Gurveen Clair posts her record 33rd career shutout and Mariah Powers's first collegiate goal gives Washington State a 1-0 overtime victory over Oregon in Pullman. Clair makes two saves to keep the Ducks scoreless. The win completes a WSU sweep of the Oregon schools and snaps a three-match winless skid after the Cougars began then season unbeaten (7-0-2) in their first nine outings.

Once the doormat of the conference, Seattle Pacific thrusts itself into the title race by shocking defending champion Western Washington, 4-1, on a muddy pitch in Bellingham. Freshman Ken Covell sparks the attack with a brace. Since going winless in the first 14 games under second-year coach Cliff McCrath, the Falcons have won four and tied once. It's just the Vikings' fifth WWSC loss in four seasons.

Clint Dempsey, whose career future was in doubt a year earlier, is named MLS Comeback Player of the Year after scoring 12 goals and adding five assists during the regular season. Dempsey missed the final two months of the 2016 regular season and all of the playoffs after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.

Major League Soccer targets March 31, 1996, for its inaugural kickoff of the 10-team Division I league. Dallas, Denver and Kansas City are named as the final three homes for MLS, which will also have franchises in Boston, Columbus, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, San Jose, Tampa Bay and Washington. Initially a viable candidate, Seattle is bypassed due to the lack of a suitable grass playing facility.

Freshman goalkeeper Riley Travis shatters the Seattle Pacific single-game record with 16 saves in backstopping a 0-0 draw at Chico State. Travis faces the Wildcats' 31-shot barrage to extend the season-opening scoreless run to 290 minutes. She surpasses the previous record, set by Molly Stinson in 2016, by three saves.

Seattle Pacific appears postseason-bound for the first time in five years after bumping off Western Washington, 2-1 in overtime at Interbay. Tyler Schultz's 6-yard header with 46 seconds remaining in the first extra period earns SPU its 12th win in the last 15 games. Schultz has six goals in the last four wins and 14th overall.