Washington State moves quickly to name its third head coach in as many years. Todd Shulenberger was formerly associate head coach at Texas Tech. He replaces Steve Nugent, who resigned March 9 after guiding the Cougars to a fourth straight NCAA tournament.

Tacoma’s own Brent Goulet is named U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year at the end of a globetrotting year. Goulet, 23, makes Washington the first state to have both a male and female winner. Sharon McMurtry won in 1985. While Goulet did not represent the senior national team, he flourished for the U.S. in Olympic qualifying, scoring four times. He was voted MVP of the Western Soccer Alliance despite playing only a portion of the season for FC Portland and later scored twice as a guest player for FC Seattle during a postseason tour of the United Kingdom. In early November, following multiple tryouts in West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scotland and England, he became the first U.S. citizen granted a work permit to play professionally in Great Britain, and he signed for a reported $35,000 with Bournemouth of the Second Division.

Seattle reaches the NASL playoffs for the first time and although owning the third-highest point total in the league is pitted against points leader Portland in the first round. Before 31,523 (including an estimated 2,000 from Puget Sound), John Rowlands gives the visitors a lead early in the second half before Barry Powell answers. A pitch invasion ensues after Tony Betts gets the winner in the 97th minute.

Norselander Vikings get an overtime winner from Larry Peterson to lift the state championship trophy by defeating the Hungarians, 3-2, at Lower Woodland. It's the first overall title for the Scandinavians since 1950, when they were known as Acme Tyee. Ted Wittenberg's brace canceled out Karmen Koteles's two goals during regulation. Peterson was among the Vikings' injured during the second half of the campaign, when they took fourth.

Beverly Yanez breaks open the match with two quick goals to start the second half as Seattle Reign completes a season sweep of Portland, 3-0, at Memorial Stadium. A club-record crowd of 6,303 sees Seattle take over first place in the NWSL and the home unbeaten streak extended to 20 games. Yanez brings her goal total to eight with strikes in the 46th and 50th minutes. Four days earlier Kim Little silenced 21,144 in Portland with a winning goal vs. the Thorns.

Sounders FC Academy becomes the first MLS-affiliated club to win the Generation Adidas Champions Division, edging Spain's Valencia, 1-0, in Frisco, Tex. With the match seemingly destined for penalties, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez’s cross finds the head of Ray Serrano, who guides his shot past the goalkeeper with only seconds remaining in the second period of extra time. Ocampo-Chavez, wins the tournament's Golden Boot with six goals and one assist in six matches. Valencia, had defeated Seattle in the opening match of the group stage. After that the Rave Green reeled off wins over Brazil's Flamengo, Argentina's River Plate and England's West Ham to reach the final.