Northwest Premier League Cancels 2020 Season

Northwest Premier League member clubs voted unanimously on Thursday afternoon to cancel the 2020 season due to complications and obstacles related to COVID-19. We are saddened to make this announcement, but after thoughtful consideration by league members, the health and safety of our players, staff, supporters, league referees and the community in general comes first and the restrictions put on all of us would make it challenging to conduct our season and maintain the quality product the NWPL is known for.

NWPL clubs would like to say thank you to everybody in the Northwest doing their part to fight the spread of this virus, from medical professionals, to grocery store workers, delivery drivers and others providing essential services and to everybody practicing social distancing during this trying time. We will be back in 2021 to provide you with premier amateur women’s soccer across Washington and Oregon.

Stay home, stay healthy, and take care.

NWPL Coronavirus/COVID-19 Statement

The Northwest Premier League (“NWPL”), an elite, adult, amateur women’s soccer league in Washington and Oregon, continues to monitor the Coronavirus situation within our states and throughout our country. We are committed to doing whatever we can to ensure the safety of our players, staff and surrounding communities. The NWPL is also dedicated to providing a place for our local and collegiate players to play and improve their abilities during the summer. With these two concerns as our focus, and in following our current governmental mandates, we are suspending the start of the NWPL season with the hopes of being able to play a modified 2020 season. We will continue to monitor the situation and update our league and our fans with any new information as it develops.

In the meantime, it is important to all of us to not only stay safe but that we are able to support our local communities. Please feel free to reach out to your local club with questions and comments and we will do what we can to support everyone within the league and within the local communities.

Washington Timbers To Compete As Vancouver Victory, Name Westermann Head Coach

Northwest Premier League founding member and 2017 NWPL champion Washington Timbers FC announced earlier this month that the team will compete as the Vancouver Victory, joining the Evergreen Premier League men’s team under the Victory badge. Here is the press release from the Timbers/Victory…

The Washington Timbers Women’s First team will now be known as the Vancouver Victory Women joining the Victory Men and the Victory Northern Alliance under the Victory badge. Created in 2017 as founding members of the NW Premier League (NWPL), the Women’s first team provides the highest level of play for female soccer players in SW Washington.

The Women’s first team has a fantastic record of success and looks to build upon that success as the Victory Women. Winning the championship in the inaugural NWPL season and reaching the finals the following year was the ideal way to set the standard for this group.

Victory General Manager and Washington Timbers Executive Director Sean Janson has this to say about the new name, “The arrival of the Victory men to our community in 2014 brought forth a new opportunity for amateur players to compete at the highest level in SW Washington. Having coached for the Victory from 2014-2016 I knew first hand of the quality of play and players involved. It was an easy decision to bring in the Women’s team when the NWPL started in 2017. Having the women under the Victory badge will streamline many processes and strengthen the Victory brand. In addition, we’re also very pleased to add the Northern Alliance men’s team under the Victory umbrella as well.”

As the only jersey sponsor the Victory have ever known, Muchas Gracias Mexican Food will now also sponsor the Women’s and Northern Alliance squads. Their support is a driving factor behind the expansion of the Victory brand and the strengthening of elite amateur soccer in SW Washington.

The Victory also announced that Warner Pacific head coach Josh Westermann  has been named to the same position with the Victory women. Previous to his stint in Portland, he spent five years as an assistant at San Diego Christian and was an assistant coach on the Kenyan Women’s National Team.

“(I am) overwhelmed and humbled by this opportunity,” said Westermann, “A special thanks to Sean Janson and the Vancouver Victory for bringing me on board. Looking forward to offering a great experience to many aspiring and current college players at this high level”.

The Victory will host an open tryout on April 17th from 7:00-8:30 at the Harmony Sports Complex.

Crossfire United Named 10th Northwest Premier League Club

BREMERTON, Wash. – The Northwest Premier League is proud to announce our third team in the great State of Oregon and second new club for the 2020 season, Crossfire United. Oregon’s top-ranked ECNL program will expand their program to take on a new challenge and give their players and alumni a new opportunity during the summer. The team will play their home games out of Mountain View Champions Park in Aloha.

“Being a part of the Northwest Premier League enables a place for our players and alumni to come back and play in a environment that will prepare them and keep them sharp for college,” said Crossfire United Director of Programs Kevin Legg.

“We have been successful in the ECNL platform so I am excited to see how our girls compete together with the different ages and expect it to be a challenging yet exciting season.”

Alumni of the Crossfire United program play at schools such as the University of Oregon, Oregon State, Stony Brook University, the University of Nevada Reno, amongst others.

Crossfire United is the elite division for Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club and was formed as a partnership between Crossfire Oregon and THUSC. They will play their home games at Mountain View Champions Park in Aloha, which features two turf fields, restrooms and concessions.

You can follow Crossfire United by visiting their website at www.crossfireunitedecnl.com, like them on Facebook at FB.com/CrossfireUnitedECNL or follow them on Twitter at @CrossfireUnited

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ABOUT THE NORTHWEST PREMIER LEAGUE: The Northwest Premier League (NWPL) is an elite, adult, amateur women’s soccer league featuring Northwest clubs across the states of Washington and Oregon. The league currently sits at ten clubs: AC Chehalem Valley (Newberg, OR), Blackhills FC (Olympia, WA), Capital FC Atletica (Salem, OR), Crossfire United (Aloha, OR), Oly-Pen Force (Bremerton, WA), Seattle Stars, Twin City Union (Centralia, WA), Washington Premier (Puyallup, WA), Washington Timbers (Vancouver, WA), Yakima United. The Seattle Stars are the two time defending champions.

AC Chehalem Valley Joins Northwest Premier League

BREMERTON, Wash. – The Northwest Premier League is proud to announce that the league will be expanding for the 2020 season and that AC Chehalem Valley of Newberg, Oregon has been named the ninth NWPL club. Chehalem Valley joins Capital FC Atletica as the second club in the State of Oregon and has already made a mark in the soccer world with their active social media presence and focus on philanthropy in Newberg and beyond.

“For AC Chehalem Valley, and our fast-growing following, this is incredibly exciting,” said club Founder Joshua Duder. “While Portland is well-known for its soccer pedigree and for being the epicenter of support in Oregon, our region which is only 45 minutes south by southwest, is home to several independent youth organizations and has a unique soccer culture which we hope to showcase. The girls and women involved at club, high school, and college level soccer here, are champing at the bit to show off what representing Yamhill County and the Chehalem Valley means to them.”

Chehalem Valley will play their home games at Newberg High School. The high school’s stadium has covered seating, a large press box, a concessions stand, restrooms, locker rooms, and a new turf field. With a spot in the league and a place to call home, the club will now focus on building their 2020 team with ambitious but realistic goals.

“I don’t think any sporting organization goes into a season not hoping for the very best,” continued Duder, “But there are some very well-built clubs in the league and we may be a year or two away from competing for the title; however, the playoffs are always within reach and I think setting that as a goal is perfectly acceptable. We’ve watched the league keenly for a few years, but expect an entirely different experience now that we’re no longer on the outside looking in.”

Founded as an independent, non-profit club with the mission of “using sport to improve the physical and mental wellness of women in our community,” the club has already made connections with other non-profits including The Sports Bra Project to collect brand new equipment for girls and women who might not otherwise be able to play sports without it. They also teamed up with other bird-branded football clubs to raise money for the National Audobon Society. And the team has worked hard to get off the ground and ensure they will be around for years to come.

“Our primary sponsor is First Federal Savings & Loan, who agree with our sentiment of taking care of our community first,” said Duder. “And they’ve teamed-up with Puma to ensure the club is outfitted and that thousands of dollars of seed money is available.” Our aim is to provide a competitive squad for women to extend their athletic careers, but also to make the world a better place.”

Follow AC Chehalem Valley as their prepare for their inuagural Northwest Premier League season by visiting their website at acchehalemvalley.com, like them on Facebook at FB.com/ACCVSheFlies, or follow them on Twitter @ACCV_SheFlies

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ABOUT THE NORTHWEST PREMIER LEAGUE: The Northwest Premier League (NWPL) is an elite, adult, amateur women’s soccer league featuring Northwest clubs across the states of Washington and Oregon. The league currently sits at nine clubs: AC Chehalem Valley (Newberg, OR), Blackhills FC (Olympia, WA), Capital FC Atletica (Salem, OR), Oly-Pen Force (Bremerton, WA), Seattle Stars, Twin City Union (Centralia, WA), Washington Premier (Puyallup, WA), Washington Timbers (Vancouver, WA), Yakima United. The Seattle Stars are the two time defending champions.

NWPL Announces 2019 Season Awards

The Northwest Premier League held their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday afternoon at Well 80 Brewhouse in downtown Olympia and announced four awards for the 2019 season as voted on by league members: Golden Boot, Golden Gloves, Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

Whitney Pitalo

Player of the Year: Whitney Pitalo (Capital FC Atletica) – The founder, director and captain of the Capital FC Atletica program, Whitney Pitalo took on even more responsibility this season as a goal scorer. Needing to replace the firepower of Laadi Issaka, Pitalo stepped up and scored seven regular season goals, finishing in a tie for second place with Washington Premier’s Angela Celedon. But her versatility is what impressed coaches the most and earned her the NWPL’s 2019 Player of the Year playing all over the field and leading her team to a 7-1-0 regular season finish and a championship game appearance.

The South Salem High School alum and University of Southern California defender played wherever she was needed during the 2019 season. She earned an Offensive Player of the Week Award in week five with a two goal, one assist performance in a 4-1 win over the Oly-Pen Force. Her performance on the field was impressive, especially when combined with her leadership of the club, and of course, when asked about her Player of the Year Award, she extolled the virtues of her club and community rather than speak about herself.

“This year with an amazing World Cup we had a lot of extra attention to draw on, but I believe women’s soccer was already on the rise,” said Pitalo. “In our third year, we had many more supporters and volunteers. The World Cup felt like a celebration of where women’s soccer has come and where it’s going. I think that’s when I started to realize that it’s not just players who loves the game, but the community wants to be a part of it. It was a special year and I only see growth from here.”

Pitalo will take her experience building Capital FC Atletica to Roseburg this fall as their new Assistant Athletic Director and she will be involved in founding the new Umpqua Community College women’s soccer program. While she doesn’t rule out coming back and playing for CFC if her schedule permits, it is possible that she will bow out on top with the league’s top award.

Lauryn Peters

Golden Boot: Lauryn Peters (Yakima United) – 2017’s Golden Boot winner and Player of the Year, Lauryn Peters, did it again and ran away with the 2019 Golden Boot Award, scoring 12 goals in the six regular season games that she played in, leading the Hoppers to their best record as a club (5-3-0), their first home playoff game, and their first playoff win.

Peters, a Yakima native and West Valley High School product, returned home from college at Western Illinois early in the morning on Sunday, May 12th and made her first appearance for United just hours later contributing two goals including what proved to be the game winner in their 4-2 win over the Washington Timbers. A week later, Peters scored four times to earn Player of the Week for week three. She won the award again in week eight after a three goal weekend.

“Lauryn has proven herself to be one of the most dangerous forwards in the league,” said Yakima head coach Josh Vega. “And the truth is she’s so much than just a goal scorer. She’s one of the real leaders on our team.”

Her 12 goals in 2019 brings her grand total in Northwest Premier League action up to 26, where she comfortably has the record for most career goals. A junior at NCAA Division I Western Illinois, she has played every single minute of the Leathernecks first five games.

Makenzie Pineda with teammates

Golden Gloves: Makenzie Pineda (Capital FC Atletica) – By posting three shutouts over Capital FC Atletica’s first five games, and allowing just two goals during that time en route to a 5-0-0 start, Makenzie Pineda earned the NWPL’s 2019 Golden Gloves Award for the first time.

Pineda, an American Fork, Utah native and BYU-Hawaii alum that is also the goalkeeping coach for Capital FC Timbers youth program, held down the roll for the first five games of the season before a family vacation took her away from the team and other commitments made her unavailable for Sunday games. According to CFC Director and teammate Whitney Pitalo, she very much wanted to play in the playoffs but was not available because their playoff games were scheduled on Sundays. In just those five games, Pineda tied for the league lead in shutouts with Washington Premier’s Kyla Carter.

“Playing for your teammates, coaches, family, club, school, or community is much more FUN than playing for yourself,” said Pineda.

Josh Vega with NWPL President Micah McMonagle

Coach of the Year: Josh Vega (Yakima United) – The only remaining original Northwest Premier League coach, Yakima United’s Josh Vega put together his squad’s best season and first playoff win and earned the 2019 NWPL Coach of the Year Award for the first time.

Yakima United finished the season with a 5-3-0 record and a fourth place regular season finish and hosted their first playoff game, knocking off the Twin City Union to advance to the semifinals. It has been a natural progression for Vega and the Hoppers. They finished 4-5-3 in the first season of the NWPL and then followed that up with two three win seasons despite seeing improvement every year.

This season, Vega’s squad put it all together despite the challenges that go with playing in Yakima. For example: Yakima Valley College’s Sophie Painter won the Defensive Player of the Week award in week three and promptly left the club once school ended to return home on the west side of the state. But Vega and United built the depth and the talent this season necessary to withstand losses and were able to back up Lauryn Peters’ outstanding offensive season with a solid defense that gave up just 13 goals, their least as a club in four seasons.

“I’m very honored to be awarded the Coach of the Year Award,” said Vega. “We had a great season, our best yet, so obviously people will recognize the progress we’ve built over our four seasons. I’m just really happy to be a part of this league and coaching this group of great women from all over our valley.”

Vega has a lot on his plate with United.  He has to juggle coaching the Yakima women with directing the whole Hoppers club with dealing with the registration for the NWPL and EPLWA in his role with the Washington State Adult Soccer Association.

PHOTO GALLERY: Stars Repeat As NWPL Champions

The Seattle Stars knocked off Capital FC Athletica 4-0 on Sunday afternoon to win their second straight Northwest Premier League championship. It was a great afternoon of soccer at French Field in Kent with the two best teams, one from the north and one from the south, representing the league. Isabella Castro was named the Finals MVP with two goals for Seattle, who have now won 20 straight games dating back to the beginning of the 2018 season. Read the full recap of the final here.

Seattle Stars Repeat As NWPL Champions With 4-0 Win Over Capital FC

KENT, Wash. – Isabella Castro came off the bench to score two goals to lead the Seattle Stars to their second Northwest Premier League championship in as many seasons with a 4-0 win over Capital FC Atletica on Sunday afternoon at French Field. Stars goalkeeper Drew Moulton picked up the shutout and the Stars finished off a second straight unbeaten season with another trophy.

The game was delayed nearly 30 minutes due to travel issues for Capital FC, but out of the box, Atletica looked like the aggressor dominating possession for the first 15 minutes of play. But Seattle got their bearings and it was a former Capital FC forward Rita Okoro who put the Stars on top with a bullet from the top of the box in the 20th minute.

On a hot day with the temperature on the turf at French Field reaching nearly 100 degrees, the referee stopped play for a water break in the 25th minute. Almost immediately after play resumed, Isabella Castro unleashed a shot that looked to be heading wide of the goal that somehow spun on frame, barely caught the post and ricocheted into the net for the Stars second goal of the game. The University of Washington senior then scored her second goal just seven minutes later to give the Stars a 3-0 in the 35th minute. For her two goal performance, Castro was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Isabella Castro gets her MVP award

Capital FC goalkeeper Alyssa Flores, making her first start of the season, kept the game close with numerous big saves on shots that could have blown the game wide open at any time in the first half. With her keeping the lead to just three goals at the start of the second half, Capital again started off by dominating possession, generating a handful of opportunities against the vaunted Stars defense.

But without anything to show for it and frustration mounting, the Stars turned it on again and made Flores make another couple of outstanding saves before Morgan Castain drove one past her in the 72nd minute to cap off the scoring. Capital could not mount a late comeback and Seattle finished off the shutout to win the championship, 4-0.

The new NWPL Championship trophy, by The Woodcraft Studio

Led by head coach Chris Wells, the Seattle Stars have now won 20 straight games since their 2017 championship game loss to the Washington Timbers and have allowed just six goals in the process. They have outscored their opponents by 61 goals during their two championship seasons.

Capital FC Atletica finished their season with eight regular season and playoff wins and just two losses, both of them coming to the Stars at French Field.

Capital FC Atletica, 2019 Finalists

Seattle Stars goals: Isabella Castro (’28 & ’35), Rita Okoro (’20), Morgan Castain (’72)
Capital FC Atletica goals: None

PREVIEW: Seattle Stars Host Capital FC Atletica For NWPL Title

The Northwest Premier League caps the 2019 season with a fantastic matchup between the #1 seed Seattle Stars and #2 seed Capital FC Atletica. The two teams met once in the regular season with Capital FC taking an early lead at French Field on June 22nd before Seattle scored twice in the second half to take the 2-1 win.

So how did each team get here? Let’s take a look at the two teams…

NWPL Semis: #1 Seattle Stars 1, #6 Washington Timbers 0

It was slightly closer than anybody expected, but the Stars fended off the resurgent Washington Timbers 1-0 to advance to their third straight Northwest Premier League Final and will look to repeat as champions against Capital FC Atletica next weekend.

It was a defensive battle between Stars keeper Drew Moulton and Timbers keeper Jessica Selby except for one moment just before halftime when Justina MacDowell broke the scoreless tie and made it 1-0 for the Stars in the 44th minute.

From there, it was all about the defense. Neither team could break through to score again and the Stars and Moulton held on to that 1-0 lead and advance to another NWPL championship game.

The Washington Timbers wrapped up their season with the extremely close one goal loss after a slow start to the season. They also pulled the first first round upset in league history while advancing to the semifinals after being in the league’s basement for the first six weeks of the season.

Seattle Stars goal: Justina MacDowell (’44)
Washington Timbers goals: None

NWPL Semis: #2 Capital FC Atletica 3, #4 Yakima United 1

Capital FC Atletica celebrates | Photo: Jeremy McDonald

Capital FC Atletica will make their first appearance in the Northwest Premier League Finals thanks to a 3-1 win over the #4 seed Yakima United on Sunday afternoon in Salem.

Capital started quickly when Choi Ron scored the game’s opening goal just seven minutes into the contest. Yakima tied it up at 1-1 when Delaney Romero scored her second goal of the playoffs off of a pass from Madison Brownell in the 29th minute.

Paige Alexander gave Capital the lead in the 38th minute with an assist from Whitney Pitalo. It would turn out to be the game winning goal with Atletica and goalkeeper Abbey Knoll keeping the Hoppers off of the board the rest of the game. Vicky Cruz finished the game off with a goal in stoppage time of the second half to secure the 3-1 win.

Yakima keeper Brynlee Ward made 10 saves in the loss as Capital held a 12-3 shots on goal advantage. Knoll was only forced to make two saves in the contest.

With the win, Capital moves to their first NWPL championship game and will travel to Kent to face the Seattle Stars, who defeated the Washington Timbers 1-0 on Sunday evening. Game time and date will be announced soon.

Yakima wrapped up their season after their best league finish and their first NWPL playoff win.

READ MORE FROM JMCDONALDMEDIA.COM

Capital FC Atletica goals: Choi Ron (‘7), Paige Alexander (’38), Vicky Cruz (’90+)
Yakima United goal: Delaney Romero (’29)

NWPL 1st Round: Yakima United 2, Twin City Union 1

Delaney Romero | Photo: Tracie Fowler

In a battle between two teams searching for their first Northwest Premier League playoff win, #4 seed Yakima United scored a late goal to knock off the #5 seed Twin City Union at Yakima Valley College. Natalie Wright scored the game winner in the 88th minute to advance the Hoppers into the semifinals on Wednesday night.

Looking to pull off the second upset of the first round, the Twin City Union jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when Desiree Arocha unleashed a shot from just outside the box that beat Yakima keeper Brynlee Ward. It would be the only goal that Ward would allow, making six saves in the win.

Yakima’s Haley Wammock punched home a ball after a scramble in the box following a corner kick to level the score in the 26th minute and the two teams went to the break knotted up 1-1.

It looked like Yakima would have a penalty kick for the lead in the 68th minute after the referee called a handball in the box, but after consulting his assistant, the handball was waved off and the Union dodged a bullet.

Emily Sorensen played a fantastic game in goal for Twin City making seven impressive saves to keep the Union tied for most of the game. But in the 88th minute, Yakima finally broke through. Delaney Romero sprinted past a defender into the box and then delivered a pass across the box to a streaking Wright, who put it past Sorensen to give Yakima the game winning goal.

Yakima United advanced to the semifinals and will travel to Salem to take on Capital FC Atletica on Sunday at 3:00 PM.

Twin City’s season came to an end after their highest regular season finish.

READ MORE FROM THE YAKIMA HERALD

Yakima United goals: Haley Wammock (’26), Natalie Wright (’88)
Twin City Union goal: Desiree Arocha (’12)

NWPL Players Of Week 8: Peters and Selby Capture Final Weekly Honors

Better late than never (the holiday threw a wrench in the process), here are your the players that Northwest Premier League operators and coaches voted as their Players Of The Week for Week 8, the final week of the regular season.

OFFENSIVE: Lauryn Peters scored three goals during week 8, including two goals in their home win against Blackhills FC and another in their regular season finale against Seattle. A dynamic player that creates dangerous opportunities throughout the game, the Western Illinois player returned home and proceeded to lead Yakima United to a 5-1 record after an 0-2 and scoreless start to the season. Peters scored 12 goals in six games capturing her second Golden Boot award.

DEFENSIVE: The Washington Timbers fell 1-0 to Washington Premier in the season finale in Vancouver, but goalkeeper Jessica Selby impressed in the performance, keeping the Timbers in the game, allowing just a goal in the 88th minute of play. The Southern Oregon keeper and Mountain View alum made several good saves including pushing an earlier effort that looked to be heading toward the corner wide to keep the game level. Voting for this award came before her semifinal game, but Selby built on her week 8 performance and turned in a shutout in the semis to knock off the very same WA Premier team.

Other nominees:
Offensive: Braeden Small (Seattle Stars), Stephanie Verdola (Seattle Stars), Alyssa Andrews (Washington Premier)
Defensive: Diyonus Walls (Blackhills FC), Alyssa Konarek (NCW Alliance), Amber DiOrio (Seattle Stars)

NWPL 1st Round: #6 Washington Timbers 1, #3 Washington Premier 0

Jessica Selby | Photo: Alan Moditz

In a rematch of a 1-0 win for Washington Premier just a week earlier, the #6 seed Washington Timbers turned the tables and knocked off #3 WA Premier, 1-0, in the first round of the Northwest Premier League playoffs on Saturday afternoon. It is the first ever upset in the first round of the NWPL playoffs.

Timbers goalkeeper Jessica Selby and WA Premier keeper Kyla Carter kept the game scoreless into the second half until the Timbers finally broke through with a goal by Molly Joyce in the 67th minute. Selby kept WA Premier off the board for the next 23 minutes and the Timbers held on for the 1-0 victory.

The Timbers, Last year’s league runners-up and the 2017 league champions, started the season 0-5-0 but have now won three of their last four games to advance to the semifinals for the third straight season. Because they are the lowest seeded team remaining, they will now travel to face the #1 seed Seattle Stars in the semis next weekend.

The second first round game will be played on Wednesday night when the Twin City Union travel to take on Yakima United at Yakima Valley College at 6:00 PM.

Week 8: Twin City Claims 5th, Seattle Wins The Regular Season

Your 2019 NWPL Regular Season Champions

Every game mattered in the grand scheme of things in week eight of the 2019 Northwest Premier League season and the Twin City Union pulled out what proved to be the biggest win, jumping over the Washington Timbers and Oly-Pen Force to claim the 5th seed in the playoffs. Seattle took care of business to win the regular season title and Lauryn Peters scored three times to take the league’s Golden Boot award with 12 goals.

Here are the recaps from each game in the last week of the regular season…

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Yakima United 3, Blackhills FC 1

Lauryn Peters continued her fantastic season leading Yakima United to their fifth win of the season, knocking off Blackhills 3-1. Peters scored twice, in the 30th and 31st minutes, but the Hoppers led Blackhills by just one until Delaney Romero gave them an insurance goal in the 82nd minute. Jocelyn Charette scored the lone goal for Blackhills who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. For Peters, it was her 10th and 11th goals of the season.

Yakima United goals: Lauryn Peters (’30 & ’31), Delaney Romero (’82)
Blackhills FC goal: Jocelyn Charette (’37)

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Twin City Union 4, Oly-Pen Force 1

In a win or go home game for both teams, the Twin City Union took care of business on their home field knocking the Oly-Pen Force out of playoff position with a 4-1 win. TCU took an early 2-0 lead thanks to an Oly-Pen own goal and Jolene Kvinsland’s goal in the 11th minute. They would add goals by Natalie Brown and Madison early to take a 4-0 lead before the Force finally got on the board in the 87th. Emily Sorenson made eight saves in goal for the Union, who jumped up to the fifth spot with the win and finished the regular season at 2-5-1.

Twin City Union goals: Oly-Pen own goal (‘5), Jolene Kvinsland (’11), Natalie Brown (’52), Madison Early (’84)
Oly-Pen Force goal: Celina Madrid (’87)

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Seattle Stars 4, NCW Alliance 0

Needing a win to take first in the NWPL’s regular season, the Stars struck early and often on Saturday in a 4-0 win over the NCW Alliance. Breanna Strauss scored in the 2nd minute and Rita Okoro added another in the 8th to make it 2-0. Okoro would add to her total near the end of the first half and Chloe Lamenzo closed out the scoring in the 57th. Lee Erickson earned the shutout in goals for Seattle. The Stars improved to 7-0-0 while NCW Alliance were eliminated from playoff contention and finished the season at 1-7-1.

Seattle Stars goals: Breanna Strauss (‘2), Rita Okoro (‘8 & ’43), Chloe Lamenzo (’57)
NCW Alliance goals: None

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Seattle Stars 6, Yakima United 1

On Sunday, the Stars exploded for six goals including braces by Stephanie Verdola and Emily Bunnell to remain undefeated in the regular season, moving to 8-0-0. Sydney Carr started the scoring in the 16th minute but the game was close until Verdola scored in the 42nd and 45th to make it 3-0. Bunnell made it 4-0 in the 53rd before Yakima got on the board with a goal by Lauryn Peters – her 12th of the season – in the 62nd. Bunnell would add one more and Braeden Small finished it off in the 90th minute. Yakima fell to 5-3-0 this season and finishing fourth in the regular season and will host a playoff game next week.

Seattle Stars goals: Stephanie Verdola (’42 & ’45), Emily Bunnell (’53 & ’86), Sydney Carr (’16), Braeden Small (’90)
Yakima United goal: Lauryn Peters (’62)

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Washington Premier 1, Washington Timbers 0

It was a defensive battle for two teams vying for playoff seeding until Alyssa Andrews finally broke through in the 88th minute and Washington Premier won their sixth game of the season with a 1-0 over the Washington Timbers. Jessica Selby made seven saves in goal for the Timbers but was bested by just that one goal and Kyla Carter’s eight saves. The Timbers had already secured the 6th seed in the playoffs and finished the regular season at 2-6-0

Washington Premier goal: Alyssa Andrews (’88)
Washington Timbers goals: None

NWPL Wraps Regular Season With All Teams Alive: Playoff Scenarios

The final week of the Northwest Premier League regular season is upon us and every single team is still alive, fighting for playoff position or the last two playoff spots. That means there are a ton of scenarios to discuss. The top four teams are locked in but could change positions, we have provided the best case and most likely scenarios for them but have broken down all the scenarios for the final two playoff spots. Stay tuned, it could be a wild weekend! And a big thank you to Chris Wells for helping break all of this down.

NWPL Players Of Week 7: Severns and Magee Honored In Competitive Week 7

Week seven of the Northwest Premier League featured some of the most competitive games of the season with every team very much alive for the playoffs and the top teams still vying for the league championship. There were many candidates for the Player Of The Week and it was very close voting and league operators and coaches chose players from the Oly-Pen Force and Blackhills FC as their victors.

Offensive: In a must win situation, the Oly-Pen Force came up big with an 8-0 win over Blackhills FC on Sunday and Isabelle Severns was instrumental in securing the win. The Bremerton native and Klahowya grad scored the first two goals on Sunday and then chipped in with three assists to put the Force in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot with one week left to play. Her speed and finishing was a constant threat all weekend and unselfish play led to many goals for others.

Defensive: It was a tough weekend for Blackhills FC, who allowed a late goal for a draw against NCW Alliance on Saturday and then lost 8-0 to the Force on Sunday. However, Leah Magee stood out under extreme match circumstances, playing 90 minutes on two straight days with a short roster of players, scoring a goal on Saturday and the Timberline High School graduate and PLU senior was inspirational in sustaining a high level of focus, playing physical at speed, and consistently breaking up the Force midfield and back line plays through pass interceptions and tackles on Saturday.

Other nominees:
Offensive: Annouscka Kordom (Capital FC), Jayden Brown (NCW Alliance), Whitney Pitalo (Capital FC), Justina MacDowell (Seattle Stars)
Defensive: Abbey Knoll (Capital FC), Beau Bremer (Seattle Stars), Julia Sattler (Capital FC),

Week 7: Stars Remain Unbeaten, Capital Clinches Bye, Shakeup For 5th and 6th

It was a big weekend for the league leaders with Capital FC Atletica facing both the Seattle Stars and Washington Premier, and it was also a big weekend for five teams chasing the final two playoff spots. It was a weekend of heart break and joy for the Oly-Pen Force and after it all played out, the Washington Timbers and the Force currently have the advantage sitting in 5th and 6th place with one week left to play.

Here are the full recaps of this weekend’s six games…

Seattle Stars 2, Capital FC Atletica 1

The Seattle Stars scored twice in the second half including Emily Bunnell’s game winning penalty kick goal in the 82nd minute to remain undefeated, moving to 6-0-0 with two games left to play in week eight. Seattle held the majority of the possession throughout the first half but couldn’t find a goal and allowed Whitney Pitalo to get behind the defense and give Capital a 1-0 lead after the first half of play. Seattle appeared to tie the game on a PK in the 57th minute but the referee waived off the made shot by Mariah Lee and Lee then missed the second opportunity. Nine minutes later, they did finally equalize when Justina MacDowell headed in a beautiful cross. The Stars continued to pressure and eventually won another penalty kick. This time Emily Bunnell scored cleanly and Seattle held on to take the 2-1 victory.

Seattle Stars goals: Justina MacDowell (’65), Emily Bunnell (’82)
Capital FC Atletica goal: Whitney Pitalo (’18)

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Washington Timbers 3, Oly-Pen Force 2

In a back and forth game in Bremerton, the Washington Timbers scored last with an 89th minute goal from Sarah Teubner to take the 3-2 win over the Oly-Pen Force. Both teams started quickly trading goals early. Subine Postmas scored for the Timbers in the 2nd minute and Emily Wilkins equalized in the 7th. Andrea DePinto gave the Timbers a 2-1 lead in the 57th but again, the Force tied it up in the 68th with a Lauren Hudson goal. But it was Teubner who finished it off with an assist from Ellie Schmid to give the Timbers their second win of the season and move them into playoff position.

Washington Timbers goals: Subine Postma (‘2), Andrea DePinto (’57), Sarah Teubner (’89)
Oly-Pen Force goals: Emily Wilkins (‘7), Lauren Hudson (’68)

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Blackhills FC 3, NCW Alliance 3

Jayden Brown kept the NCW Alliance in the playoff race with goals in the 57th and the game tying goal in the 90th minute in a 3-3 draw against Blackhills at Ingersoll Stadium in Olympia. Blackhills took a 2-0 lead after goals by Leah Magee and Jocelyn Charette but Kendall Kemp got the Alliance to within one at halftime with her goal in the 42nd. Brown then tied the game, 2-2, in the 57th minute. Blackhills took a late lead when Lanie Vinson gave them a 3-2 lead in the 86th minute only to have their heart broken with Brown’s second goal, a 90th minute equalizer. The draw temporarily put Blackhills into a playoff spot with five points and NCW stayed in the hunt with four points.

Blackhills FC: Leah Magee (’14), Jocelyn Charette (’30), Lanie Vinson (’86)
NCW Alliance: Kendall Kemp (’42), Jayden Brown (’57 & ’90)

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Yakima United 3, Twin City Union 1

Maddie Brownell, Faith Landis and Baneza Gonzalez each scored in Yakima United’s 3-1 win over the Twin City Union in Centralia on Saturday night. The Hoppers won their fourth game in a row and clinched a home playoff game with the win with two games left to play in week eight.

Yakima United goals: Maddie Brownell, Faith Landis, Baneza Gonzalez
Twin City Union goal: Pending report

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Oly-Pen Force 8, Blackhills FC 0

Isabelle Severns scored the first two goals for the Oly-Pen Force and then assisted on three more in their 8-0 romp over Blackhills FC at Gordon Field in Bremerton. Hailey Parker registered a hat trick and Miranda Hoidal, Abigail Nordquist and Emily Wilkins all added goals in the win. Ricci Wiedbrecht played all 90 minutes in goal to pick up the shutout. The win gives the Force six points and they currently sit in the sixth and final playoff spot with one game left to play. Blackhills dropped to seventh place with the loss.

Oly-Pen Force goals: Hailey Parker (’24, ’29 & ’83), Isabelle Severns (‘2 & ’21), Miranda Hoidal (’47), Abigail Nordquist (’66), Emily Wilkins (’90)
Blackhills FC goals: None

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Capital FC Atletica 2, Washington Premier 0

It was the Annouska Kordom show in Salem on Sunday afternoon. Kordom scored twice in the second half, first in the 46th minute and then again just eight minutes later in the 54th, to give Capital FC Atletica a 2-0 win and clinch a first round bye and either a 1st or 2nd place finish in their last regular season game. Abbey Knoll played 85 minutes in goal and made five saves for Capital. They finished their season at 7-1-0 with 21 points. Washington Premier fell to 5-2-0 with 15 points.

Capital FC Atletica goals: Annouska Kordom (’46 & ’54)
Washington Premier goals: None

NWPL Players Of Week 6: WA Premier Players Sweep

Washington Premier knocked off NCW Alliance on Saturday 6-0, continuing their outstanding Northwest Premier League season. They sit at 5-1-0 with their only loss coming to the Seattle Stars. They have allowed just two goals to teams other than the Stars and sit in third place with games against Capital FC Atletica coming up this weekend. For their efforts, NWPL operators and coaches have honored two of their players with the week six Players Of The Week award.

Offensive: With two more goals on Saturday against the NCW Alliance, Angela Celedon now has seven on the season, good enough for second place in the NWPL. Celedon scored once in the 27th minute and again in the 46th and has been instrumental in leading Washington Premier to a 5-1-0 record. This is the Shoreline Community College product and Wilson High School grad’s second year with WA Premier after spending one season with the Seattle Stars. She scored three goals for WPFC last season.

Defensive: While Celedon and the offense have been plugging along, the defense for Washington Premier has been on point as well, allowing just five goals this season. A big part of that has been Marina O’Loughlin, who earns the POTW award for their shutout against NCW Alliance. O’Loughlin, a Tacoma Community College product from El Cajon, California, has been outstanding on stopping the opposition build up, winning 1v1 battles and makes smart decisions in distribution moving forward.

Other nominees:
Offensive: Lauryn Peters (Yakima United)
Defensive: Anna Hager (Yakima United)

Week 6: Home Teams Hold Strong

It was some good home cooking in the Northwest Premier League as the hosts of the four games went 4-0-0 and outscored their opponents by a combined 17-0. The top goal scorers in the league kept doing their thing with Yakima’s Lauryn Peters registering a hat trick and Washington Premier’s Angela Celedon and Capital FC’s Whitney Pitalo scoring twice. Whitney Dockweiler (Washington Timbers) and Brynlee Ward (Yakima) both went the distance in goal and each picked up their first shutouts of the season.

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Washington Premier 6, NCW Alliance 0

Washington Premier scored three goals over a 12 minute period in the first half and added another three in the second half to take a 6-0 win over NCW Alliance on Saturday afternoon. Cara Mayer started the scoring in the 20th minute and Angela Celedon made it 2-0 seven minutes later. Celedon would add another goal in the 46th minute and now has seven goals this season. WA Premier out shot the Alliance 33-5. Kyla Carter made four saves in her 73 minutes in goal for WA Premier. Meanwhile, Trisha Priest and Adrianna Simmons split time in goal for NCW and made 16 saves between them. The win moved WA Premier to 5-1-0 while the Alliance dropped to 1-5-0.

Washington Premier goals: Angela Celedon (’27 & ’46), Cara Mayer (’20), Sam Larberg (’32), Kayley Cruz (’81), Jamie Makupson (’88)
NCW Alliance goals: None

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Photo by Alan Moditz

Washington Timbers 1, Twin City Union 0

Subine Postma scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and held on for a 1-0 win over the Twin City Union. It was the Timbers’ first win of the season and they remain alive in the race for the last two playoff spots. Whitney Dockweiler earned the shutout in goal for the Timbers, making four saves. Despite the loss, the Union remain in fifth place, just ahead of Blackhills FC on goal differential and one point ahead of Oly-Pen, NCW Alliance and the Timbers.

Washington Timbers goal: Subine Postma (’74 PK)
Twin City Union goals: None

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Capital FC Atletica 4, Blackhills FC 0

Whitney Pitalo scored twice and Capital FC Atletica jumped into first place with a 6-0 win over Blackhills in Salem. Paige Alexander opened the scoring in the 28th minute before Pitalo added her first in the 33rd. Blackhills kept it close thanks to 10 saves by goalkeeper Diyonous Walls but finally broke the game open in the 86th when Annouscka Kordom scored on a penalty kick and Pitalo added her second goal just a minute later. Capital out shot Blackhills 21-3 and did not allow a single shot on goal. Capital moved to 6-0-0 and they jumped past the idle Seattle Stars with those two teams meeting in week seven. Blackhills remained in sixth place at 1-3-1.

Capital FC Atletica goals: Whitney Pitalo (’33 & ’87), Paige Alexander (’28), Annouscka Kordom (’86 PK)
Blackhills FC goals: None

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Yakima United 6, Oly-Pen Force 0

Lauryn Peters exploded for a goal just 30 seconds into the game and Yakima United never looked back in a 6-0 victory over the Oly-Pen Force at Yakima Valley College. Peters scored two of the next three goals to register a hat trick and now sits on top of the leader board with nine goals this season. Brynlee Ward went the distance in goal for Yakima and picked up her first shutout of the season. Yakima moved to 3-2-0 this season and now sit on nine points and are in fourth place, five points clear of fifth and sixth place.

Yakima United goals: Lauryn Peters (‘1, ’31 & ’51), Grace Terrill (’50), Natalie Wright (’64), Corynn Vigil (’72)
Oly-Pen Force goals: None