part of an NAIA exodus, with 131 schools having left since 1980.

Tim Tilbury and Jim Dempsey score first-half goals for Seattle Hibernian as they repeat as Kennedy Cup champions with a 2-0 win over Kelowna in Vancouver, B.C. Dave Gagner gets the shutout. It's Hibernian's third title, contested by Oregon, Washington and British Columbia senior men's champion.

Late goals from Kieran Barton and Brian Ching seal the Spokane Shadow's 2-0 win over Seattle Hibernian at Joe Albi Stadium. Barton breaks the scoreless deadlock after 67 minutes and Ching scores his 15th goal of the year six minutes later. Spokane (13-3) had clinched the regular season title a day earlier vs. Yakima.

Alex Vandamme gets Seattle Pacific off the mark with a goal in the first minute, and the Falcons get coach Cliff McCrath's 400th win at the helm, 3-0 over Colorado School of Mines at Interbay Stadium. In all, McCrath has 485 career victories, ranking No. 2 in collegiate soccer.

Mike Thompson's rebound goal is enough to lift Gonzaga over Portland, 1-0, in the WCC opener at Merlo Field. Josh Fouts makes nine saves for the Zags. Thompson puts the visitors ahead after only 2:32. It's the first time Gonzaga has beaten the Pilots in consecutive years.

Greg Dimeling and Jake Gillen score second-half goals as Ferris becomes the first 4A boys' champion from the state's east side, 3-1, over Sehome at Vancouver. Whitney Zoller tallies to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead after eight minutes into the contest, but Garth Cummings answers for the Saxons. Dimeling put Ferris in front in the 47th minute, and Gillen strikes five minutes later. The previous 23 state champions had all been from west of the Cascades.

Mike Henderson, who has coached Seattle youth soccer teams for more than 25 years, is among five state citizens presented Jefferson Award medallions for extraordinary volunteer efforts. Henderson, 44, who grew up in the city's Central Area and Capitol Hill with 18 siblings, has dedicated his life to teaching the game because he believes soccer saved his life. He has coached players ages 6 to 60, but his primary focus is developing skills, teamwork and sportsmanship in boys and girls.

Mark Baena, after scoring a record 20 goals in an abbreviated first season with the Seattle Sounders, is named MVP of the A-League. Baena joined Seattle seven games into the season from the California Jaguars. In all, he scored 24 goals to lead the league.

Behind Hope Solo's two goals, Richland wins the state girls' 4A championship over Curtis, 3-1, in Federal Way. Solo, a U18 national team's goalkeeper, scores her 37th and 38th goals of her senior season as the Bombers finish 20-0-0. She scores in the 21st and 55th minutes, taking her career total to 109 goals. Richland, ranked fourth nationally, is only the second girls' 4A team from east of the Cascades to win state.

Dick McCormick's penalty kick in the 76th minute completes the comeback as the Sounders rally from a goal down to eliminate Orange County in the first round of the A-League playoffs at Memorial Stadium. Eddie Soto spots the Zodiac a lead midway through the first period. Peter Hattrup ties it in the 63rd minute, before Ian Russell is pulled down in the box for the penalty.

It's been a long season for Eastern Washington, but goalkeeper Amy Schmitt continues to be a bright spot. Schmitt, a senior from Stanwood, keeps Montana off the scoreboard until the 68th minute. Facing 34 shots, she finishes with a record 20 saves in the 2-0 loss at Cheney. Each of Schmitt's three shutouts have been Eastern wins.

Bellingham's Sandra Hunt and Nancy Lay of St. Louis simultaneously become the first women to referee MLS matches. Hunt, 39, officiates the Kansas City-Chicago game at Arrowhead Stadium in which the Fire prevail, 2-2 (3-2), in a shootout (from 35 yards). It's remarkable match, with Hunt sending off one player from each team in the 64th minute for violent conduct, and the shootout is extended to 12 rounds.

Stan Thesenvitz scores in his seventh straight game, sparking a second-half surge for defending NAIA champion Seattle University to beat Green Mountain, 4-1, to advance to the semifinal round in Birmingham, Ala. Thesenvitz snaps a 1-1 tie in the 48th minute with his 12th goal. Kurt Swanson adds two more goals and Manuel Ruiz has two assists. Swanson finishes his career with a record 58 goals.

After 123 minutes, Vadim Tolstolutsky punches Seattle Pacific's ticket to a 13th NCAA Division II Final Four, lifting the Falcons over Grand Canyon, 2-1, in a quarterfinal playoff at Interbay Stadium. Tolstolutsky scores in his sixth straight game in the third minute of sudden death overtime. It comes 96 minutes after Dana Garner ties it in the 29th minute. Grand Canyon plays the final 37 minutes of regulation and overtime with 10 men following a red card. SPU wins its sixth in a row and 11th in 13 since starting out 3-4-2.

Kasey Keller looms large as the United State achieves one of its great upsets, 1-0, over world champion Brazil, in a Gold Cup semifinal at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Former Tacoma Stars all-star Preki scores the game's only goal for the Americans' first win over Brazil in 68 years. Keller, arriving from England less than 48 hours earlier, makes 10 saves, some bordering on the incredible. The best comes in the 42nd minute, robbing Romario at point-blank range. The Brazilian legend then shakes Keller's hand. Preki's goal comes off his magical left from from 22 yards in the 65th minute.

Deka DeWitt delivers the game’s only goal with four minutes left in overtime to give Washington State a 1-0 win over Washington in Pullman. It’s the Cougars’ first win in the series since 1992 and ends the Huskies’ Pac-10 title hopes.

Tami Bennett's first hat trick of the year paves the way to Washington's 5-0 beating of Oregon State in Corvallis. Theresa Wagner sets up two goals and both Casey Dickerson and Erin Bailey score. It completes a road sweep of the Oregon schools, and after starting 2-5-0, the Huskies are now over .500 (7-6-1).

Shannon Cirovski (nee Higgins) is named head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team. Cirovski resigns as George Washington coach after seven seasons, having been a two-time Atlantic-10 coach of the year. She becomes the newly-formed U18 program's first coach.

Ten years after first arriving in Puget Sound, David Hoggan announces he will retire at the end of the Sounders' season. Hoggan, 37, first played for the Tacoma Stars from 1988-90. He's been with the Sounders since their 1994 reincarnation, totaling 19 goals and 17 assists in 96 league matches.

Nancy Mikacenic and Jenny Skinner score in the final five minutes to push Lakeside past Highline, 2-0, in the state girls' 3A final at Federal Way. The Lions pepper the Pirates with 22 shots through 75 minutes, but then Skinner cuts the ball back to Mikacenic to score from 18 yards. One minute later, Lisa Jensen finds Skinner for a 2-nil advantage. It's Lakeside's third title in four years. Their only loss in the last 69 games was the 1997 final.

Vadim Tolstolutsky strikes with 68 seconds to go, giving Seattle Pacific a shocking 2-1 upset of No. 2-ranked Washington before a record Interbay Stadium crowd. Tolstolutsky fires from 20 yards, off the left post and past UW keeper Peter Van de Ven, capping a second-half comeback and setting off a celebration of 1,470 fans, plus those watching from outside the fences. It's his 14th goal and seventh in four games. Alex Vandamme got the SPU equalizer. The victory is the 5th-ranked Falcons' first in the series since 1993. They earn the Far West's top seed in the NCAA Division II tournament.