Former OL Reign defender and Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Cox is named interim women’s head coach at Puget Sound. Cox, a UPS assistant to Randy Hanson a decade earlier, had later served as a Reign assistant and Gig Harbor High School head coach. She succeeds Kim Calkins, who resigned earlier in the summer. Cox has the interim tag removed in December after the Loggers go 16-4-1 and reach the NCAA tournament.

April VanAssche is named Northwest University's new women's head coach. VanAssche's record at Snohomish High School was 172-68-17 from 1998 to 2021. She was the 2016 WIAA 3A Coach of the Year. April's daughter Gracie will be a senior at Northwest in 2023. Bryan Chud had guided the Eagles since 2016, before Gary McIntosh took over as interim coach for the final seven games.

Seattle's 13-year run of MLS Cup Playoff appearances is snapped in the city where they clinched their first postseason berth as an expansion team in 2009. Despite experiencing one of their poorest campaigns, Sporting Kansas City beats the Sounders, 1-0. Seattle's (12-17-4) run is an MLS record and second only to the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins (16) for longest among pro sports teams. The 17 losses is three more than ever before in the club's MLS era.

Hans Stierle, co-founder of the American Youth Soccer Organization and a Washington resident for more than 40 years, dies at age 89. Stierle was among a group of five individuals who founded the AYSO in 1964 in Torrance, California, and he served as president from 1964-76. As a coach, one of his youth players was Sigi Schmid. After heading a design firm and a Bellevue marketing firm, he briefly served as an executive for the NASL Sounders and was recognized often as one of the sports' most influential leaders of the 20th century.

Tacoma Defiance rally from two goals down to force extra time and ultimately win a penalty shootout, 5-4, over Houston Dynamo 2 to advance to the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference Final. After Houston goes up 2-nil early in the second half, Marlon Vargas pulls Tacoma one back from the spot and a 94th minute own goal prompts extra time. A Houston miss in the shootout's fourth round enables Achille Robin to clinch with a fifth-round conversion.

Rough & Tumble, a sports bar giving priority to women's professional and collegiate sports, opens in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. It instantly becomes the de facto home for OL Reign fans to gather and watch road matches and occasionally meet with players and coaches. Rough & Tumble founder Jen Barnes was driven to start the business after being frustrated in seeking a bar showing a 2021 Reign semifinal on a big screen.

Despite losing several players and staff to positive COVID tests, Tacoma sets a club record for scoring and ties its widest winning margin by defeating St. Louis 15-5 at ShoWare Center. Nick Perera strikes for six goals and three assists and Alessandro Canales adds a hat trick for the Stars (2-2). Owner Lane Smith activates several reserves and Cory Keitz serves as coach in Mike Jennings’s absence. Tacoma last won by 10 goals in 2018-19.

Seattle University opens its men's season by staging one of the biggest wins in program history. Getting a second-half brace from Declan McGlynn, the Redhawks upset No. 4-ranked Notre Dame, 3-1, at South Bend, Indiana. The Irish are the highest-ranked SU win. McGlynn (70) surpasses Sergio Rivas for career points in the Div. I era. Seattle U's top upset previously was vs. No. 10 Washington in 2015.

OL Reign announce they will make Starfire Sports in Tukwila their training facility home beginning in February 2023. The multi-year deal allows the team to return to its original training and match site during the NWSL’s inaugural season in 2013. Initially, the Reign will share portions of the facility currently designated for the Sounders FC and have space for their own locker rooms and OL Reign Academy. Reign training has been held at Tacoma's Foss High School and Bellarmine Prep since leaving Memorial Stadium following the 2018 season.

Ballard FC names former Sounder Jason Farrell as the USL League Two team's first head coach. Farrell played for the Seattle A-League club over two stints separated by four seasons in MLS. More recently he served as technical director and coach for Seattle United and operations director for Sound FC.

Bellevue becomes the first Class 3A undefeated and untied girls' champion in four years with a 1-0 win over Roosevelt. The Wolverines (20-0-0), who finished second in 2019, get an own goal off a corner kick taken by Lily Colby in the 27th minute. Colby's in-swinging kick hits a defender, then the post and bounces into the net. Roosevelt is the first Seattle public school to reach a 3A final. The Roughriders were also 4A runners-up in 2000. Bellevue's other 3A title was in 2016. Gig Harbor was the last unblemished 3A winner in 2018.

A depleted Sounders cast goes down to its third straight loss, 1-0, at Chicago. Seattle (8-10-2) is without scoring co-leader Raul Ruidiaz (hamstring strain), João Paulo (right ACL tear), Obed Vargas (lower back stress fracture) and Stefan Frei (health and safety protocols). João Paulo and Vargas, the promising rookie, will miss the remainder of the season. Ruidiaz will play only nine of the final 16 matches. The Sounders' slump extends for weeks, earning only 10 points from 12 matches in July and August.

Two-time NWSL MVP Kim Little will be returning to Seattle on a short-term loan, OL Reign announce. Little won two NWSL scoring titles from 2014-16 before returning to Arsenal. She starts six times in her limited run from July 1-August 7 and contributes one assist.

Garth Lagerwey, Seattle's president of soccer and GM, is named the winner of the Best Executive Award by the World Football Summit. Lagerwey is presented the award Sept. 28 in Seville, Spain. Other finalists include Ivan Gazidis, CEO of AC Milan, and Karren Brady, vice chairman of West Ham United.

OL Reign's Rose Lavelle scores a spectacular goal, and following the 2-1 USWNT win over Nigeria in Washington, D.C., the U.S. women and their male counterparts formally sign the collective bargaining agreements with U.S. Soccer that gives players on both sides equal pay. Megan Rapinoe serves a cross to Lavelle for a diving header in the 66th minute, and the U.S. goes on to remain unbeaten American soil in 71 matches. Washington's U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell participates in the postgame ceremony.

What seemed a mountainous Sounders task for their Champions League second leg final suddenly becomes manageable, thanks to a pair of late penalty conversions by Nicolas Lodeiro. The Seattle captain knotted the first leg score with UNAM Pumas at 2-2 deep into stoppage time at Mexico City's Estadio Olimpico de Universitario. Tournament scoring leader Juan Dinneno's powerful header early in the second half gives Pumas a 2-nil advantage. Lodeiro halves the deficit in the 77th minute. Then, following a foul on Cristian Roldan and VAR review nine minutes into added time, he again beats Alfredo Talavera.

Seattle's Neeku Purcell gets the start for U.S. in its second group stage match at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in San Jose, Costa Rica. Purcell, a UCLA freshman who alternates with Mia Justus, makes four saves vs The Netherlands in her seventh career international appearance, but the Dutch win, 3-0. Sally Menti, another Seattleite, suffered a torn right ACL in training prior to the tournament. Menti also missed the entire fall season at Santa Clara.

FIFA announces that Seattle's Lumen Field will serve as one of the 16 match sites for the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. SEA2026 bid committee host civic leaders and the public for a party that evening on Pier 62. The U.S. host cities selected are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium) Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium) Dallas (AT&T Stadium) San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium) Miami (Hard Rock Stadium) Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) Seattle (Lumen Field) Houston (NRG Stadium) Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field) Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium) and Boston (Gillette Stadium). Vancouver's B.C. Place is of two Canadian venues.

Marlon Vargas scores twice and Danny Leyva adds a third goal in the first half-hour of Tacoma Defiance's 4-1 win over Colorado Rapids 2 at Starfire Stadium. Vargas has scored in seven straight matches. Eric Kinzer adds a second-half tally as Tacoma stretches its record unbeaten run to nine games (6-0-3).

A late goal from freshman Morgan Manalili secures yet another GNAC women's tournament championship for Western Washington. The Vikings, who already won the regular season title, defeat host Northwest Nazarene, 1-0, in Nampa, Idaho. Manalili scores in the 78th minute for the program's sixth GNAC double since 2012. Western dedicated the victory to longtime program supporter Ron Higginbotham, who passed away two days earlier.

Chad Bodnar, a prominent figure in coaching around Eastern Washington, dies unexpectedly at age 44. Bodnar, a native of Pasco, was technical director of Three Rivers SC for 19 years, yet he was more widely known for his collegiate coaching. He was 73-44-15 in seven seasons as Eastern Washington women's head coach, guiding the Eagles to their first two NCAA tournament appearances and earning 2019 Big Sky Coach of the Year. Before that, Bodnar coached Walla Walla Community College for 10 years.

In accordance with State Department of Health protocols, Washington Youth Soccer drops masking requirements for players, coaches and spectators.

Megan Rapinoe delivers a stoppage time winner as OL Reign tighten the NWSL Shield race with their fourth straight win across all competitions, 2-1, at Orlando. Rapinoe, whose cross to Bethany Balcer tied the score after 56 minutes, wins it by taking Sofia Huerta's far post cross and directing it past the Pride's Erin McLeod. After standing sixth 19 days earlier, the Reign are now only one point from the top of the table.

U.S. Women's National Team players, including OL Reign's Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, announce a proposed settlement in their class action equal pay lawsuit against U.S. Soccer. The federation has agreed to pay a lump sum of $22 million in back pay to the players. U.S. Soccer will also put $2 million into a fund for USWNT players' post-career goals and charitable efforts, with each player able to apply for up to $50,000. The federation has also promised to provide an equal rate of pay between the men's and women's national senior teams in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup. The lengthy legal dispute dates back to a 2016 federal equal pay complaint filed by Rapinoe and four other high-profile USWNT players. She and Lavelle were among 28 players who sued U.S. Soccer in March 2019, alleging that female players were consistently paid less than their male counterparts despite superior performance on the field.

Oscar Jimenez figures in the deciding goal as Louisville City reaches another USL Championship final with a 1-0 extra-time win over Tampa Bay. Jimenez’s corner kick is converted by Elijah Winder in the 107th minute to break the stalemate. Lou City falls to San Antonio, 3-1, in the title match. Jimenez is club’s career leader in assists (32).

Darren Sawatzky is named USL League One Coach of the Year after guiding the Richmond Kickers to the second-most regular season points and wins in league history. Sawatzky is in his third season at Richmond, which went 14-7-9 season and enjoyed its best overall finish since 2013. Richmond’s 21 points gained from a losing position and 54 goals were the most in a regular season in league history.

Reign, University of Washington and Richland legend Hope Solo and former Sounders star Clint Dempsey are elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Solo was considered the world’s best goalkeeper in the final years of her 14-year pro career, which ended in 2016. As a Richland youth she scored 109 goals and led the Bombers to the state championship. Solo was a three-time All-American at UW. She won two World Cup Gold Gloves, plus a 2015 World Cup title and two Olympic gold medals. Solo also starred for Sounders Women in 2012 and from 2013-16 with the Reign. Dempsey received 97.9% of the player vote to be inducted on his first ballot. He retired from the Sounders in 2018 after helping the club win the 2014 Supporters' Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2016 MLS Cup.

Tacoma Defiance are unable to complete a second straight playoff comeback as they are held off by St. Louis City 2, 2-1, in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference final in Edwardsville, Illinois. Down two goals, Abdoulaye Cissoko's penalty pulls the visitors within striking distance in the 76th minute. Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez had hit the post for Tacoma (14-6-5) in the first half.

OL Reign's Rose Lavelle, Alana Cook and Sofia Huerta all feature for the United States in a 1-0 victory over Canada for Concacaf W Championship in Guadalupe, Mexico. Lavelle, who scored in the group stage win over Jamaica, was brought down in the box, providing Alex Morgan a penalty kick for the 76' winning goal. The victory earned the USWNT automatic berths in 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. Cook would go on to lead all players with 1286 minutes in 2022. Huerta had two assists and 16 caps and Lavelle four goals and six assists for the year.

Playoff hopes for the Sounders begin to fade as they blow a 2-nil lead at Orlando City, extending their winless skein to five games (0-4-1). Lightning leads to a 1 hour, 46-minute delay. Raul Ruidiaz gives the visitors a 2-nil lead after 52 minutes following Albert Rusnák’s first-half opener. Ercan Kara ties it on a penalty at 68’, and Kyle Smith's stoppage time goal leaves Seattle 10th in the West at 10-15-3. During skid, the Sounders also lost a lead at Portland five days earlier and at Galaxy on Aug 19.

Northwest University claims its first Cascade Collegiate Conference championship double by edging College of Idaho, 2-1, in overtime of the tournament championship game in Eugene. In a match marred by two red and six yellow cards, the Eagles overcome playing a player down for 15 minutes of the second half. Claire Jo Diede's 15' goal from Kayla Soderstrom's record 12th assist puts NU ahead, but CI equalizes with 55 seconds left in regulation. Playing 10v10 in extra time, Northwest gets the winner with 8:19 remaining when Gracie VanAssche scores. NU had clinched the regular season Oct. 28.

Olympia's Oly Town FC joins USL League Two as the second Washington team in the Northwest Division along with Ballard FC. Oly Town dates to 2014 as a Western Indoor Soccer League club. The Artesians added outdoor in 2017, playing the first of four seasons in the Evergreen Premier League. They will play home games at Black Hills High School.

Despite playing without its top scorer, Pacific Lutheran wins its NCAA Division III tournament opener, 2-1, over Mary Hardin-Baylor in San Antonio. With Hannah Cecil (15 goals) absent due to injury, Alyssa Leong scores the Lutes' first goal at 43', then finds Kayden Hulquist for what proves to be the winner in the 58th minute. It's the first postseason win for PLU since 2017.

Adam Becker is elevated to head coach of the Tacoma Stars. Becker was formally a Stars assistant and head coach of the reserves. He replaces Mike Jennings, who was 2-3 at the helm.

Lyza Bosselmann makes a season-high five saves and Gonzaga blanks Portland 2-0 at Luger Field to finish the season with 10 wins and third place in the West Coast Conference. Hannah Gray's 20-yard, left-footed strike and Paige Alexander's corner kick header both come in the first half. The Bulldogs finish 10-3-5, the fewest losses in a full season. They are strong down the stretch, going 9-1-3 and outscoring foes 30-6.

After three straight deep runs into the NCAA tournament, top-ranked Washington exits quickly with a 3-1 second-round home loss to Creighton. The Huskies start fast, going up after 10 minutes through Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, but the Bluejays get level in the 21st minute. Sam Fowler makes five first-half saves before the visitors score twice in the final seven minutes. Creighton's march continues to the semifinals. After going unbeaten in the first 18 games, UW finishes 15-2-3.

Crossfire Redmond's bid for the National Premier Soccer League championship is denied by two late FC Motown goals in the final at Montclair, N.J. Crossfire wipes out a 2-nil deficit with three straight goals from Christian Soto (43'), Hamza Haddadi (45+5') and Scott Menzies (49'). With temperatures climbing to near 90, the hosts rally after a hydration break. Substitute Coby Handy scores in the 81st minute and again with the winner in stoppage time. The diminutive Soto, the smallest player in the final, was voted NPSL MVP on Aug 5.

Raul Ruidiaz strikes twice before a roaring record crowd and Seattle Sounders FC makes history, becoming the first MLS club to claim the Concacaf Champions League. Before 68,741, the Sounders defeat Mexico's UNAM Pumas 3-0 in the second leg for a 5-2 aggregate score. Seattle overcomes the loss of Nouhou (11') and Joao Paulo (29') to injury, beginning with Ruidiaz's deflected shot moments before halftime. He pounces to double the lead in the 80th minute, and Nicolas Lodeiro seals it at 88'. Stefan Frei posts his fourth shutout of the tournament and is voted its outstanding player.

Northwest University is eliminated from the NAIA tournament in the first round yet finishes with a program-record 17 wins. The Eagles, who underwent a coaching change in the final weeks of the regular season, fall to Embry Riddle, 2-1, in Prescott, Arizona. Although outshot 24-4, NU takes the early lead on Grace Burke's goal. Hanne Breur makes 12 saves. At 17-2-2, it's four more wins than the previous record.

Pelé, universally considered the top player of his generation, dies at age 82 in São Paulo, Brazil, from colon cancer. After winning a then-record three World Cup titles with Brazil, Pelé came to the U.S. in 1975 to play for the New York Cosmos and build domestic popularity for the sport. His last competitive match was for the NASL championship against the Seattle Sounders in 1977. Following that game, he presented his jersey to Sounders rookie Jimmy McAlister.

Chihuahua lights up the goals lamp 31 times in two nights as the Savage and Tacoma Stars combine for 49 goals in back-to-back meetings in Mexico. Tacoma nearly salvages a split, scoring four straight to take a 9-8 fourth-quarter lead before bowing 10-9 in overtime in the second game. Chihuahua drubbed the Stars 21-9 the previous evening. It was a Tacoma record for goals allowed and combined goals. Allowing a MASL-high 192 goals, the Stars finish a franchise worst 6-18.

Unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Washington clinches its fourth Pac-12 championship by beating UCLA, 3-2, on a soggy Husky Soccer Stadium pitch. The Huskies (14-0-3) never trail after Ilijah Paul nets his 11th goal in the eighth minute. Lucas Meek heads in a rebound at 48' and Gio Miglietti's penalty kick in the 65th provides an ample two-goal cushion. UW last won the conference in 2019.

Nick Perera, the prolific scorer for the Tacoma Stars, is plucked from the offices of Washington Youth Soccer to become OL Reign general manager. Perera, 35, takes over for former CEO Bill Predmore who was involved in most roster moves the past few seasons. He had served as Stars head coach from 2018-21 before becoming WYS executive director. Perera is captain of the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team and speaks fluently in six languages.

An improbable run by Three Rivers SC Black ultimately ends at the USYSA National Championships girls' U19 semifinal in Orlando. Wisconsin's SC Wave, the eventual champion, ousts Three Rivers, 4-0. The Tri-Cities team had outscored its three pool play opponents by 10-2. Violet Duran is named to the tournament's Best XI.

Both Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan of the Sounders are named along with Seattle native DeAndre Yedlin in U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter's 26-man World Cup squad. It's Yedlin's second World Cup. Anthony Hudson, son of former NASL Sounder Alan Hudson and born in Seattle, is Berhalter's top assistant. Other Sounders to represent their nation are Nouhou (Cameroon) and Xavier Arreaga (Ecuador).

OL Reign founders Bill and Teresa Predmore step down from their operating roles as the club's transfer of control to OL Groupe becomes complete. While the Predmores will retain their 7.5% ownership in the team, Bill will no longer serve as CEO and Teresa is leaving as president of the OL Reign Academy. Vincent Berthillot, chief operating officer since 2020, will become CEO.

Albert Rusnák, arguably the most coveted MLS free agent, signs for the Sounders as a Designated Player after five productive seasons with Real Salt Lake. A Solvenian international, Rusnák totaled 41 goals and 39 assists after being brought to Utah by Craig Waibel, then RSL GM and now a Seattle VP.

President Joe Biden awards Megan Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, at the White House. Rapinoe, among 17 recipients, is the first soccer player to receive the award and one of just six female athletes or coaches. She has been a USWNT member since 2006 and has helped the team win two Olympic medals and two World Cup championships. Off the field, she has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ equality and equality in women's sports. Rapinoe was among the players who filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against U.S. Soccer, alleging gender discrimination.

Sam Laity's long run as an OL Reign assistant and interim head coach is rewarded when the Houston Dash named him head coach. Laity served on the Reign staff since the club's inception in 2013, going 4-2-0 as interim coach in 2021. From 2001, when he made Puget Sound his home, he coached locally with Dos FC, WestSound FC and Pacific Northwest Premier.

Pasco's Three Rivers SC Black stun the Far West Regional U19 girls' field by winning the title and a berth to the USYSA Nationals in Orlando. Three Rivers defeats Oregon's United PDX, 3-1, in the final at Boise. Meanwhile, the Three Rivers U16 boys are regional runners-up.

OL Reign overcome numerous obstacles to claim their first NWSL road win of the season in sensational fashion, 3-2, over Angel City. Winless in league play (0-3-2), playing before 22,000 LA fans, down 2-nil after 28 minutes and having missed a penalty kick, the Reign find their way back. Jess Fishlock and Sofia Huerta score to bring it level by the 64th minute. Newly-acquired Tobin Heath then secures all the points in the 89th minute by volleying home from close range.

RAVE Foundation, the Sounders' charitable arm, launches the 26 Fields by 2026 campaign as part of the club’s effort to bring play equity to youth in Washington through its Defend the Right to Play social justice arena for change. Headlining the campaign objectives is building 26 fields by the year 2026 in historically marginalized communities throughout Washington, with the target date of completion in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Other goals include providing a free soccer ball to every child who lives within one mile walking distance to each field and investing in programs on and around those fields that use soccer as a vehicle support children’s health and well-being.

Pac-12 rival Oregon State denies Washington its first unbeaten regular season with a 1-0 win on Montlake. The No. 1-ranked Huskies (15-1-3) have not beaten the Beavers since the postponed 2020 campaign, going 0-2-2, with both losses in Seattle.

Morgan Weaver scores her first professional brace in Portland’s 3-0 win over Chicago. Weaver’s low, left-footed drive opens the scoring early in the second half. She doubles the lead in the 61st on a virtual tap-in. A week later Weaver scores her seventh goal in NWSL play at Gotham.

Following a two-year hiatus, Shoreline Community College reinstates the men's program, with competition to resume in the fall. A decline in enrollment and $2.3 million shortfall prompted the decision to suspend the program in 2020. Current SCC women's coach Shaun Warner will take the reins, leading both soccer programs. Shoreline, which formed a team in 1967, was one of the founding NWAC members of varsity play in 1974. The Dolphins go 1-15-2 in their return season.

Jordan Morris comes off the bench to secure a point for United States in added time of a 1-1 Nations League match at El Salvador. Morris steps onto the muddy pitch in the 80th minute, and in the first minute of stoppage time he leaps far post to head home Luca de la Torre's left-wing cross. It's his 11th international goal, his first since November 2019 and first since tearing his left ACL in February 2021.

Pacific Lutheran's stingy defense is enough to lock down a sixth consecutive NWC championship with a 0-0 draw at Lewis & Clark. Shaylin Cesar makes five saves in goal to earn her eighth shutout and the Lutes' 10th. PLU allows only 10 goals in the regular season.

Less than four years since its launch, Washington State Legends of Soccer's online museum becomes fully operational and current. That is, the museum now spans the entire documented history of the game in Washington, from 1890 through 2021. The site originally launched in December 2018 with 14 years of curated content. The searchable database covers all levels of soccer and is constantly being updated and enhanced.

Pacific Lutheran pushes its way into the NCAA Division III second round by upsetting Mary Hardin-Baylor, 4-2, at Belton, Texas. The Lutes, who earned an at-large berth following a runner-up finish in the NWC, begin to take control in the final half-hour. Trevor Thompson provides a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute, and Cole Dobson doubles it at 75'. PLU is held scoreless for the first time in a 2-0 loss to St. Thomas (Tx.) the next day.

Hassani Dotson of Federal Way sustains a season-ending ACL tear just as he was enjoying arguably his best start in four pro seasons with Minnesota United. Dotson, after scoring a goal and adding two assists in the first seven games, is injured during a training session.

A record Husky Soccer Stadium crowd convenes on Montlake to see undefeated and No. 2-rated Washington down crosstown rival Seattle University, 4-0, for the WAC/101 Club Cup. The attendance of 3,876 is the largest for UW since moving out of Husky Stadium, where there were gates of up to 5,200 in the mid-Seventies. Ilijah Paul's eighth goal in seven games starts the scoring at 30'. The Huskies are now 7-1-0 in WAC/101 Club Cups versus the Redhawks.

After serving two years in a senior role with the Sounders, Craig Waibel, 47, is named sporting director and general manager. Waibel effectively succeeds Garth Lagerwey, who left a week earlier for Atlanta. He is rooted in the local game, having attended Spokane's Lewis & Clark High School before starring at Washington. Waibel played for the A-League Sounders before spending 11 seasons and winning four championships in MLS. He also followed Lagerwey at Real Salt Lake, serving as GM from 2015-19 before becoming senior VP of soccer operations in 2021.

Continuing a string of postseason upsets, Crossfire Redmond blanks Muskegon Riser, 3-0, in Muskegon, Michigan, to reach the NPSL final for the first time. Christian Soto's 20-yard blast and Omar Grey's weaving run and finish put the visitors up 2-nil after 34 minutes. River Stewart completes the scoring in the 76th minute. After taking second in their division, Crossfire upset Pacific Conference top seed International Portland in overtime, 3-2, then FC Arizona (4-0) and San Francisco's El Farolito in penalties, 2-2 (4-2).

In a matchup of state champions from 2021, Parker Mairs scores both goals as the Camas girls beat Grant of Portland, 2-0, in a non-league match. Camas won the Washington 4A state title the previous fall, while Grant captured the Oregon 6A crown. Keely Wieczorek backs Mairs' scoring by making 10 saves for the Papermakers.

Marcia Garcia's brace powers Gonzaga to a 3-0 home win over Loyal Marymount, extending the Zags' unbeaten run to a record nine games (7-0-2). Garcia scores only three minutes into the match and doubles the lead in the 61st. Kate Doyle assists on both scores. Maddie Kemp also scores for Gonzaga, which started the season 0-1-2.

Spokane's USL ownership group announces plans to bring a women's professional club to the new downtown stadium. Ryan and Katie Harnetiaux, with Aequus Sports, LLC, had already committed to a men's USL League One franchise. The women's team will be the state's first entry into the women's first division-sanctioned Super League, set to kick off in 2024.

OL Reign comes from behind on enemy turf to take the Women's Cup from defending champion and host Racing Louisville, 2-1. Olivia Athens brings the visitors level in the 59th minute before Jordyn Huitema nets the winner in the 66th. Both were halftime substitutes. The Reign beat Mexico's Club America, 2-1, in the semifinals.

Alex Mejia scores in the 109th minute, to send Ballard FC to the USL2 Western Conference final by beating the San Francisco Glens, 3-2, in overtime at Interbay Stadium. Mejia, who leads Ballard with nine goals, also scored in regulation, along with Christian Engmann. Ventura County eliminates BFC, 1-0, July 29 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Hope Solo announces she will defer induction to the National Soccer Hall of Fame until 2023. She posts on Instagram: "I will be voluntarily entering an in-patient alcohol treatment program to address my challenges with alcohol. At this time, my energies and focus are totally directed to my health, healing and taking care of my family." In July, she pleads guilty to a charge of driving while impaired, receiving a suspended sentence of 24 months and an active sentence of 30 days for which she was credited for time spent at an in-patient rehabilitation facility.

Oly Town FC becomes the state's first member of the USL W-League. It represents a move forward for the Artesians, who previously operated women’s indoor and outdoor teams in the Northwest Premier League. Oly Town joins the Northwest Division which includes Oregon's CFC Atletica of Salem, OVF Alliance of Albany and Lane United FC of Eugene.

Ray Serrano, 19, of Moses Lake scores in his first start for Louisville City. Serrano, who joined the USL Championship side after his release from Tacoma Defiance in the offseason, collects his own rebound and quickly converts for Lou City’s first goal in a 2-0 win at New York Red Bulls II.

Jason Smith, a part owner of Oly Town, will serve as head coach for the Artesians' first USL2 campaign. Smith, a Tumwater native, became part of a new ownership group in fall 2021. He also coaches at Black Hills FC, the area's largest youth club.

Camas completes an unblemished campaign by the slimmest of margins, getting the shootout decision to lift the 4A girls' state trophy at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. The Papermakers (22-0-0) get two penalty saves from Keely Wieczorek to prevail over perennial contender Issaquah, 0-0 (4-2). Following a scoreless regulation and overtime, Norah Melcher delivers the decisive shootout conversion. Camas has 17-3 shot advantage since halftime and wins its second 4A and third title overall. Issaquah becomes a six-time runner-up, last winning in 2017.

Completing a race that went down to the wire, OL Reign take advantage of a Portland draw to win the NWSL Shield on the regular season's final day, 3-0, over Orlando at Lumen Field. A club stand-alone record crowd of 10,746 sees goals from Megan Rapinoe, Jordyn Huitema and Bethany Balcer in the first 31 minutes quickly put the match to bed. It is the club's third shield and comes after a near-perfect (6-0-1) record down the stretch to finish one point in front of the rival Thorns. Phallon Tullis-Joyce posts her third consecutive shutout, and the defense allows a league-low 19 goals in 22 games. Each roster player receives a $10,000 bonus from sponsor Carmax.

An early goal proves sufficient for Bellarmine Prep to beat Skyline and add a third 4A state championship trophy to its collection. Jaggar Judkins scores in the seventh minute on a free kick, and the Lions' defense stands firm the rest of the way at Sparks Stadium. Bellarmine had upset top-seeded Pasco in a semifinal shootout the night before. Judkins scored one of the penalty kicks and his goal in the final was his 13th. It's Skyline's third runner-up finish.

By completing a clean sweep of an eight-day, three-match road trip, OL Reign secure another playoff berth. They blank Houston, 2-0, in 87-degree heat after starting the trip with wins at North Carolina and Gotham. Bethany Balcer's sixth goal and a late rebound conversion by Veronica Latsko are balanced by Phallon Tullis-Joyce's eighth shutout. It's the fourth straight trip to the postseason.

With two players and head coach Amy Griffin hailing from Washington, the U.S. Deaf Women's National Team clinches the Deaflympics gold medal in Caxias Do Sul, Brazil. The U.S. wins a shootout with Poland, 4-2, after a scoreless regulation and extra time. Griffin has been coach since 2015. Vancouver's Olivia Mackey and Fall City's Paris Price represent their country, with Price, a high school junior at Mount Si, the youngest member.

Denied four times in the past, Mercer Island finally grabs the prize by scoring twice in the final minutes for its first 3A boys' state title at Puyallup. In a rematch of the 2014 final, the Islanders never trail in their 3-1 victory over Lakeside, the holders since 2019 since two tournaments were nixed by the pandemic. All the goals come in the final 20 minutes, with Brady Gilroy staking MI ahead at 62'. The Lions' Jonathan Vonderlage ties it at 74', but Remy Frederick and Kaleb Rawson reply at 78' and 80+3'. MI had also struck late in the semi, scoring twice in the final five minutes vs. Monroe.

Morgan Weaver plays in her first NWSL final and the Portland Thorns claim their league-best third title with a 2-0 win over Kansas City in Washington, D.C. Weaver nearly scores, rattling the crossbar in the 59th minute.

Albert Rusnák opens his Sounders account and Jordan Morris adds another first-half marker as Seattle jumps on top of New York City FC, 3-1, in the opening match of their Champions League semifinal at Lumen Field. It's the first time two MLS teams have met in a semifinal. Rusnák, the offseason DP signing, is set up by an exchange between Cristian Roldan and Morris. Roldan also assists on Morris’s goal in the 35th minute. Nico Lodeiro adds a penalty kick midway through the second period.

Sophie Bearden Croft's first two goals of the season prove timely as the sophomore comes off the bench to propel Western Washington past No. 3 Columbus State (Ga.), 2-1, in an NCAA Division II semifinal at Seattle’s sub-freezing Interbay Stadium. Early in the second period Croft breaks the ice, finding the top left corner from 12 yards. At 76' she strikes again, following a cross from Morgan Manalili. Western keeps Columbus State, averaging 3.87 goals per game, off the scoreboard until the 85th minute.

Although the club has passed into history, the 2011 PDL champion Kitsap Pumas are bestowed immortality with induction to the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame. Also honored at the Poulsbo banquet is Pumas owner Robin Waite, who received the Rex Brown Distinguished Service Award. Representing the 2011 team are coach Peter Fewing and former executive director Ben Pecora.

Neeku Purcell of Seattle posts her fourth tournament shutout as the United States wraps up the Concacaf U20 Women's Championship with a 2-0 win over Mexico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Purcell pushes a dipping drive over the crossbar in the 86th minute for her most difficult stop of her four outings.

Newly-minted No. 1 Washington blows past No. 5 Stanford, 3-0, for its sixth straight win and third consecutive shutout before 2,953 at Husky Soccer Stadium. After a Nick Scardina opener, Lucas Meek twice hits the net in the second half. The Huskies (10-0-1) were named No. 1 in all three major polls two days earlier and have outscored opponents 31-5. They retain the top ranking for the remainder of the regular season.

Jordan Morris of Mercer Island and the Sounders makes his first career World Cup appearance in the latter stages of the U.S. opener versus Wales. Morris enters in the 88th minute of the 1-1 draw at Al Rayyan, Qatar. Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin is also a substitute (74'). Both see action again Dec. 3, in a 3-1 Round of 16 knockout loss to the Netherlands. Sounders defender Nouhou plays every minute of Cameroon's three matches, including the shock, 1-0 shutout of Brazil Dec. 2.

The Sounders announce they are moving all operations to the former site of the Longacres Racetrack in Renton, with a state-of-the-art training facility opening in January 2024. The site was most recently Boeing's commercial airplane headquarters. The 50,000 square-foot site will be a hub for front-office staff, technical staff, clubhouse and gym for the players — including the academy and affiliate Tacoma Defiance — and four (2 grass), full-sized training fields.

A full house and plenty of fireworks on the attack as Ballard FC gets off to a roaring start in its inaugural USL League Two match. Before a capacity Interbay Stadium crowd of 1,200, Ballard earns a lopsided 5-1 victory over Oregon's Lane United. Declan McGlynn's free kick in the 34th minute sets everything in motion. Charlie Gaffney is chosen man of the match after assisting on Alex Mejia's goal just before halftime and then scoring early in the second period. BFC starts 6-0-2.

Returning from a three-week layoff, OL Reign's playoff opener becomes a quiet exit with a 2-0 loss to Kansas City in the NWSL semifinal. A record single-match crowd of 21,491 is all but silenced when Alexis Loera put the Current in front after just four minutes. The Reign had been 8-1-5 at home during the regular season and Challenge Cup play. They statistically dominate KC in shots (16-8) and corners (14-2) but Adriana Franch makes seven rather comfortable saves.

Fans in the South Sound see plentiful scoring as Oly Town and Oregon's OVF Alliance combine for 11 goals at Black Hills High School. Isidro Prado-Huerta scores twice in the first seven minutes, and Gilbert De La Luz also bags a brace in the Artesians' 6-5 USL2 victory.

There is over 90 consecutive minutes of scoreless play, but goals in the first minute and the fourth of stoppage time give Tacoma Defiance a 2-0 win at San Jose. Travian Sousa stakes the visitors to the early lead by converting his own rebound, and Juan Alvarez adds late insurance for Tacoma's (12-3-4) record-breaking fifth straight victory.

Western Washington, playing before a partisan capacity crowd, lifts its second NCAA Division II championship trophy with a 2-1 triumph over top-ranked West Chester (Pa.) at Seattle's Interbay Stadium. Freshman Claire Potter, who assists on the game's first goal, whips her 20-yard shot from an acute angle on the right wing. It sails over the keeper and into the left corner. Potter's header in the 15th minute finds Tera Ziemer to volley home. West Chester ties it 10 minutes later. Tenth-ranked Western out-shoots West Chester 25-3 and finishes on a 9-game win streak. WWU won its first title in 2016 and was runner-up in 2019. Only the 1986 Seattle Pacific men's squad had won an NCAA championship in its home state previously.

If it's the final home match at Cheney Stadium, then the Defiance leave Tacoma on a high note with a record 6-1 pummeling of San Jose. The Defiance will play the remainder of their 2022 home games at Starfire. They have now won four straight by an aggregate score of 13-1. Marlon Vargas sets everything in motion with a penalty kick in the 13th minute, his fourth consecutive game with a goal. Six different players score, and it's the largest margin of victory in the club's eight-year existence.

Title IX’s upcoming 50th anniversary is celebrated with Washington State Legends of Soccer curating and hosting a 10-panel display at Lumen Field during a Sounders match. In addition, 10 of our state’s early women’s soccer icons led the pregame Scarves Up! OL Reign and Washington Youth Soccer also marked the anniversary later in the year.

With wildfire smoke increasingly plaguing the Pacific Northwest, three women's collegiate contests are canceled across the state. Games at Western Washington, Gonzaga and Whitworth are nixed due to measurements registering above the recommended limit of 150 on the air quality index. None of the games are rescheduled.

Garth Lagerwey announces he's leaving the Sounders as president of soccer and general manager to join Atlanta United as president and CEO. Lagerwey, 49, came to Seattle in 2015 and in nearly eight years oversaw the club winning two MLS Cups, reach two more finals and become the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League. He was twice overwhelmingly retained by Alliance members in 2018 and 2022 votes.

RAVE Foundation's Lakeridge Playfield opens, becoming the 13th home new mini pitch for free play. It marks the halfway point in the foundation's goal of building 26 new fields by the year 2026 in historically marginalized communities across Washington. Partners for Lakeridge, located near the southwest shore of Lake Washington in the Rainier Beach area, are the City of Seattle, Seattle United and Seattle Youth Soccer Association.

Two quick scores set up by Estera Levinte seize momentum and Western Washington rolls to a 3-1 home victory over Colorado School of Mines in an NCAA Division II women's quarterfinal at Harrington Field. Morgan Manalili gets her fourth postseason goal just 1:50 into the match, finishing Levinte's cross. Jayden Nguyen scores from 25 yards in the 12th minute and Tera Ziemer puts the Vikings up 3-nil after 35 minutes. As regional champion, Western advances to the finals, to be played at Seattle's Interbay Stadium.

Liviu Bird is named Oly Town's new head coach. Bird, who has USSF and UEFA A Licenses, previously served as an assistant with Columbus Crew, Seattle Sounders under-23s, Kitsap Pumas and Pacific Lutheran. He played at Seattle Pacific, Kitsap and North Sound Seawolves.

Whitman opens its first East Coast road trip by blasting John Jay College, 5-1, in New York City. The Blues score four times in the final 33 minutes to pull away from a 1-1 tie. Erick Perez-Cuellar assists on the first and scores the third. Whitman also plays Rutgers-Camden (1-2) and Stockton (0-1) before returning home.

Raul Ruidiaz's second-leg opener crushes any New York City FC aggregate comeback hopes, and the Sounders' 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena sends them through to the CONCACAF Champions League finals. Ruidiaz scores in the 28th minute, on the end of a counterattack beginning with a Jackson Ragen long ball. Nouhou's cross is stroked home from 11 yards. Seattle, winners 4-1 on aggregate, is the fifth MLS team to reach a final.

Tina Frimpong Ellertson is chosen for induction to the Pac-12 Hall of Honor, becoming the hall's first soccer player. Frimpong Ellertson, a native of Vancouver, is Washington's all-time leading scorer and a two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year. She later played professionally and with the U.S. National Team. She joined the UW coaching staff in 2020.

DeAndre Yedlin returns to America and signs a four-year deal with Inter Miami. Yedlin, 28, had played seven years in England and Turkey since departing the Sounders for Tottenham. He was released by Galatasaray on Feb. 2.

The founder of amputee soccer, Don Bennett passes from prostate cancer at 92. Bennett moved to Seattle in 1956, operating several successful businesses. After losing his right leg in 1972 boating accident, he remained active outdoors. In 1982, he became the first amputee to summit Mount Rainier on crutches, then soon after invited his ski buddies to play soccer, and amputee soccer was born. It is now played in over 50 countries. The first Amputee World Cup was held in Seattle, and Bennett attended the 2022 championships in Turkey.

DeAndre Yedlin returns to Seattle and earns his first point for Inter Miami on the visitors’ winning goal in a 1-0 win over the Sounders. Yedlin crosses to Robbie Robinson late in the first half for the game's only goal. Miami goes on to improve its record by seven points and reach the playoffs.