INWsoccernews player honors unveiled for WPSL NW 2013

What a difference a year makes. Last year defense was one of the major themes for the WPSL Northwest. It was almost a complete reversal this year with scoring being one of the headline-making elements of the season as the Northwest grew to eight teams.

One of the aspects, however, that will likely forever remain in the WPSL Northwest is the role youth players have. A number of teenage players had an impact this season and showed promise for the future.

To that end, INWsoccernews has put together a list of not only the WPSL Northwest's top players for the 2013 regular season, but also a list of the some of the younger prospects for the future.

Not surprisingly, the regular season champion Tualatin Hills United SC Diamonds and the three greater-Seattle clubs dominated the Best XI for the season as they finished as the top four teams in the Northwest, suffering only six combined losses between them. A reserve group of players rounds out the Best XI, recognizing some of the other top players, including at least one from each club.

WPSL NW Playoff Preview: Regular season champs THUSC face tough test in Seattle

Four clubs set to square off in Northwest Playoffs this weekend | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (unless noted)

Six weeks of soccer in Oregon and Washington has reduced the field from eight teams to four as the top two clubs from each state head into the Northwest playoffs this weekend in the greater-Seattle area looking to advance to the WPSL Regional Tournament next weekend. Oregon's Tualatin Hills United SC Diamonds and Eugene Metro Azul head north Saturday to face AC Seattle and the Seattle Reign Reserves presented by Issaquah SC (SRR Issaquah) in the semifinals, respectively, with the winners to meet on Sunday.

They say defense wins championships, but the one thing in common among AC Seattle, Eugene Metro Azul, SRR Issaquah SC and the THUSC Diamonds heading into the postseason in the WPSL Northwest is that they were the four clubs that were never shutout this season, scoring in every game played.

WPSL NW Recap - Week 6: Playoff field set; AC Seattle wins Evergreen Cup derby

AC Seattle celebrates after clinching Evergreen Cup and playoff spot Friday night | Photo: Wilson Tsoi / goalWA

With the Tualatin Hills United SC Diamonds coming into the final week of the regular season as the only team to have clinched a playoff spot, Week Six was all about the three teams in Seattle chasing the two Washington berths while Eugene Metro Azul and Westside Timbers battled for the remaining slot from Oregon. Meanwhile, the Evergreen Cup was also on the line for bragging rights in Washington.

With three games in four days, AC Seattle's results in the the first three contests of the week would have a great impact on how things played out as they would visit Oregon playoff hopeful Westside and square off against Emerald City in a game that could decide the Evergreen Cup.

Final Evergreen Cup standings

In the end, winning two of three was enough for the first-year side as AC Seattle clinched the derby competition and a playoff spot (based on three-way tiebreaker) with the win Friday evening on the road against Emerald City, who were unable to find a win in their finale to advance by the same tiebreaker, allowing Issaquah to move onto the postseason with the draw between the two. Seattle's win at Westside left too big of a hole for the Timbers to make up as their road draw allowed host Eugene to join THUSC in the playoffs.

Jen Stoltenberg had another big week, but her odds of finishing as the leading goal scorer were diminished midweek with AC Seattle's Romina Pinna pulling even. The THUSC striker, however, pulled away once more Sunday and has one more game Tuesday to add even more… if she even plays with the postseason on the horizon.

WPSL NW Recap – Week 5: THUSC Diamonds first to clinch playoff spot heading into final week; Spokane Shine expelled

Two wins for AC Seattle this week

The Tualatin Hills United SC Diamonds have run away from the pack among the Oregon teams and clinched one of the state’s two berths in the WPSL Northwest Division playoffs with a 2-0 victory Saturday in a closely-fought contest against regional rival Westside Timbers.

The other big news of the week broke Monday afternoon with the division and league announcing that the Spokane Shine have been expelled and their final home game against SRR Issaquah will be considered a forfeit victory for the Seattle-area club.

“We are following the by-laws and expelling the Spokane Shine from the WPSL effective immediately,” said Northwest Commissioner Niki Taylor of Emerald City FC upon receiving official notice from the WPSL. “It’s not fair for Issaquah to have to spend the time and money to travel to Spokane when the Shine refused to travel last weekend.”

WPSL NW Three Stars - Week Four

A weekly list of the top three players or performances each week in the WPSL Northwest Division.

WEEK FOUR (June 20-23)

Jen Stoltenberg, THUSC

Alia Guagni - AC Seattle
Scored the opening two goals in the first 12 minutes that made it difficult for Eugene to rally in Seattle's 5-2 home win.

Jen Stoltenberg - THUSC Diamonds (2)
Scored the second and third goals in the club's 7-1 comeback win in Spokane Saturday with three assists in the final four goals, and converted from the spot Sunday for the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Emerald City. It is the second consecutive INW Three Stars selection for her.

Erin Vaughan - SRR Issaquah SC
Scored two goals in the club's 4-1 win against visiting Eugene Saturday and added a goal and two assists Sunday in a 5-0 shutout at home against Bend.

Others considered: Cori Bianchini (Westside), Brandi Dawson (THUSC), Macy Jo Harrison (Issaquah), Hannah Kimsey (THUSC), Gaia Mastrovincenzo (Eugene), KaUa Wall (Issaquah)

Note: Players listed alphabetically

Previous Weeks:

One: Taylor Boyer (Eugene); Kennya Cordner (Issaquah); Jaclyn Softli (Issaquah)
Two: Brandi Dawson (THUSC); Marina Nesic (Emerald City); Amanda Perez (Issaquah)
Three: Kate Bennett (Emerald City); Valentina Giacinti (AC Seattle); Jen Stoltenberg (THUSC)

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WPSL NW Week 4 Recap: Seattle area trio showing dominance in the division

The fourth week of the WPSL Northwest season saw the Seattle trio and Tualatin Hills United separate themselves at the top of the table from the rest as six of the seven contests were showdowns featuring teams from Washington playing Oregon. The northern state got the better of the weekend's contests with a 4-1-1 record, bringing the overall season record versus their southern foes to 7-2-1 with six games left between the two states.

WPSL NW Recap: Busy week 3 sees THUSC, Emerald City win twice each

Week three was an intra-state round with all eight games featuring match-ups between opponents from the same state. The big winners were Emerald City in Washington and Tualatin Hills United SC Diamonds in Oregon as both clubs picked up a pair of victories to keep pace with Issaquah, which dropped its first points of the season in a draw.

WPSL NW Three Stars - Week 2

A weekly list of the top three players or performances each week in the WPSL Northwest Division.

WEEK TWO (June 3-9)

Brandi Dawson - THUSC Diamonds
Set up all three goals for a 3-1 win in the team's league debut.

Everyone stood out for Emerald City Saturday

Marina Nesic - Emerald City
Nearly skipped picking anyone as EC thoroughly dominated at just about every position on the field equally, but Nesic set up the opening goal and then finished things off late with another assist and, finally, a goal to cap the 7-0 win in Spokane.

Amanda Perez - SRR Issaquah SC
Scored two first half goals in a 3-0 win at Westside before going out injured.

Others considered: Romina Pinna (AC Seattle); Jen Stoltenberg (THUSC) - Note: Players listed alphabetically

Previous Weeks:

One: Taylor Boyer (Eugene); Kennya Cordner (Issaquah); Jaclyn Softli (Issaquah)

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WPSL NW Recap: THUSC, AC Seattle win in debuts; SRR Issaquah sweeps Oregon trip in Week 2

A pair of clubs made their debuts in the second week of play in the Northwest Division with victorious results as the Tualatin Hills United SC (THUSC) Diamonds were 3-1 winners at home against the Bend Timbers and AC Seattle shutout visiting Spokane 4-0. The big winner on the week, though, was SRR Issaquah with a pair of wins on the road in Oregon.

GoalWA & INWsoccernews introduce Evergreen Cup to crown top Washington WPSL club

There is nothing like regional rivalries, and in that vein regional soccer news sites goalWA.net and INWsoccernews.com have partnered together to honor the best WPSL team in Washington State in head-to-head competition – the Evergreen Cup.

While the division standings and playoff berths will be determined by overall league play, the introduction of the Evergreen Cup will bring attention and drama to the in-state rivalries between AC Seattle, Emerald City FC, Spokane Shine and the Seattle Reign Reserves presented by Issaquah SC (SRR Issaquah).

“We started the Ruffneck Cup a year ago to recognize the top PDL team from the Puget Sound area and it was a great success, so it was only natural to discuss doing something similar for the four WPSL teams in the state,” said goalWA editor David Falk. “The teams and fans were immediately enthusiastic about the Ruffneck Cup last year, and the 2013 edition kicked off with great anticipation.”  

WPSL NW Three Stars - Week 1

A weekly list of the top three players or performances each week in the WPSL Northwest Division.

WEEK ONE (May 31 - June 2)

Jaclyn Softli | Photo: Wilson Tsoi / GoalWA.net

Taylor Boyer - Eugene Metro Azul
Set up the equalizer in the first half and tallied the insurance goal in the second half in a 4-1 victory against Bend.

Kennya Cordner - SRR Issaquah
Scored twice in the opening game to help lead Issaquah to a 3-0 victory over rival Emerald City.

Jaclyn Softli - SRR Issaquah
Scored the opening goal and set up both of the other two goals in Issaquah's 3-0 win against rival Emerald City in the opener.

Others considered: Madison Misi (Westside Timbers); Caroline Karlsson (Emerald City)

Note: Players listed alphabetically

#INWsoccernews

WPSL NW Recap: Cordner brace highlights opening weekend

The Seattle Reign Reserves presented by Issaquah SC (SRR Issaquah) put an emphatic end to their holdover stalemate from last year with local rival Emerald City, blanking them 3-0 Friday evening on a brace from Kennya Cordner. Meanwhile, newcomers Westside Timbers earned a win in their opener while splitting a two-game road trip.

2013 WPSL Northwest Division Preview

Teams head out onto the pitch to kick off the NW Division campaign this weekend | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

It is a season of change in the division this year, whether it be the increase in the teams, clubs changing their brands or new head coaches at the helm. So, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the teams, let’s take a quick look at those big-story changes across the Northwest Division.

First, the composition of the division has gone from six to eight clubs with the Portland Rain (supported by the MLS Timbers last year) closing up shop for good with the Timbers ownership investing in the NWSL Portland Thorns. In their place, two new clubs, Tualatin Hills United SC and the Westside Timbers, joined up to bring the Oregon group to four. The Washington contingent is also now at four with the addition of AC Seattle, an Italian-focused club.

The new composition brought along with it a new postseason format as there will now be a division playoff. The top two clubs each from Washington and Oregon will move onto the postseason with the playoff event hosted by the higher-seeded Washington side in 2013 and Oregon’s top seed playing host to the division championship in 2014.

Three clubs will have new looks in 2013 to varying degrees. Starting with the smallest change, the Spokane Shine have introduced a new color and logo package this year in a season of change that also includes a new home venue and coach. Issaquah SC will be modifying their name to Seattle Reign FC Reserves presented by Issaquah SC, and are reportedly wearing Reign kits with the ISC logo. The biggest change will be the complete brand overhaul from Oregon Rush to Bend FC Timbers, a change elicited by the club becoming a part of the Timbers Alliance that was made official May 1 with the logo and name change.

Club changes for Spokane and Bend were not just cosmetic. The Shine brought in local youth coach Dan Philp to replace the departed Jason Quintero, who left for a position with Moscow United youth club, and Kyle Steinbaugh, the Director of Coaching, stepping aside from the WPSL responsibilities with the February appointment of new Technical Director Tara Erickson, a University of Washington product that has coached at Portland State and the University of Oregon.

WPSL's Best in Washington - Help us Decide

GoalWA.net and Inland NW Soccer News are teaming up to cover the all-Washington WPSL matches between the Spokane Shine and the Seattle-area trio of Emerald City FC, Seattle Reign Reserves (Issaquah SC) and AC Seattle and at the end of the season pronounce the team with the best record as Washington Champions. The only problem is, we don't quite know what to call it. For the past month we have bandied about a few ideas - the usual and creative - and have culled the list down to a few.

Now it is your turn to provide further insight as we search for both a name and a 'trophy.' In addition to the poll, we welcome any other suggestions in case we missed something that truly resonates with the competition at hand. More importantly, if anyone has ideas or something to donate as the trophy, we would love to hear or see it.

Report: Expanding WPSL Northwest set for 2013; league AGM marred by turmoil

The Northwest Division of the Women’s Premier Soccer League has set forth the infrastructure for the 2013 campaign, expanding from five clubs to eight with four teams each in Washington and Oregon. New to the division will be a controversial third Seattle-based club and two new teams to replace the departed Portland Rain.

Carroll College win season opener, 3-1, vs Northwest U

The 25th-ranked Carroll College (Frontier Conference, NAIA) women’s team opened the season with a non-league victory against Northwest University (Cascade Collegiate Conference, NAIA) Thursday in Helena, Mont. The match was the first official game of the season for any of the schools in the Inland Northwest.

Spokane Shine withdraw from WPSL playoffs, replaced by Issaquah SC

Issaquah SC headed to the WPSL postseason in San Diego - Photo: Gerald Barnhart

After winning the Northwest Division championship over the weekend, the Spokane Shine withdrew from the WPSL playoffs Monday due to an inability to finance the  postseason trip to San Diego for the upcoming Western Conference playoff tournament. The team has been replaced by the second-place Issaquah SC, who are expected to announce the news officially this evening.

When asked about the withdrawal, team president Linda Davis said:

“Only two years young and look what the Shine team - owners, coaches, trainers, players, advisory board and fans - have accomplished: best in the Northwest. We could not be more proud to be the WPSL Northwest Division Champions. Now we look forward to year three when funding will allow us to fulfill our second dream, a trip to the WPSL Playoffs.”

Stalemate in Seattle derby gives Spokane Shine NW Division title

The Spokane Shine players and staff may want to send a bouquet of flowers to each and every member of Emerald City FC this week, especially Kate Bennett.

Three weeks ago, the chances of the Spokane Shine advancing to the WPSL playoffs as winners of the Northwest Division looked dim. But the club kept grinding out results via narrow 1-0 victories and got just enough help elsewhere.

That aid came in the form of a hard-fought Seattle derby that saw Emerald City and Issaquah, both with postseason hopes on the line, play to a pair of 1-1 draws in the final week of the campaign. The first came Wednesday, giving the Shine hope going into the weekend, which included Friday's match against Emerald City - one of those 1-0 decisions for the Shine.

Back on top, Spokane Shine await Battle For Seattle result Sunday

Shine put forth best offensive effort of the season | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - Full Gallery - Facebook Gallery

The Spokane Shine did what they needed to the past couple weeks to put themselves in position to win the division title, wrapping up the campaign Sunday with a leisurely 6-0 win against the winless visiting Oregon Rush, though it was hard work beneath the baking mid-day summer heat.

“Wait by your phones,” head coach Jason Quintero told the team after the match.

The Shine now await the division’s finale – the second meeting in the Puget Sound showdown between Emerald City and Issaquah. Spokane needs Emerald City, whom they defeated Friday evening, to earn a draw or victory against now second-place Issaquah SC Sunday evening at 7:00 pm PT at Issaquah High School. EC controlled possession for much of the match Wednesday against their local rivals in a 1-1 draw in which they also hit the woodwork a couple times as well.

Final weekend a tough task for Spokane Shine with postseason at stake

The bench has played a key role for the Shine this season

The Spokane Shine will be front and center for the first two days of the weekend, playing host to two games that have playoff implications before all is said and done Sunday in the second half of the Battle for Seattle. The Shine host fellow playoff contender Emerald City Friday at 7:00 pm PT and the winless Oregon Rush Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm PT. Both games are at Joe Albi Stadium.

Both the Shine and visiting Emerald City sit four points back of Issaquah SC, whom Emerald City plays again Sunday at 7:00 pm PT. The two clubs played to a 1-1 deadlock Wednesday evening in the Puget Sound showdown. While the result provided the Shine with two of the three points they needed Issaquah to drop to keep them in play, it made the weekend a lot more anxious and the scenarios a little more complicated with a three-way tie among the potential outcomes.

The Shine are coming off a positive weekend in which they posted a pair of 1-0 victories that directly eliminated Eugene Metro FC and Portland Rain out of postseason contention. Unfortunately, sometimes a win can also be a loss – as was the case Sunday.