Washington State
Legends of Soccer

Curated by the Washington State Legends of Soccer, providing information and history of the Beautiful Game in Washington State. Just as the game evolves, so will this site. We continuously add new content, so be sure to return often.

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Explore our history. Click on any of the panels below to learn what happened that year.
SPU Goes OT to Oust SU from NCAAs
November 2, 2006

Seattle Pacific and Seattle University fly over a thousand miles to settle the score in an NCAA Division II first-round game that extends to overtime in La Jolla, Calif. SPU freshman Janae Godoy pokes home the winner from a feed by Sarah Martinez at 107:39 to lift the No. 18 Falcons to a 1-0 victory over the No. 11 Redhawks, who had swept the regular season series. In the regional tournament’s nightcap, top-seeded UC San Diego eliminates Western Washington, 4-0.

Stars Notch First Win, Finally
December 2, 1983

Finally, following six straight defeats, some of agonizingly close, the Tacoma Stars earn their first victory, 4-2 at St. Louis. Newly-signed Jimmy McAlister scores, and Dale Mitchell delivers the club's first hat trick.

Hibernian Saints Win U.S. Amateur
August 7, 2005

Goals from Ian Chursky and Cam Weaver propel Seattle's Hibernian & Caledonian Saints to victory in the U.S. Amateur Cup final in Frisco, Tex. Jimmy McAlister's Hibs & Caley hold off Baltimore Allied, 2-1, to become the third Washington side to win the competition. Chursky opens the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Weaver doubles it on an assist from Pat Doran in the 63rd.

Soccer Growing Among Grade Schools
September 30, 1919

William Ellis, director of Seattle grammar school athletics, announces that while football is being dropped for a lack of players, soccer programs are growing: 26 in Class A (more than 11 classrooms) and 20 in Class B. Public Schools Athletic League also lengthens halves from 20 to 25 minutes to lessen frequency of ties.

Sounders Affiliate with Werder Bremen
July 11, 1999

Seattle Sounders announce a partnership with Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga. The relationship will include a player exchange program, youth camps, coaching clinics, matches and exchange of information. Bremen initiated the exchange by sending Alexander Nouri, a 19-year-old German midfielder, to the Sounders. The agreement is the most extensive of any U.S.-based team with a German club.

Balcer Breaks Reign Scoring Drought
July 8, 2020

Bethany Balcer comes off the bench to scoring the deciding goal in added time, giving OL Reign a 1-0 win over Utah in third match of the NWSL Challenge Cup in Herriman, Utah. It's the first goal scored by the Reign after being blanked by Sky Blue (0-0) and Houston (0-2). Balcer enters in the 67th minute and in the first minute of added time she connects with a Nicole Momiki cross. Michelle Betos makes five saves for the shutout.

Action from a 1979 Gonzaga home game. (Courtesy Gonzaga University archives)
1979
Brian Ching, the former Gonzaga star on loan from LA Galaxy, scored 16 goals to earn first team all-A-League in 2002. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
2002
Vikings keeper Perry Stangvik was beaten here, but he always had another sport to fall back upon. Stangvik, who starred at Seattle Pacific College from 1949-52, then signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. (Courtesy Seattle Times)
1953
Clint Dempsey of the Sounders was voted 2017 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, returning to score 12 goals and five assists after missing the final 10 games of 2016 with an irregular heartbeat. (Courtesy Michael Mangum / Sounders FC)
2017
At 23, Nouhou came into his own during the Sounders' 2020 season, starting 23 matches overall. (Mike Fiechtner/Sounders FC)
2020
A capacity crowd of over 5,000 at ONE Spokane Stadium welcomes the Spokane Velocity for their inaugural match, a 2-1 win over Richmond. (USL Spokane/Brandon Campea)
2024
In 2017 Roosevelt became the first Seattle public high school to win a state 3A or 4A title since 1985. (Courtesy WIAA)
2017
1975
Crossfire Premier '08 shows off their trophy after winning the 2023 ECNL U15 championship. (Courtesy ECNL)
2023
(Frank MacDonald Collection)
1985