Fifteen years after making her debut as a 19-year-old, Michelle Akers earns her 153rd and final cap in the United States' 1-1 draw vs. Canada in Kansas City, Mo. Less than a month before the Summer Olympics begin in Australia, Akers comes on as a second-half substitute for Mia Hamm.

Hope Solo, a freshman at Washington, makes her international debut for the U.S. National Team. Solo, 18, makes two saves in an 8-0 win over Iceland in a closed-door friendly at Davidson, N.C.

Bellingham's Sandra Hunt whistles to life one of two simultaneous opening matches at the Olympic Games. Hunt is assigned the Sweden-Brazil (0-2) game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Washington erases any doubts of whether it rates among the nation's elite, opening Pac-10 play with a 1-0 victory over No. 12 Stanford. Tami Bennett scores her 11th goal of the season in the 17th minute, deflecting a Katie Goodeve cross into the corner of the net. Hope Solo and the 8th-ranked Huskies defense holds strong for the first win over the Cardinal in 11 meetings.

Washington joins four other teams leaving the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation to form the Pac-10 men's conference. The five schools - Washington, UCLA, Stanford, California and Oregon State - will not qualify as an NCAA-sanctioned conference because six teams are required. The move, prompted by weakened strength-of-schedule and poor geographic layout, is approved during Pac-10 winter meetings in San Francisco. There has been Pac-10 women's play since 1993.

Two-time defending NCAA champion Indiana sends Washington out of the tournament with a 2-1 second-round win at Husky Soccer Field. Ben Somoza's free kick at the six-minute mark puts the Huskies in front. Six minutes later, the Hoosiers tie it, and at 52:18 Matt Fundenberger gives the visitors the lead. It's the second year in a row IU has eliminated UW. Indiana goes on to finish runner-up.

America's first professional women's league is formed by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel. The Women's United Soccer Association will begin play in April 2001 in eight cities. Seattle, however, is not among the 15 markets under consideration. Salaries will average $40,000 for a five-month season, and the projected average attendance is 6,500.

Meotis Erikson scores in overtime to push Notre Dame past Santa Clara, 2-1, and onto the NCAA semifinals at South Bend, In. Erikson's winner, her 13th goal of the year, comes five minutes into the extra period. Nancy Mikacenic also starts for the top-ranked Irish, who are eliminated by North Carolina, 2-1, with Erikson assisting on the ND goal. She totals two goals and four assists during the postseason run and finishes her career with 59 goals 46 assists.

Seattle's University Prep becomes the first new state girls' A/B in eight years with a 4-0 win over Cedar Park Christian at Auburn. Seattle Christian had won the previous seven, the first four not being WIAA sanctioned. The Pumas finish their season undefeated (16-0-2). They seize control with first-half goals three minutes apart from Karina Miller and Chloe Jones. Michelle Gorski and Laura Kerr add second period scores.

The Women's United Soccer Association approves charter teams for eight cities: Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Orlando-Tampa, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington. Listed as alternates were: Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Portland, St. Louis and Raleigh-Durham which later replaces the Florida cities. Seattle was not in the running.

Kasey Keller's clean sheet is half the equation of Rayo Vallecano's 2-0 home win over Lokomotiv Moscow to reach the fourth round of the UEFA Cup. Keller had a shutout in a pivotal, 1-0 second-round win at Molde of Norway. Rayo, after finishing ninth in La Liga, had gone through qualifiers to reach tournament proper.

Darren Sawatzky and the Sounders will not be denied. Sawatzky's goal in the 66th minute nudges Seattle past the Bay Area Seals, 2-1, for a ninth straight win in Hayward, Ca. Scott Jenkins puts the visitors up in the seventh minute but theSeals knot it by halftime. Craig Tomlinson wins possession and quickly finds Sawatzky for his 16th goal and ninth during the win streak.

Washington midfielder Wes Hart is taken with the seventh overall pick by Colorado in the MLS SuperDraft. It's the earliest selection yet for a player from a state college. Ricci Greenwood of Seattle Pacific went 20th to Columbus in 1996.

Head coach Clive Charles is among the local connections on the U.S. Olympic Team bound for Australia. Charles was FC Seattle Cozars women's coach. The team trainer is Gig Harbor physical therapist Bruce Snell, who was with the Tacoma Stars throughout the Eighties. Brian Winters of Tacoma is an alternate on the playing roster.

Carrie Geraghty's clutch save sends Seattle University past host Concordia in the semifinals of the NAIA West Regional women's soccer tournament in Portland. Geraghty stops Concordia's final tiebreaker attempt as the Redhawks prevail, 0-0 (5-4).

At long last, Seattle Pacific University announces it will add women's soccer as a varsity sport beginning in 2001. The men's program is among the most successful in NCAA Division II. Women had formed a club program at SPU in 1976, however a lack of home facility hindered efforts until Interbay Stadium opened in 1997. Athletic director Tom Box and McCrath have enlisted the expertise of Seattle native and U.S. World Cup star Michelle Akers. She will advise administrators in the further development of the team and hiring of a head coach. President Philip Eaton says plans progressed since then, and women's soccer was designated as the next new sport in the athletic department's five-year plan of 1997. Plans call for the inaugural team to have two full scholarships, with that number to rise incrementally to four by 2004.

Sheryl Williams secures the PacWest title for Seattle University with a penalty kick in the regular season finale at Monmouth, Ore. Williams scores at 56:11 for the fifth-ranked Redhawks' 1-0 victory over Western Oregon. Because SU is in the final year of transition to NCAA membership, it is ineligible for that postseason competition and instead will go to NAIA district playoffs.

Sophomore Ian Chursky stretches the nets for four goals in Seattle University's 5-3 win at Fresno Pacific. It's the first four-goal game by a Redhawks player in 14 years. Chursky, a transfer from Tacoma CC, made his SU debut with a brace against Cal Poly Pomona.

Ian Russell scores his first MLS goal in the second minute of injury time to pull San Jose into a 1-1 tie with the Chicago Fire, extending the Earthquakes' home unbeaten streak to 14 games. Russell, after two years with the Sounders, was drafted by the Quakes and has become a regular starter.

Snohomish brings the state 4A boys' title back to the west side of the state following a 1-0 win over Port Angeles in Vancouver. Jason Tornquist, a defender, comes forward to put home Will Van Duine's long throw into the box in the 49th minute. The previously unbeaten Roughriders another Snohomish chance off the line in the 56th minute. Brian Harrison makes six saves to preserve the Panthers' first championship.

Seattle Sounders Selects open the PDL season with a 3-2 loss to the Spokane Shadow at Memorial Stadium. After Garth Cummings put the visitors in front, Scott Burcar and Ben Somoza reply for the Selects, who hold a 2-1 halftime lead. The Shadow get goals from Abbas Faridnia and Garth Cummings seven minutes apart midway through the second half, then hang on for the win.

Michelle Akers, considered the greatest women's player of all-time, announces her retirement from international competition. With three weeks to go until the Olympics begin, Akers, 34, cites mounting injuries. She has had more than a dozen knee operations, numerous concussions, a broken cheekbone and related nasal surgery, and most recently a dislocated shoulder, suffered March 27. Akers returned to the team in July but re-injured her shoulder against Russia on Aug. 15. She retires as the all-time leading scorer of the Women's World Cup (12 goals), and as one of only four players in history with 100 or more career goals. With 105 goals, 37 assists and 247 total points, she trails only Mia Hamm in all-time scoring for the U.S. National Team. She holds U.S. records for most goals in a game (five), most goals and points in a calendar year (39 goals in 1991) and most consecutive games with a goal (nine).

Despite fielding a depleted lineup, the Yakima Reds upset the nine-man Spokane Shadow, 2-0, in the PDL Western Conference semifinals at Joe Albi Stadium. Yakima, missing its top three scorers who have returned to UW, finally wears down the Shadow in the final stages. Aaron Heinzen scores the game's first goal after 77 minutes. In the 87th minute, Grant Falco, a Spokane native who plays for SPU, doubles the lead.

Erik Skipper's header snaps a 1-1 tie with 17 minutes to go and Seattle Pacific pulls away to beat Seattle University, 4-1, in a downpour at Interbay to clinch the Pacific West Conference championship. The Falcons proceed to finish the regular season on a 12-game unbeaten (11-0-1) run to reach the NCAA tournament for a Division II record 28th time in 29 years.

The Women's United Soccer Association begins stocking its eight franchises by allocating 19 U.S. National Team players. Shoreline's Michelle Akers is assigned to Orlando and Kent's Michelle French to Washington, D.C.

Kennewick's Meotis Erikson scores her 50th career goal to give Notre Dame a 1-0 win at the University of Portland. The Irish victory consequently restores their No. 1 ranking. Erikson, a senior, also scored and added an assist the day before in a 5-0 thrashing of Washington.

Cobi Jones gets the winning goal with 17 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Los Angeles Galaxy past the Seattle Sounders, 2-1, in a U.S. Open Cup second-round game at Titan Stadium in Fullerton. After Greg Vanney's penalty puts L.A. in front, Greg Howes ties it for the Sounders in the 48th minute.

Rayo Vallecano's 10-match unbeaten run ends in a 1-0 loss to Alaves, during which Kasey Keller suffers a dislocated collarbone. Keller had three shutouts during the 8-0-2 streak. He will miss the next two months.

Fife has become the Seattle Sounders' preferred site for a a soccer facility and stadium, according to city officials. A parcel of 80 acres would house a 5,000-seat stadium, plus seven fields adjacent fields and on-site living and training quarters. It would be the Sounders' home stadium for A-League play and could be used as a training facility by a Seattle MLS franchise. The cost, along with money for youth foundations, scholarships and operating expenses, is $20-30 million, and the stadium capacity could be expanded to 15,000 later.

Down 3-1 with 20 minutes to play, Seattle stages a spectacular comeback to force overtime, then win on golden goal by Greg Howes in the 107th minute over El Paso at Memorial Stadium. The Sounders win clinches the Pacific Division title and completes the first undefeated home season (12-0-2). Howes's first goal starts the rally, and Andrew Gregor ties it on a 35- yard drive in the 83rd minute. viet Nguyen's corner kick is flicked on by Sean Henderson to Howes for the winner.

Bryn Ritchie scores in the 80th minute to give the Seattle Sounders Selects a 1-0 victory over the Cascade Surge. It's the Selects' ninth straight win to open the season. Ritchie scores in the 40th minute for the PDL Northwest Division leaders.

Fans spill onto the field following the final whistle of Washington State's upset of Pac-10 champion Washington in Pullman. Freshman Kim Morgan scores in the second overtime for the 1-0 victory, the Huskies' only conference loss. Hope Solo makes 12 saves for UW. Boosted by the win, the Cougars receive an at-large NCAA berth for the first time since 1994.

Dana Garner scores a hat trick in his third straight game for Seattle Pacific, a 13-0 rout of Montana State Billings at Interbay. After scoring four times in the first nine outings, Garner now has 10 goals in the last four, including earlier hat tricks vs. Chico State (7-1) and Northwest Nazarene (13-1).

Kai Carroll scores a pair of first-half goals and three altogether, powering 13th-ranked Washington to a 4-2 win at Cal. The victory, combined with No. 1 Stanford's loss to UCLA, clinches the first Pac-10 men's championship. The Huskies had won the last two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation titles. Carroll's most important goal is his third, after the Bears rally from 3-nil down to 3-2. Jake Sagare assists on three goals, and Mark Hogenhout accounts for the other UW score.

King County Domed Stadium, known more commonly as the Kingdome, turns to rubble during a televised implosion. Scene of many a sports memory over 24 years, the Kingdome is gone in a virtual flash and bang. In 16.8 seconds some 4,500 pounds of dynamite brings down the 25,000-ton concrete roof. Most of the rubble from the Kingdome will be used in projects around the country, but 35 percent will stay as base for the new soccer/football stadium and its parking lots.

Justin Franson finds the net with just 64 seconds left in the second overtime, lifting Gonzaga to a 3-2 victory over Portland. It puts the Bulldogs (5-1-0) on top of the West Coast Conference standings, but San Diego wins the next day to earn the automatic NCAA berth.

A proposed move by the Portland Pythons to Tacoma grows tentative. Net worth for Peregrine Capital Inc., the club owner, has tumbled along with the stock market. Peregrine has laid off coach Ralph Black of Tacoma. World Indoor Soccer League will decide in August whether to approve the team's request to operate anywhere in 2001.

Peninsula High School names its field after retiring coach Larry Madden. The unflappable Madden is surprised and humbled by the honor. It comes at the end of nearly three decades as Peninsula's only coach. Some 250 people – including more than a hundred current and former players – attend the team's awards dinner in Gig Harbor, where the announcement is made.

Kent's Michelle French is joined by other U.S. National Team players at KeyArena for the Discovery Health Channel Women's Soccer Challenge. Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain headline the selections from the silver-medalist Olympic team.

Coming on as a substitute following shoulder surgery in April, Michelle Akers scores her 105th goal for the U.S. in a 7-1 beating of Russia at Annapolis, Md. Team USA was coming off a 5-match trip through Europe during which they scored just five goals. It proves to be the final international goal for Akers, who in 1985 scored the team's historic first goal.

The longest match in Washington's history has a happy ending. Bryn Ritchie ends a 141-minute scoreless stalemate by heading in Mark Hogenhout's corner kick for the 13th-ranked Huskies to beat No. 14 Alabama-Birmingham, 1-0, in an NCAA first-round game on Montlake. The four-overtime affair is 8:03 away from penalties when Ritchie scores his sixth goal. While the match starts in mid-30s, it's well below 30 by the end of the 3 hour, 18-minute contest.

Johann Noetzel, a rookie from Burien and Seattle Pacific, makes his Dallas Burn debut in the final regular season game. Noetzel's eight saves enable Dallas to beat San Jose, 2-1, in the Cotton Bowl. Noetzel had been drafted by the Sounders but joined the Burn after a trial in March. West Seattle and UW alum Ian Russell assists on the Earthquakes' goal.

Tye Tolentino scores three of Puget Sound's five second-half goals as the Loggers beat Evergreen State's Geoducks 5-0 at Tacoma. Tolentino, a senior, finishes with career records of 31 goals and 33 assists.

Jason Kuska's hat trick propels Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 4-1 non-conference win over Oregon State. Brian Ching's goal gives the Zags the initial lead. Kuska doubles it 5:42 into the second half. After the Beavers score, he puts the game out of reach with goals at 78:31 and 81:42. Gonzaga has now won six out of seven, including three straight in the WCC, to move into postseason contention.

The World Indoor Soccer League approves a preliminary request from the Portland Pythons to move to Tacoma in 2001. The Pythons averaged 3,164 fans at Portland's Rose Garden last season, the lowest attendance in the team's seven-year history. The eight-team WISL play runs from August to November.

Two products of Washington start and finish the job for Kansas City in a 1-0 win over Chicago for MLS Cup at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Brandon Prideaux is in the Wizards XI on defense, with Chris Henderson in midfield. Former Tacoma Stars great Preki also features for K.C.

Marcus Hahnemann makes his senior debut for First Division Fulham in a 1-0 League Cup loss at Northampton Town. Hahnemann also plays the second leg but makes only two league appearances as the Cottagers win the First Division and return to the top flight for the first time since 1968.

James Dunn is named the NPSL Defender of the year and is joined on the all-league first team by twin brother and Wichita Wings teammate Jason Dunn. James finished with 128 blocks and 22 goals. Jason was third in league scoring with 203 total points.

Playing shorthanded, the Yakima Reds are clouted, 5-2, by the Michigan Bucks in a PDL semifinal in Saginaw. The Reds are missing eight players who were recalled to their college teams. Yakima also falls, 5-2, to Rochester in the consolation game the next day. Chicago defeats Michigan, 1-0, for the title.

Senior Vadim Tolstolutsky earns his 43rd career assist to break the Seattle Pacific record in a 2-1 win over Simon Fraser. Tolstolutsky, who had a career-best four assists two weeks earlier vs. Northwest Nazarene, finishes with 44 for four years. Scott Cairns (1983-86) had 42.

Senior Theresa Wagner scores four goals and adds an assist, helping No. 4-ranked Washington win its first Pac-10 women's championship with a 6-1 victory over Oregon in Eugene. The Huskies (17-1), who have won 11 consecutive games, are the only undefeated team (8-0) in conference play. UW is the first team outside California to win the Pac-10 title. Wagner scores two goals in the opening six minutes. Tami Bennett makes it 3-nil with her 15th goal of the season and 33rd of her career, both Husky records. Wagner converts a penalty kick at 30:06 to tie the school single-game scoring record of four goals established by Emily Thompson in 1994.

Lakeside scores twice in two minutes, then hangs on to wrest back the girls' 3A championship against West Valley. The Lions, with goals in the 24th and 26th minutes, defeat the Rams, 2-1, at Federal Way for their second title in three years and fourth overall. Eve Russell's free kick gives Lakeside the lead, and then Mary Kuder, one of four freshman starters, heads in Russell's corner kick. Jennifer Springer pulls West Valley a goal back with her header with 6:42 remaining.

Sounders co-owner Neil Farnsworth appears before Public Stadium Authority and shares the club's three-year plan, which includes an MLS team. Farnsworth says the MLS team would take the name of the A-League team and become Sounders Premier. The organization would create a top-level amateur team, Sounders Select, and youth teams called Sounders United.

For the third time in her illustrious career, Michelle Akers is named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, and Kasey Keller is chosen as male recipient for a second time. Akers received FIFA's Bronze Ball at the Women's World Cup last summer for finishing third in tournament MVP voting. Her physical play as a defensive midfielder helped the United States win the title. Keller, who plays for Rayo Vallecano in Spain, compiled a 1.09 goals-against average in five games for the U.S. National Team. He made a diving save on a penalty kick during a 1-0 victory over Argentina.

Seattle Sounders are returning to downtown following a one-year stay in Renton. The club, citing a need for more field availability, will go back to Memorial Stadium, its home from 1994-98 and, in the NASL era, from 1974-75. Attendance fell by 23 percent, to 2,243, in the first year of a year-to-year, three-year lease at the renovated Renton Memorial. However, the club reasoned it needs greater field access with the addition of the PDL Sounders Selects and the potential of adding a women's team.

No sooner is Sounders defender Craig Waibel called up Colorado and he is inserted into his second MLS match. Waibel plays 57 minutes of the rapids' 4-3 win at New England. Seattle goalkeeper Preston Burpo had been called up by Colorado in April but did not see action.

Bernie James, the oldest active professional player in North America, announces he will retire at the end of the Sounders' season. James, 42, started his career at 18 with the original NASL Sounders in 1977. He has played indoor and outdoor ever since, including the Tacoma Stars and resurrected A-League Sounders since their start in 1994. James is also an assistant to coach Neil Megson.

Julie Louis scores the game-winner in the 55th minute as Puget Sound clinches the Northwest Conference title, beating Whitworth, 1-0, at Baker Stadium. The Loggers win their first NWC crown along with the automatic NCAA Division III berth.

Joe Watson's brace keeps the Seattle Sounders Selects playoff hopes alive by scoring in a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Willamette Valley Firebirds. Watson scores two goals in the final 13 minutes of the game including the winner in the 90th minute to erase a 2-1 deficit and help the Selects end a seven-game winless streak (0-6-1). Nick Downing converts a penalty kick for Seattle two minutes after halftime to knot the score at 1-1.

Nate Daligcon starts for Rochester in the Raging Rhinos' 3-1 win over Minnesota for a second A-League title in three years in front of a crowd of 14,276 at Frontier Field. Daligcon also started in the 1998 final.

Four months before launching play, WUSA conducts its first player draft, and three Washington State Youth Soccer Association products are selected. Spokane's Kim Stiles, who plays at the University of Portland, is chosen by Boston in the ninth round with the 69th overall pick. Seattle's Theresa Wagner, from UW, is next, going 72nd to San Jose. Federal Way's Justi Baumgardt, also of Portland, is drafted 74th by Washington. Two months later, Kennewick’s Meotis Erikson of Notre Dame goes to Boston with the 11th pick in the supplemental draft.

Ian Chursky's penalty kick with 12 minutes remaining is the difference in Seattle University's 3-2 win over Seattle Pacific at Championship Field. It marks the first time the Falcons (2-4-0) have lost four straight games in a single season. Chursky finishes with two goals.

Laurie Klein's two goals lead Seattle Sounders Select Women over the Puget Sound All-Stars, 5-1, in the final match of the inaugural season at Memorial Stadium. The Sounders Women are moving forward with plans to join the W-League for 2001. Seattle went 8-0-3, outscored opponents 40-4 and captured the provisional W-League title.

Deka DeWitt is Washington State's No. 2 career scorer but her first hat trick comes late in her senior year. DeWitt scores three times in the Cougars' 4-0 victory at Arizona. She finishes with 12 goals on the year and 40 total.

Bobby Howe, once Washington's state youth coaching director, is named head coach of the Portland Timbers. Howe, who resigned as U.S. Soccer's director of coaching education in April, will guide the new A-League team which begins play at renovated Civic Stadium in 2001.

Top-seeded Simon Fraser denies a Seattle University comeback in the NAIA Region I championship match at Portland, ending the Redhawks' season. Phebe Trotman and Sharon Lehnert score late in the first half for the Clan. Heather Hartstein pulls SU a goal back, but the rally stalls there. The 18 wins (18-4-0) ties the program record of 1993.

Seattle Sounders Select Women get off to a fast start, winning their inaugural match, 5-0, over the Spokane Chill at Joe Albi Stadium. Janelle Munnis of Mountlake Terrace leads the way with two goals, Joanie Gerpheide adds two assists, and Tami Bennett has the first goal and an assist. Lindsey Jorgensen makes two saves to earn the shutout.

On the eve of the national team's departure for Australia, Michelle French is named to replace the newly-retired Michelle Akers on the U.S. roster. French, captain of the U21 national team, has nine full caps and can play several positions. She had originally been one of four alternates for April Heinrichs for the 18-player squad. However, she does not see game action during the tournament, which ends with the USWNT taking the silver by virtue of a 3-2 loss to Norway in the final.

Seattle Sounders acquire the services of defender Tim Steidten from Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga for the remainder of the A-League season soccer and playoffs. Steidten, 21, was obtained on a loan as part of the Sounders-Werder Bremen affiliation that includes player exchanges. He plays in 12 regular season and playoff games. In August, Bainbridge's Cameron Lawler is among five players chosen to train at Bremen. In November, the Sounders' U14 and U16 boys teams travel to Bremen for a weeklong tour.

Carin Larkin's goal in the sixth round of the shootout, coupled with sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Rasmussen's save, lifts Bellarmine to the girls' 4A championship over Roosevelt, 0-0 (4-3) at Federal Way. It's the fourth title for the Lions. In the shootout, Bellarmine gets goals from Christine Mintz, Katie Buser and Kim Butler before Larkin's clincher. Rasmussen, who had eight stops during regulation and overtime, goes to her right to save Roosevelt's Leah Peterson with a diving stop to her right. The Roughriders nearly scored in the dying seconds of the first half when Tiffany Fenster shot, but Rasmussen leaps to tip the ball over the net.

Mike Pardini's first-half strike is the only goal as the Yakima Reds punch their ticket to the PDL finals. The Reds blank the Colorado Comets, 1-0, at Spokane's Joe Albi Stadium. Pardini, a sophomore at Seattle Pacific, gets clear of a scrum and laces his shot into the net in the 36th minute.

Tami Bennett delivers the crucial goal four minutes into overtime, and No. 6 Washington edges No. 7 UCLA, 1-0, before a program record crowd of 3,403 at Husky Soccer Stadium. Bennett now has 14 goals and UW's win streak extends to a record nine games. The Huskies remain unbeaten in Pac-10.

Kasey Keller becomes the first goalkeeper to win the Honda Player of the Year award for the top U.S. player in 1999. A four-time finalist, Keller finishes 108 votes ahead of Claudio Reyna and 200 more than 1998 winner Cobi Jones.

Spokane Shadow takes over organization of premier programs from the Spokane Youth Sports Association, which operates the Spokane Skyhawks. The Shadow is significantly more expensive than other clubs. Registration for the Skyhawks is $80 per season.

Jason Farrell scores in Columbus's 2-0 upset win over Kansas City at Crew Stadium. It's Farrell's third goal of the season and 11th in career league play. The Wizards go on to win MLS Cup.

Bobby McAlister's hat trick fuels Kennedy's 4-1 victory over Lakeside in the boys' 3A final at Vancouver's Kiggins Bowl. It's Kennedy's second title in four years. McAlister, who also scored three goals in the Lancers' semifinal win over Blanchet, scores the go-ahead goal in the 64th minute. He then adds another eight minutes later to make it 3-1 before Eun Kang Chung's final tally two minutes from time. Chris Pohl scores for the Lions.

Neil Megson is named A-League Coach of the Year after leading the Sounders to the Pacific Division title, their first since 1994. Seattle went 18-7-3 for it's best win percentage in Megson's five years. A day earlier, Greg Howes won Rookie of the Year honors and Darren Sawatzky was named first team all-league. Howes, a Tacoma native who attended Oregon State, led the team with 17 goals and 41 points. In his first season back home, Sawatzky had 16 goals.

Chris Henderson's first career brace comes in the final 16 minutes of a 3-1 victory by Kansas City over Columbus. Henderson assists on the first Wizards goal. After the Crew ties it, he restores the lead in the 74th minute and adds insurance in the 81st. Henderson finishes with a career-high nine goals.

Community soccer leaders Cliff McCrath and Alan Hinton host a fundraiser match featuring former Sounders to benefit Kevin Jones. The Bellevue Christian coach, Jones is battling ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Proceeds from the Kevin Jones Cup at Interbay Stadium will help pay for his escalating medical bills. Jones, confined to a wheelchair shortly after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in September 1997, coached the Bellevue Christian boys to a Class A/B state title last fall. A halftime auction and admission from the two games raises more than $92,000. Former Sounders and guest players come from as far as Florida to take part.

Puget Sound's best season in 12 years ends at the NCAA West Regional semifinals in Salem, losing to Chapman, 2-1, in overtime. The Panthers' Stacie Lopez hooked an 18-yard shot just inside the far post 6:37 into overtime to upset No. 3-ranked UPS.

Hope Solo earns her second cap close to home, relieving Siri Mullinix in an friendly vs. Mexico at Portland's Civic Stadium. Mullinix and Solo combine for the shutout in an 8-0 win. Regular starter Briana Scurry is out with a thigh injury.