Despite peppering Fresno with fusillade of shots, shorthanded Spokane Shadow goes out of the PDL playoffs at the first stage. The Fuego gets strong goalkeeping from Jeremy Proud, and a Jose Luis Espindola goal past Chris Eylander with seven minutes remaining in the Western Conference semifinals before nearly a thousand fans at Joe Albi Stadium. The Shadow are without suspended starters Garth Cummings and James Everall.

Fourth-ranked St. Louis gets an overtime winner from freshman Vedad Ibisevic to end Washington's season in the third round of the NCAA tournament. Ibisevic gives the Billikens an early lead, but Troy Ready gets the first of his two goals nine minutes later. However, in the 97th minute Ibisevic intercepts an attempted clearance and shoots past Danny Waltman. It's the best postseason finish for UW and the 13 wins more than doubles the previous year.

An overflow crowd at Doc Harris Stadium is sent home largely stunned as nationally-ranked Newport crushes hometown favorite Camas, 5-0, in the boys' 3A state championship game. Tony Berkau, a senior playing his first season, scores twice in the first 34 minutes, and Pedro Batres adds a brace plus an assist for the Knights, ranked seventh in the nation. Batres totals 28 goals for the year, including six goals and five assists during the playoffs. It's Newport's first unbeaten season (20-0-1) and first title since 1982. Mirza Memic gets the fifth score, making it the largest winning margin for a championship game in 3A or 4A boys' history.

Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann narrowly escapes being hit by a missile at Turf Moor during a 5-2 win over Burnley. Hahnemann pulls off a string of fine saves in the first of five straight Championship wins for the Royals. Burnley face a heavy fine or a points deduction after referee Roy Pearson confirmed he had reported the incident. Hahnemann's first season with Reading ends in a playoff promotion loss to Wolves.

San Jose Earthquakes collect their second MLS Cup in three years, and once again West Seattle's Ian Russell is part of the equation. Russell, who had assists in earlier playoff wins over Los Angeles and Kansas City, plays the final 20 minutes of the 4-2 win over Chicago at Carson, Ca. Spokane's Craig Waibel starts on the Quakes defense. Landon Donovan gets two of the San Jose goals.

It was Jessica Beznau's dream to bring together the area's diverse communities through the game of soccer, and today it becomes a reality. Over 2,000 people converge on Ingraham High School for the inaugural World Cup Seattle. It brings together male amateur players representing 12 nations. Brazil prevails, 4-0, over Ethiopia in the next day's final. Mexico and Honduras are the other semifinalists. Ethiopia is recognized for the best community participation and Denmark's side is lauded for its sportsmanship.

Lori Chalupny's second goal comes two minutes into overtime, enabling top-ranked North Carolina to hold off Washington, 2-1, before 2,656 at Husky Soccer Field. Tina Frimpong's third goal in two games takes UW to the early lead, but Chalupny ties it by halftime. She then fires from 30 yards for the winner. Frimpong had scored twice to open the year with a 2-1 overtime upset of 18th-ranked Maryland. The Terrapins are coached by Kent's Shannon Higgins-Cirovski.

Jennifer Tissue, a four-time first-team all-Northwest Conference selection and the league's player of the year in 1995 and 1996, is inducted into Whitworth's Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame. Tissue was named to 1996 NAIA All-America team. She led the Pirates to conference championships in 1993 and 1996 and graduated with five school records - including career goals (60) and points (145).

An overtime winner from Kyle Montgomery secures Crossfire Sounders U14 boys' passage to the U.S. Youth Soccer Championships with a 2-1 victory over Arizona Golden Eagles at the Far West Regional in Honolulu. A.J. Gonzalez scores the Crossfire regulation time goal. Crossfire defeated New Mexico in the quarterfinals and upset defending national champion and No. 2 South California United, 4-1, in the semifinals. Bernie James has coached the team to four straight state cup titles.

Ian Chursky's penalty kick with 5:24 left in overtime gives Seattle University the edge, 3-2, over Seattle Pacific for the inaugural Caffe D'arte Cup in a cold rain at Interbay. The Redhawks also get a goal and assist from Alex Chursky in rallying from 2-1 down in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Seattle U also wins the GNAC title with a perfect 6-0-0 mark, but for the second year in a row the state doesn't send a representative to the Division II tournament.

Kasey Keller goes to the top of America's shutout list as the U.S. National Team downs Cuba, 5-0, in the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals in Foxboro, Mass. Landon Donovan scores four of the goals – the team's first four-goal effort in 10 years. Keller surpasses Tony Meola with his 33rd clean sheet and fifth in a row in 2003, a streak that started in Seattle vs. Venezuela.

Game and training use by varsity and community teams at Peninsula High School's Roy Anderson Field has more than tripled since a $1.3 million improvement project was completed four months ago. Pierce County Parks and Recreation provided more than $1 million to install new artificial surfacing at the field. Youth soccer and football groups used the site for 300 hours from October through December, up from 60 hours for the same span in 2002. Soon, nearby Gig Harbor High School will undergo a $2.6 million expansion and lighting project, leaving the school with two soccer fields and two softball/youth baseball fields.

Ryan Edwards completes his brace by scoring the game-winner in the 90th minute of a 3-2 comeback road win over Minnesota. After Edwards equalizes in the 61st minute, he leaps to meet Jason Farrell's deep throw-in and head it in. Seattle picks up points for 10th time in 11 games and remains atop the Pacific Division at 8-2-4.

Tina Frimpong scores two goals just a minute apart, and Meghan Miller comes up big in the shootout for Sounders Women, who claim the W-League Western Conference title at Vancouver. Seattle advances to the league semifinals, 2-2 (3-1), over the Whitecaps. Frimpong puts the visitors up, 2-1, late in the first half, her fourth and fifth goals in four games. Vancouver forces overtime with a 66th-minute equalizer. After the Whitecaps' first PK gets past her, Miller comes up with three straight saves, while Wynne McIntosh, Rachel Rodrick and Haley Van Blommestein all make good on their shots.

Tafara Pulse puts away a penalty kick for her 12th goal of the season, and Seattle University pulls away for a 3-1 win at Northwest Nazarene. It earns Julie Woodward her 100th coaching victory. Woodward has averaged over 14 wins during her first seven seasons at her alma mater.

Just 65 days before the season opener, Washington State loses head coach Dan Tobias to Arizona. Tobias, hired in 1998, took the Cougars to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances in the past three years. Thirteen days later, assistant coach Matt Potter is named the successor. Potter only joined the program in February after eight successful years with Sereno SC in Arizona. WSU meets 17-time national champion North Carolina in Seattle on Aug. 29.

Leo Totev twice scores on 11th-ranked South Carolina in Washington's convincing 3-0 win at Husky Soccer Field. Totev scores his second goal past Brad Guzan from 30 yards in the 56th minute, just two minutes after Kevin Murray made it 2-nil. At 6-0-1, UW is off to its best start since 1998, with Totev scoring five times.

After moving the Women's World Cup from China to the United States because of the SARS virus earlier in the year, organizers bypass Seattle and select Portland's PGE Park as one of six venues. The tournament begins Sept. 20. Seattle's bid included both Seahawks Stadium and Safeco Field. In all, Portland hosts three doubleheaders, including group stage games, quarterfinals and both semifinals.

What should have been a coronation devolves into a melee that puts Spokane Shadow in a pickle going into the PDL playoffs. In the dying seconds of a 2-0 home win over Yakima, Shadow defender James Everall and Reds forward Alonzo Rojas begin pushing and shoving each other and then swinging. More players come off the bench, and once order is restored, Everall and Garth Cummings are shown red cards. Both be unavailable for the upcoming playoff vs. Fresno. Jason Kuska and Jake Moug score for Spokane, which ties the club record for wins (14), first set in 1997.

Following a sluggish first half, the United States brings on key veterans and defeats Venezuela, 2-0, in the first international match played at Seahawks Stadium. Kasey Keller wears the captain's armband before 17,819, yet he's rarely tested before added time, when a save is required. Following a scoreless first half, Earnie Stewart comes on, and his free kick is headed off the post by Carlos Bocanegra. Brian McBride puts the rebound off the crossbar before Jovan Kirovski buries it in the 52nd minute. Landon Donovan replaces Kirovski and scores in the 76th. Officials believe the attendance lags due to the late switch of opponents.

The City of Federal Way dedicates Karl Grosch Field at Steel Lake Park. A longtime city resident, Grosch co-authored the U.S. Youth Soccer bylaws, rules and regulations in 1974. The German immigrant first became involved locally as a volunteer coach while his two sons played. He served as Washington Youth Soccer president from 1971-1977, operating the organization from his home, alongside wife Helga. During that term they initiated girls' cup play and opened the organization’s first office. He also co-founded the Washington State Youth Soccer Referees Association.

Unbeaten Hampton Roads rallies in the second half to down Seattle Sounders Women, 4-1, in the W-League semifinals at Virginia Beach. Tina Frimpong opens the scoring in the 15th minute, but the Piranhas come out strong in the second half. Darci Borski gets the tying and go-ahead goals for the Piranhas by the 55th minute and the coast from there. Sounders Women reverse the scoreline the following day, placing third by beating Ottawa, 4-1, behind two Frimpong goals in the first six minutes.

Melissa Bennett helps set-up two goals, and Tina Frimpong scores in her debut at Sounders Women begin the final month of the regular season by beating Denver Lady Cougars, 3-0, at Seahawks Stadium. Bennett finds Shannon Forslund for a first-half header and Frimpong for another header in the 67th minute. It's the start of a three-game win streak to finish league play, with the combined wins against the Colorado a 13-0 goal differential.

Ninth-ranked Puget Sound converts a pair of first-half goals in a 2-1 victory over 23rd-ranked Whitworth. Tera Anderson scores on assists from Cortney Kjar fat 3:16 and 28:23 for the Loggers, now 13-1-1.

Devvyn Hawkins of Olympia scores the vital goal for the U.S. National in a 1-0 victory over Germany for the Four Nations Cup title in Shanghai. In the 18th minute, Brandi Chastain drives a ball into the box that Hawkins hits first-time into the net for her first international goal in nine appearances. She was a substitute in a 3-1 win over China earlier in the tournament, which featured the world's top four teams, including Norway.

Seattle's Roger Levesque tallies in the final minute of regulation to win the game and the Pacific Division championship for the second year in a row. Levesque redirects Sean-Michael Callahan's 20-yard blast to beat the El Paso Patriots, 3-2, before nearly 4,000 at Seahawks Stadium. The Sounders had twice trailed, with Callahan and Levesque bringing them level, the latter in the 85th minute. The Sounders, who had lost three straight across all competitions, finish one point ahead of Vancouver.

Tafara Pulse scores goals on either side of halftime, then delivers an assist on Seattle University's final marker in a 4-2 road win at Western Washington. Pulse puts the Redhawks ahead for good in the 41st minute, then pads the lead in the 53rd with a 15-yard shot. Seattle U extends its unbeaten run to nine (8-0-1). Five days later, Pulse's hat trick paces a 10-0 rout at Grand Canyon.

Seattle Pacific only allowed six goals during the regular season, but Cal State Dominguez Hills scored two of them, and in San Diego they tack-on two more to beat the Falcons, 2-1, in an NCAA first round game. The Toros scores just before halftime and again in the 78th minute, before Shannon Lovejoy's reply in the dying seconds. It snaps a 17-game (15-0-2) unbeaten run by SPU since another 2-1 loss to CSDH. Lovejoy, scoring in each of the last eight games, finishes with 17.

Annie Hawkins finds the net in the 102nd minute, giving Gonzaga its fifth straight victory, 3-2, over Montana at Spokane. Hawkins tucks away a cross from Walker Loseno for her ninth goal of the year. It ends a 12-game win streak for the Grizzlies, and the Bulldogs' eighth win in 12 starts already ties the program record.

Bowing out of the U.S. Youth Soccer Championship at the group stage, Redmond's Crossfire Sounders are bestowed the Boys U14 Fair Play Award in Germantown, Md. Crossfire fall, 3-0, to the Nether Providence Mustangs. Crossfire, outscored 8-1 in its three matches, was Washington's first entry in the national championship tournament since 1999, when Tacoma-based FC United Premier won the under-18 boys national title.

For the second year in a row, the GNAC women's title race comes down to the final day of the regular season at Championship Field, and once again it's Seattle Pacific earning an overtime decision over Seattle University. Shannon Lovejoy's header from a Jessica Henson corner comes six minutes into the extra period for a 2-1 win. Winners of 10 straight (eight by shutout), the Falcons, beat SU earlier on a Lovejoy goal, will become the first GNAC team to play in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Six acres of new fields are dedicated and opened on Seventh Avenue in Longview. The vacant land is loaned by Kaiser Permanente, and over four years, funds from the Longview Rotary Club and Weyerhaeuser Foundation allowed for clearing and developing the space for the thousand girls and boys who play in Longview Soccer Club. In 2015, the complex is dedicated to Tom Hutchinson, city council member and youth soccer advocate.

The City of Lacey and Thurston County will spend as much as $660,000 more than anticipated to construct the first phase of their regional sports complex. The project's first phase now features four soccer fields, restrooms and concessions. Now pegged for $2.2 million for the initial phase of development, the complex is located near the intersection of Marvin and Steilacoom roads. The second phase will complete the remaining two soccer fields, five ballfields and a community park. The entire $8 million project will be ready for use in 2005 or 2006.

On the verge of beating Brazil for only the second time, the United States allows a late tying goal and then falls, 2-1, in extra time of their Gold Cup semifinal in Miami. It's the first home loss for Kasey Keller in 23 matches. His stretch of 801 scoreless Gold Cup minutes is snapped in the 89th minute when Kaka taps in a rebound. Diego then hits a penalty 10 minutes into overtime. The U.S. and Keller later take third by defeating Costa Rica.

Starfire Sports, a $10 million soccer complex, opens at Fort Dent Park in Tukwila. The centerpiece is a 2,000-seat stadium appropriate for youth and adult regional tournaments. An open house is set for Nov. 29. Eventually the non-profit Starfire will offer eight soccer fields, four of which will feature FieldTurf and lighting. An 80,000-square-foot athletic center with two indoor FieldTurf fields, locker rooms, a weight training gym, meeting rooms, physical therapy facilities, a pro shop, game room and food court will open in the spring of 2004.

Third-ranked Puget Sound strikes twice in the second half to blank Iowa's Loras College, 2-0, for the NCAA Division III women's West Regional title in Dubuque. Lea John puts the visitors in front from a Kelsey Lau corner kick in the 50th minute. Elizabeth Pitman finds Tera Anderson 18 minutes later for the final margin. It's the Loggers' fifth straight shutout.

A Pacific Northwest record crowd is treated to a spectacle on a warm summer night at Seahawks Stadium, with star-studded Manchester United winning a friendly with Celtic, 4-0, on a freshly-laid carpet of grass. United, coming off their eighth Premier League title in 11 years, get goals from Ruud van Nistlerooy, Ryan Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to go up 3-nil by halftime before 66,722. Celtic, second to Rangers on goal-difference, miss a penalty kick that would have tied the score in the 18th minute. Intermittently during the second half, red-clad fans generate choruses of 'Glory, Glory, Man United,' and after the final whistle the team takes a lap of honor. United are without David Beckham, sold to Real Madrid in June. New Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 18, joins the team three weeks later.

Brett Wiesner strikes in the 75th minute in Washington's 1-0 victory over No. 16 Oregon State in the regular season finale at Husky Soccer Field. The next day the Huskies earn their ninth NCAA tournament bid in 10 years. of their four losses, two have come to UCLA, now ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Seattle Hibernian Saints win its first women's national championship in resounding fashion in Milwaukee. Gina Brewer puts the Saints ahead for good in the 45th minute as they go on to defeat New York United, 6-2, in the U.S. Amateur Soccer Association final.

Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer confirms discussions with the City of Kent regarding development of an eight- to 10-field complex with the centerpiece being an 18,000-20,000-seat stadium. A piece of property had been targeted, but it is not the previously reported spot of the former Midway landfill. Price tag is $35 million, and once an MLS ownership group is in place, construction could begin. Sounders earlier considered sites in Fife, east of Lake Washington, and more recently at the Midway Landfill.

Capping a most dominant campaign, Richland beats Bellarmine Prep, 3-0, in the girls' 4A title game at Lakewood. Ashley Dernbach, Justine Jones and Hayley McCoy score for the Bombers, who finish 20-0-0, outscoring foes, 88-5. Bellarmine (21-1-0) had also entered the game undefeated. The Lions lose top scorer Colby Branham after 12 minutes. Richland had won the boys' 4A crown six months earlier.

Chuck Sekyra, assistant women's coach at Washington the past three seasons, is named Seattle Pacific head coach. Sekyra, 37, succeeds Bobby Bruch, who resigned after two years. A 1989 graduate of SPU, Sekyra played on two NCAA championship teams and was an assistant on the men's team from 1998-99.

The City of Bellingham buys the Sportsplex ice and soccer arena for $4.2 million, then leases it to the Whatcom Soccer Commission. The Soccer Commission has been running the Sportsplex since August under an agreement with owner Thom Fischer. Commission President Chet Lackey says the group plans to raise money for improvements to the Sportsplex and hopes to improve scheduling at the facility. The deal poses no risk to taxpayers because Sportsplex revenue would cover the payments if the city had to take over the complex.

Nearly nine years after his last cap, Marcus Hahnemann starts for the U.S. in 2-1 win over New Zealand in Richmond, Va. Hahnemann is beaten by New Zealand's Vaughan Coveny in the 23rd minutes but then denies him with a kick save in the 37th. Hahnemann serves as backup to Tim Howard during the subsequent FIFA Confederations Cup in France.

Chicago's Jacqui DeLeon scores in the 106th minute, lifting the Maroons over Puget Sound, 2-1, in an NCAA quarterfinal at Baker Stadium. The Loggers, eliminated in the elite eight for the second year in a row, hold the lead for nearly a half-hour. Perrin Schutz opens the scoring in the 54th minute. Chicago ties it on a questionable non-call. A collision sends UPS star Cortney Kjar sprawling but there's no whistle and the visitors get a free header in the 83rd minute. DeLeon's golden goal comes after a corner kick is deflected to her feet. It's the first UPS home loss since 1999.

The Sounders and Whitecaps draw for the fifth time, but Rich Cullen saves Vancouver's sixth penalty attempt in a playoff-deciding tiebreaker at Swangard Stadium. Viet Nguyen hits the top right corner on Seattle's final kick to win the deciding first-round game, 1-1 (6-5). Roger Levesque stakes the visitors to a lead in the second minute, yet Dave Morris ties it in added time. The two sides finished the first leg 0-0.

Seattle Sounders advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 upset of the MLS San Jose Earthquakes. Kyle Smith score's the game's only goal four minutes before halftime before sellout crowd at Husky Soccer Stadium. The Quakes finish with a 19-4 advantage in shots and 11-0 in corner kicks. Sounders keeper Rich Cullen makes nine saves, and Seattle is the only A-League team among the tournament's last eight.

Perrin Schutz puts Puget Sound up early, and Cortney Kjar adds on to a 2-0 win over visiting rival Pacific Lutheran in the regular season finale. The victory sews up the third Northwest Conference championship in four years and establishes a new win record of 16. It also extends the UPS home unbeaten run to 41 games. Schutz scores at 4:55 and Kjar tacks on a penalty in the 32nd minute.

Sarah Martinez caps a sensation senior season by scoring the deciding goal for Cedar Park Christian in the girls' 1A/B championship game, 1-0 over Archbishop Murphy. It's the Eagles' third straight title. Martinez finishes the year with 30 goals and 12 assists, including four goals and an assist in the semifinal victory over Liberty Bell.

A season-best crowd of 7,542 turns out at Seahawks Stadium for the Sounders' U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against the L.A. Galaxy, but it's not much of a contest. Major League Soccer MVP Carlos Ruiz sends injury-plagued Seattle out of the tournament with a hat trick, starting the third minute. After Jason Farrell pulls the hosts back to 3-1, Ruiz adds two more goals in the final three minutes.

Lakeside wins its fourth girls' 3A crown, completing a perfect season by blanking Mercer Island, 1-0, at Harry Lang Stadium. Mary Kuder's 35th assist of the year is a corner kick that Zoe Victor knocks home in the 54th minute. Kuder is one of six seniors who were part of the Lions' (21-0-0) 2000 championship. It's the final game for Mark Kovats as coach.

Eight days before a scheduled meeting with the United States in Seattle, Japan pulls out due to security concerns because of the war in Iraq. A day later, U.S. Soccer announces Venezuela will fill the March 29 date at Seahawks Stadium. Japan was also set to face Uruguay in San Diego but canceled that as well. Initially interest in the friendly was strong, but when the JFA first indicated concerns in February ticket sales stalled at 17,000.

Scoring two goals 29 seconds apart, Tina Frimpong leads 20th-ranked Washington over No. 6 Texas at Husky Soccer Field. Frimpong opens the match with a 12-yard shot at 16:02. She then rounds the keeper and walks it in at 16:31. Frimpong, who also scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Fresno State, is named the Husky/Nike Invitational MVP.

Joey Gjertsen scores a record five goals for Evergreen in a 6-0 rout of George Fox. For Gjertsen, a transfer from Yavapai Junior College, it's his third hat trick in four games, and he already has 12 goals.

Spokane Shadow wraps-up the Northwest Division in style, pummeling second-place Cascade Surge, 6-0, at Joe Albi Stadium. It's also the Shadow's 100th victory in franchise history. Spokane puts on a passing clinic to score five first-half goals. Garth Cummings gets three of them, becoming the fourth Shadow player to do so. Recent addition Kieran Barton scores on a free kick and Elliott Fauske gets the other two.

Getting goals two minutes apart from Kyle Smith and Sean-Michael Callahan, Seattle Sounders complete a season-opening sweep of rival Portland Timbers. A crowd of over 5,000 at Seahawk Stadium sees Smith and Callahan break open a scoreless deadlock with goals in the 78th and 80th minutes of a 2-0 win. Smith also got the winner one night earlier in Portland, when goalkeeper Preston Burpo suffered a fractured jaw.

Five days prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup opener, WUSA folds after three seasons. The nation's first professional women's league cites falling attendance and poor sponsorship sales. It burned through $100 million in initial investments, eventually forcing salary cuts for players such as Michelle French (San Jose), Devvyn Hawkins (Boston) and Hope Solo (Philadelphia).

Early goals from Janelle Munnis and Nikki Gamble get Sounders Women off and running, starting their fourth season with a 3-1 win at Vancouver. Brenda Mueller assists on two goals and Wynne McIntosh scores on a penalty kick after Mueller is fouled. Munnis and Gamble score in the 11th and 13th minutes, respectively.

Ten seconds into the second half Troy Ready connects on what proves to be the game-winner in Washington's 1-0 second-round NCAA victory over Portland at Husky Soccer Field. It's the first time the 10th-seeded Huskies have advanced to the third round. Danny Waltman makes three saves for his seventh shutout.

Onetime Tacoma Stars standout Preki becomes the first two-time MLS Most Valuable Player at age 40. Pedrag Radosavljevic of Kansas City becomes the oldest MVP of a major American sports league. Preki, an MVP in the MISL and CISL previously, led the league in scoring with 12 goals and 17 assists.

Fife, Milton, Edgewood and Pierce County have agreed to spend $1.4 million in county money toward a 12-field soccer complex in Fife and a skate park in Milton. Local youth leaders hope corporate sponsorships could bridge the gap. Fields with synthetic surfaces could open in September 2005, and grass fields in the spring of 2006, says Doug Andreassen of Tacoma-Pierce County Junior Soccer Association. Washington State Youth Soccer Association, which would locate its headquarters at the complex, will seek grant money from the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Travis Connell, already head coach of the Western Washington men's program, is also given the reins of the women's team. Connell replaces Railene Thorson, who resigned after two seasons in May. Connell is 44-28-3 in four seasons guiding the Vikings men.