The Seattle Stars clinched the final Cascade Conference playoff spot while PacNW took a huge step forward to claiming the last spot in the Rainier Conference with a big win over Bellingham. The only team that can catch them is the Spokane Shadow, who need two wins in week 10 and will need some help to jump over PacNW. But in week nine, there were many great defensive and offensive performance throughout the league. Read all about them all here…
Spokane Shadow 5, Vancouver Victory 0
The Spokane Shadow scored five goals for the second week in a row in dispatching the Vancouver Victory, 5-0. Hakeem Rabiu scored twice, including the opening goal in the 17th minute, while Chase Reidt and Cam Weller added goals in the 28th and 50th. Carter Auth played all 90 minutes and picked up the shutout for the Shadow. The win moved the Shadow to 3-3-2 on the season while Vancouver dropped to 0-8-1.
Spokane Shadow goals: Hakeem Rabiu (’17 & ’75), Chase Reidt (’28), Cam Weller (’50), Vancouver Own Goal (’82)
Vancouver Victory goals: None
Washington Premier 6, Oly-Pen Force 0
Washington Premier continues to roll after a 1-2-0 start and won their sixth straight game with a 6-0 win over the Oly-Pen Force. Eddie Na kicked it off with a goal in the 7th minute and Brandon Madsen scored his sixth goal of the season just eight minutes later. JJ Schmeck added to the first half total and Alex Whitting scored in the 78th minute. WA Premier added two more goals at the very end of the game to run their total to six. Mike Arguello and Carlos Rodriguez split time in goal for the shutout. WA Premier improved to 7-2-0 while Oly-Pen fell to 4-4-1 and had to wait until Sunday to know their fate in the Rainier Conference.
Washington Premier goals: Eddie Na (‘7), Brandon Madsen (’15), JJ Schmeck (’37), Alex Whitting (’78), Alejandro Velasco (’90), Eddie Brown (’90+)
Oly-Pen Force goals: None
Seattle Stars 5, Yakima United 1
The Seattle Stars exploded for three goals in eight minutes en route to a 5-1 win over Yakima United and clinched a playoff spot and got them to within a point of Bellingham United in the Cascade Conference. Quinn Fahling scored the opener in the 30th minute and Jason Rodriguez followed that up just two minutes later to make it 2-0. Cody Buchanan added another in the 38th. Both Fahling and Rodriguez added another goal late in the game. Peter Titechko scored the lone goal for Yakima in the 64th. The Stars improved to 6-2-1 with the win while Yakima fell to 3-4-1.
Seattle Stars goals: Jason Rodriguez (’32 & ’90), Quinn Fahling (’30 & ’85), Cody Buchanan (’38)
Yakima United goals: Peter Titechko (’64)
Oly Town Artesians 3, Tri-Cities Alliance 2
The Tri-Cities Alliance jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute thanks to a Daniel Sinchuk goal but the Oly Town Artesians responded with three unanswered goals and held on for a 3-2 win. Jason Fairhurst scored twice in the win, including a 34th minute equalizer. Christian Segovia gave Oly a 2-1 win in the 36th and Fairhurst scored what proved to be the game winner in the 51st. Israel Gonzalez cut the lead to just one with a goal in the 74th minute but the Artesians defense held on and they improved to 3-6-0 this season. Tri-Cities remained winless and fell to 0-5-3.
Oly Town Artesians goals: Jason Fairhurst (’34 & ’51), Christian Segovia (’36)
Tri-Cities Alliance goals: Daniel Sinchuk (’15), Israel Gonzalez (’74)
Tri-Cities Alliance 0, Yakima United 0
Tri-Cities goalkeeper Jose Herrera and Yakima goalkeeper Luis Birrueta pitched shutouts in a 0-0 draw at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco on Sunday afternoon. The Battle of I-82 was a hard fought game that favored Tri-Cities in possession and shots (10-3), but four shots hit the frame and Birrueta made six saves to preserve the draw for United. Yakima moved to 3-4-2 with the win and Tri-Cities picked up their fourth tie of the season and are 0-5-4.
Tri-Cities Alliance goals: None
Yakima United goals: None
PacNW SC 3, Bellingham United 2
Jasper Malamud and Richard Henderson traded goals in the 31st and 32nd minutes respectively, then Harrison Kurtz scored two second half goals to lead PacNW SC to an upset of Bellingham United on Sunday evening at French Field in Kent. Kurtz broke the game open in the 51st minute and then gave PacNW an insurance goal in the 79th. Henderson cut the lead to just one with a goal in the 90th minute but PacNW held on for the 3-2 win. With the win, PacNW clinched a playoff spot and with two games left are still alive for the #1 spot in the Rainier Conference. Bellingham could have clinched the #1 seed in the Cascade Conference but are now just one point ahead of the Seattle Stars with one game remaining for each team.
PacNW SC goals: Harrison Kurtz (’51 & ’79), Jasper Malamud (’31)
Bellingham United goals: Richard Henderson (’32 & ’90)
Evergreen Premier League 