Zephyr

Zach McMillin, Lewis-Clark State College ‘25

Spokane Zephyr FC’s road trip continued Saturday in North Carolina where Zephyr and top ranked Carolina Ascent FC battled to a 0-0 draw. 

Zephyr now sits fifth on the table in the USL SuperLeague standings with a record of 2-4-4, moving up two spots from last week.

Both teams created multiple looks throughout the match. Carolina finished the match with 13 shots and two on target while Spokane created nine shots with three on target. 

In the 19th minute of the first half Carolina seemingly scored off a close-range shot from Jaydah Bedoya, but the goal was called back because she was offside. 

Toward the end of the first half Spokane created consecutive great looks in the 37th and 38th minutes. The first was a shot from the top of the box by Emina Ekic’ that deflected off the crossbar, followed by a close-range shot by Emma Jaskaniec that bounced off the right post. 

Spokane connected with each part of the frame in this match as Jenny Vetter hit a right-footed shot that deflected off the left post two minutes into stoppage time of the second half.

“It was a great performance by our team tonight,” said Zephyr defender Sydney Cummings. “We were unfortunate to hit the post a couple times and not put good chances away. We had a good game plan that we executed well and had them on their heels for most of the match.”

The team also showed poise and control throughout the match on the offensive end, maintaining a 47.3% possession rate.

“I’m proud of how we performed in all phases of the game,” said head coach Jo Johnson. “We were unlucky not to capitalize on a few chances, but this effort gives us confidence moving forward.” 

On the other end, Carolina Ascent FC found themselves in multiple scoring positions inside the box throughout the match but were constantly disrupted by the aggressive Zephyr defenders, who held Carolina scoreless for only the second time this season. 

“I’m proud of this team’s fight tonight,” said Zephyr midfielder Marley Canales. “We’ve talked as a team about putting a 90 minute performance together and I think we were close to that tonight. Any points on the road are big, so we’ll take this point and focus on our quick turnaround for Wednesday.”

Spokane Zephyr FC will head to Kentucky next to take on Lexington Sporting Club at Lexington Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 4 p.m. PDT. 

Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ‘26

Spokane Zephyr FC continues their search for the club’s third win in their rematch with Carolina Ascent FC at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m. PST. 

The match is Zephyr’s second of a six-match road trip to close out the fall schedule, and will be available to stream on Peacock. 

Carolina sits atop the USL Super League standings and is undefeated with a record of 5-0-5. Zephyr is seventh with a record of 2-4-3.

Zephyr faced Carolina for the first time on Sept. 15 and fell 2-0 at home. Carolina’s goals came from Sydney Studer and Mia Corbin, who is tied for third most goals in the league with three.

Spokane is coming off a 1-0 loss at Brooklyn FC on Oct. 31. Brooklyn’s Luana Grabias scored in the 14th minute, shooting from outside the box off an assist from Samantha Kroeger.  

“We know road points are hard to come by, and to find success on the road, we need to improve our decision making and technical execution,” head coach Jo Johnson said following the match. “We will get back to work and treat this game as a valuable learning experience as we navigate this road stretch.”

Carolina won their last match 1-0 over DC Power FC. Carolina defender Renée Guion scored from the penalty spot in the 20th minute and goalkeeper Meagan McClelland secured a league-leading fifth clean sheet on the season. 

Spokane will need to put up a tough attack early against Carolina as they aim to secure their third win of the season. Zephyr controlled 57.2% of possession in their first match against Carolina. They outshot Carolina 18 to 12 but were unable to find the back of the net. 

For the past two matches, Spokane has been without Emina Ekić, Sophia Braun and Riley Tanner, who were called up for international duty. They returned to training this week.

Spokane’s Marley Canales was named to USL Super League’s October team of the month with Taylor Aylmer earning a spot on the team of the month bench. Another standout on the Zephyr side is Sarah Clark who has played all 810 minutes of Spokane’s USL Super League season so far. 

From former pro teammates to a Rutgers connection, this weekend’s matchup will see familiar faces on opposite sides of the pitch. Carolina’s Audrey Harding played with Spokane’s Katie Murray and Aylmer at the Washington Spirit in 2022 and Carolina’s Cannon Clough and Spokane’s Clark were teammates in Australia for Canberra United. McClelland and Aylmer played together at Rutgers University from 2018-2019.

Following their match with Carolina, Spokane will continue their road trip with a match against Lexington SC at 4 p.m. PST on Wednesday at Lexington Stadium. From there, Zephyr will play three more matches on the road to close out the fall schedule.

Head to Flatstick Pub to cheer on Zephyr FC and Velocity FC this Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3:30 PM

By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Zephyr FC put up a strong fight, but an early goal was enough for Brooklyn FC to secure a 1-0 victory on Thursday in New York City.

With this win, Brooklyn (6-3-2) takes sole possession of first place on the USL Super League table with 20 points, edging out undefeated Carolina Ascent FC. Spokane (2-4-3) could have climbed as high as No. 3 with a positive result, but will instead remain at No. 6.

“Hard walking away with no points tonight,” said Zephyr defender Sarah Clark on the club’s unchanged position in the standings. “… Can’t fault the effort of the girls, we just have some areas we will need to refine before our next game.”

Brooklyn’s front line applied intensive pressure early on, compelling Zephyr defenders to shift the ball around frequently to avoid giving up possession near their own goal.

Spokane was successful maintaining the ball around the opposing forwards for the first 15 minutes, but a costly giveaway ultimately set up a score for the home team. Brooklyn midfielder Samantha Kroeger stole the ball from a Zephyr defender before making a short pass to Luana Grabias, who drilled a shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner of the net.

Zephyr had a chance to even up the score a few minutes later when Sarah Clark was awarded a free kick just inside Brooklyn’s half of the field. Clark lofted the ball over the top of a group of players, where it found defender Haley Thomas, whose shot was blocked by a Brooklyn defender. 

Thomas’ shot was one of two on the night for Spokane, while Brooklyn registered 15, including five on target. 

Zephyr’s second shot of the match came in the 50th minute when midfielder Marley Canales took a shot from outside the box that veered just right of the frame. The counterattack from Spokane saw Canales and her teammates attempting to capitalize on Brooklyn’s defense being out of position. 

Spokane made several more runs down the field, but came up short as Brooklyn sealed its third victory in a row.

“We fought hard today but unfortunately fell short,” said Zephyr forward Natalie Viggiano. “It’s important moving forward we regroup, analyze what went wrong and keep pushing on. We’ll learn from this and continue improving.”

The result marks the first win for Brooklyn over Zephyr this season after the clubs tied 1-1 in their previous meeting on Sept. 8 in One Spokane Stadium. Zephyr had a 1-0 advantage in the last encounter until Brooklyn scored the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 87th minute.  

Despite coming up short, Zephyr got a productive outing from goalkeeper Hope Hisey, who made her second start in a Zephyr uniform on Thursday. Hisey recorded four saves and allowed just one goal, following up a clean sheet performance in last Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay Sun FC. 

Zephyr will stay on the road to face Carolina at 6 p.m. on Saturday, giving Spokane another chance to take down one of the league’s top clubs. The teams faced off at ONE Spokane Stadium on Sept. 15, resulting in a 2-0 win for Ascent. 

After visiting Carolina, Spokane’s southern road trip continues against Lexington SC (Nov. 13), Dallas Trinity FC (Nov. 20), Fort Lauderdale United FC (Dec. 7) and Tampa (Dec. 14).

Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ’26

Spokane Zephyr FC is hitting the road for their final six matches of the fall schedule, starting with a rematch with Brooklyn FC on Thursday. 

Zephyr will kickoff against Brooklyn at Columbia University at 4:30 p.m. PDT. The game will be streamed on Peacock. 

Spokane sits sixth in the USL Super League standings with a 2-3-3 record. Brooklyn is second with a 5-3-2 record. 

The first meeting between the two sides on Sept. 8 ended in a 1-1 draw. It was Brooklyn’s first-ever match and Spokane’s second. Both clubs had little knowledge of each other. Spokane is looking forward to the rematch. 

“They like to play possession like we do,” said Zephyr head coach Jo Johnson. “I wish we would have got three points at home against them, but it’ll be a good matchup. And I’m excited to see them.”

Brooklyn was without an official head coach during the Sept. 8 match. Brooklyn appointed Jessica Silva as head coach on Sept. 23 and has a 3-3-1 record since. 

Zephyr will be without Emina Ekić, Sophia Braun and Riley Tanner, who have been called up for international duty. Ekić is representing the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team in Women’s Euro qualifying knockout matches against Serbia, while Braun is playing for Argentina in a friendly against the U.S. Women’s National Team on Wednesday. Tanner is representing Panama in international friendlies.

Zephyr enters the match against Brooklyn off a 1-0 victory against Tampa Bay Sun FC last Sunday. Marley Canales buried a top right corner shot from outside the penalty box in the 64th minute to call the match, scoring her first goal of the season. 

Four Zephyr players made their debuts against Tampa Bay, with Hope Hisey and Julianne Vallerand gaining their first starts. Mollie Rouse and Wayny Balata came off the bench in the second half to make their first appearances this season. Hisey earned a clean sheet in her debut, the second clean sheet of the season for Spokane. 

Brooklyn FC also won their last match with a 3-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale United FC on Sunday. Brooklyn’s Jessica Garziano has three goals on the season, tied for fourth-most goals in the USL Super League. 

Zephyr is on the road for their final six matches of the fall slate before taking a winter break and then resuming the 2024-2025 season in February. Following Brooklyn, they will face Carolina Ascent at 1 p.m. PST on Nov. 9 at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The match will be streamed live on Peacock.

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Spokane Zephyr FC made the most of its final home match of the fall schedule, edging out a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay Sun FC on Sunday at ONE Spokane Stadium.

The victory propelled Zephyr (2-3-3) from last place to No. 6 on the table, while the Sun (2-3-3) fell one spot to No. 7. With both teams holding identical records, the tiebreaker comes down to head-to-head points earned, and Spokane’s three-point result over Tampa Bay served as the deciding factor.

“It feels like our work has finally paid off,” said Zephyr defender Haley Thomas. “Obviously, we still have work to do, but we’ve been battling. We’ve had some tough, either losses or ties, where we feel like we lost some points that we could have had, and so I feel like today was definitely a rewarding feeling.”

After a sluggish first half where Zephyr struggled to control the ball and only maintained a 36.2% possession rate, they ramped up the intensity on both ends of the pitch to start the second half. 

In the 59th minute, Spokane’s Sydney Cummings picked up a foul, which led to some heated physicality from both sides during the set up of Tampa Bay’s free kick.

As the tension increased, Spokane was able to respond on its end of the pitch by creating some physicality and drawing a foul from Tampa Bay’s Jade Moore in the 63rd minute, setting up a free kick for Spokane’s Sarah Clark. 

Clark’s initial set piece kick deflected off a Tampa Bay defender and sailed to the top of the box, where Marley Canales launched a right-footed strike straight to the back of the net to give Spokane its first goal. This was also Canales’ first goal of the season. 

“I just did my role, and was at the right place at the right time,” Canales said of the moment. “I feel like I’ve been coming close to finishing, and … I’ve loved this club since day one, so I’m super happy that I could work to get this team three points that we deserved.”

Spokane was able to increase its intensity on the defensive end as well in the second half, holding Tampa Bay to only four shots during that span, with three of them being on target. 

As a team, Zephyr had 18 tackles with a 72.2% tackle success rate, along with a total of 21 clearances on the defensive end. 

In her Zephyr debut, goalkeeper Hope Hisey recorded a clean sheet with six saves throughout the match, helping keep the Sun off the scoreboard.

“The coaches told me I was going to start this game, and I was able to go out there and do it because my teammates have instilled a lot of confidence in me,” Hisey said. “I’ve just focused on being the best person in the locker room that I can be, and just waiting and being prepared for that opportunity.”

The club will be heading to the Big Apple for Halloween to play Brooklyn FC on Thursday, Oct. 31, marking the start of a six-match road trip to end the fall schedule. Brooklyn FC is second in the league standings with a record of 5-3-2. The match is set to start at 4:30 p.m. PDT and will be available to stream on Peacock. 

Zephyr hosted Brooklyn on Sept. 8, with the two clubs playing to a 1-1 draw after the visitors scored the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 87th minute. 

“They like to play possession like we do,” said Zephyr head coach Jo Johnson. “I wish we would have got three points at home against them, but it’ll be a good matchup. And I’m excited to see them.”

ONE Spokane Stadium won’t host another match until Saturday, March 8, following the club’s winter break, when Zephyr takes on Caroline Ascent FC.

Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ‘26

Spokane Zephyr FC’s Emina Ekić, Sophia Braun and Riley Tanner have been called up for international duty to play for their respective senior national teams at the end of the month. They are among some of the first USL Super League players to represent their countries in a FIFA window. 

Braun will represent Argentina in an international friendly with the United States on Oct. 30. She has 29 caps with the Argentina national team. She will report to training camp on Oct. 26 and return to club play following the match.  

Braun played for Argentina and scored the country’s first goal in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

Braun has appeared in five matches for Zephyr this season for a total of 382 minutes. 

“It’s always an honor to represent Argentina and to wear the jersey,” Braun said. “It will be really special for me to play against the U.S., I know hearing both of the national anthems before the game will be emotional for me as it represents my blended nationalities. Being able to compete against a powerhouse like the U.S. is really important for us and I hope that we can showcase our passion for the game and give the reigning Olympic champs some true competition.”

Ekić has been named to the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team for UEFA European Women’s Championship playoff matches against Serbia at the end of the month. Ekić was first called up to the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team in 2023 and has since collected 12 international caps. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina will have matches on Oct. 25 and Oct. 29 against Serbia in the W Euro knockout stage. Ekić will report for camp on Oct. 21 and return to Spokane following the matches. 

Ekić has played in five matches for Spokane this season. She scored Zephyr’s first-ever goal in their inaugural match and has two goals and two assists on the season so far. 

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be among some of the first in the league,” Ekić said. “I am super excited to represent Zephyr, the USL and Bosnia on the international stage.”

Tanner has been called up to the Panama Women’s National Team camp at the end of the month. She will report to training camp on Oct. 21.

Tanner has collected 14 international caps for Panama including appearing in three matches in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also appeared in three matches in the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup for Panama. 

“This set of games is the start of a new era for Panama,” Tanner said. “We just hired a new coach and I am excited to get to know her and her playing style. I hope to come in coachable and help her get her first international friendly wins as we begin our push toward the World Cup.”

Zephyr will play their final home match of the fall on Oct. 27 against Tampa Bay Sun FC at 2 p.m. PDT at ONE Spokane Stadium. They will finish the fall season with a six-match road trip.

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By Cameron McCann, Gonzaga University ‘25

 In their inaugural season, Spokane Zephyr FC played seven of their first eight matches at home this fall. To add a special touch, the club gave each home match a unique superlative.

Authentic, tenacious and brilliant are a few examples of the themes Zephyr gave to match days. The themes are representative of club values, and therefore the values it hopes to inspire within fans and the greater community. 

With this in mind, each Zephyr player was asked who they believe best embodies each superlative. The two themes in the inaugural poll were “united,” from Oct. 13, and “confident,” the theme of the Oct. 27 fall home finale. 

Unity is huge for a club in its first-ever season. A team’s togetherness can bring them out of a midseason rut or spark a winning streak. The club was almost unanimous in their pick for who embodied unity: forward Jodi Ülkekul. 

“Off the field, she is so sweet and always checking in on everyone, but on the field she’s the one who will hold you accountable and keep the standard high, which keeps us wanting to play for each other and push one another to be better,” said forward Riley Tanner.

Ülkekul’s skill at bringing a team together isn’t a new development. The 26-year-old was named as a team captain in her final two seasons playing at Gonzaga University after walking on her freshman season. 

Multiple teammates mentioned how Ülkekul goes out of her way to support her teammates. Her energy radiates through the entire organization, but Ülkekul believes she’s not the only one beaming unifying energy. 

“I’ve never been a part of a team where every person roots for each other so genuinely, and unity is a natural outcome of that,” Ülkekul said. “I’m glad they think I’ve got their backs, because I do.”

While Ülkekul’s unity has brought the team together, the confidence of defender Sarah Clark is a trait that’s apparent to those around Zephyr FC. 

“Confidence comes easy to her on the soccer field, she plays with a fire and passion that is unmatched,” said midfielder Sophie Braun.

Clark, a Big Ten product, is said to be confident both on and off the field, and she carries herself in an “inspiring” way that motivates her teammates to go all-out in both practices and matches. 

Confidence is a huge factor for Zephyr’s backline. It helps each member have fast decision-making skills and play with a poise that only a certain level of player can reach.

“My confidence is a testament to the trust I have in those around me,” Clark said. “Most of all, it comes from my faith in Christ and knowing that my identity is in Him and not in my performance on the soccer pitch.”

Thanks to this mindset built by faith and trust, Clark has helped create the second-most chances for Zephyr, while playing an anchor role on the backline, leading the team in clearances and blocks.

Interestingly enough, both Ülkekul and Clark cited each other in their responses on unity. In fact, all but one of the responses mentioned at least one of the two, and oftentimes both. 

Clark’s confidence will need to be on display against Tampa Bay Sun FC on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., which is “Send-off Night” with the aforementioned theme confidence. Zephyr then enter a seven-match away stretch to finish off the first half of the season which will certainly require them to be, well, tenacious.

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By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

A late goal gave Lexington SC its first win of the season as the club defeated Spokane Zephyr FC in 3-2 fashion on Sunday afternoon at ONE Spokane Stadium.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Madison Perez delivered a corner kick into the box, where Sydney Shepherd’s header found the back of the net. The go-ahead score sealed the victory for Lexington, with Spokane failing to provide an equalizer in the last four minutes before the final whistle. 

The result has minimal impact on the USL Super League table, where Zephyr (1-3-3) remains in sixth place and Lexington (1-4-2) maintains its spot at the bottom of the standings.

Lexington was the aggressor early, controlling roughly 60% of the possession through the first 15 minutes. Spokane struggled to maintain the ball, even in their own half, dealing with pressure from Lexington’s front line. 

As Zephyr worked to handle Lexington’s attack, they lost a key piece of their backline when Taryn Ries left the match with an injury in the ninth minute. 

The first breakthrough for Lexington came in the 17th minute when Shea Moyer took a shot from outside of the box that deflected off Zephyr goalkeeper Izzy Nino’s hands and into the goal. 

Spokane began to find a rhythm as the half continued, and a long possession in the 37th minute eventually led to a one-touch score from Emma Jaskaniec. The ball bounced around the box before landing at Jaskaniec’s feet, and she fired it into the net for her professional goal.  

“Not all goals are pretty goals, like some are gonna be scrappy, and the ball fell right to my feet, and I just struck it as hard as I could into the back of the net, and it ended up going through everybody and scoring,” Jaskaniec said. “It was definitely a cool feeling, scoring my first professional goal.”

With the score level at 1-1 going into halftime, Lexington regained the lead just three minutes into the second half after Marykate McGuire drilled a shot in the bottom left corner.  

Spokane found its second equalizer in the 58th minute, following a well-placed long pass from Haley Thomas that found a streaking Emina Ekić. Ekić then dribbled past her defender and buried a shot just under the crossbar for her second goal of the season. 

“I literally think I made eye contact with Haley all the way across the field,” Ekić said. “… It was a great ball, it hit me mid-stride and then I got to go 1-on-1 and finish.”

The match remained tied until stoppage time when Perez’s corner kick connected with Shepherd’s head to give Lexington the final lead of the match.

Spokane came up short despite outshooting Lexington 21-15, including six more shots in the box. Goalkeeper Sarah Cox played a pivotal role in limiting Zephyr’s attack, tallying six saves. 

Spokane goalkeeper Izzy Nino recorded five saves, bringing her total to 25 this season — the highest mark in the league. 

Zephyr will enjoy a 13-day break before returning to action, hosting Tampa Bay Sun FC (2-1-3) on Sunday, Oct. 27. Each of Spokane’s home matches has a theme, and this one will be “confident.” 

“We’ll go back to the drawing board and give [the players] a little break,” said Zephyr head coach Jo Johnson. “It’s been quite a grind here so we’ll just get after it for a couple weeks to start training and getting better before we play Tampa.”

The match against Tampa Bay on Sunday, Oct. 27 will be the last home game until March, as Zephyr embarks on a stretch of seven consecutive road matches, followed by a winter break before resuming the spring portion of the inaugural season. The club will be celebrating “Send Off Night,” encouraging supporters to pack the stadium with a $12 fan appreciation ticket special, Zephyr shoelace giveaway to the first 500 fans, face painting, photo booth and more.

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Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ‘26

In their second home match this month, Spokane Zephyr FC will host Lexington Sporting Club at 2 p.m. on Sunday at ONE Spokane Stadium. 

The match will honor the theme “United” and celebrate Unity Day with Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson the match’s “Unity” honoree.

Zephyr is looking for their next win after falling 2-1 in a hard-fought match with Dallas Trinity FC on Oct. 6. Taylor Aylmer scored the lone goal for Spokane in the 72nd minute after McKenzie Weinert shot the ball off a corner kick that deflected off a Dallas defender to allow Aylmer a one-touch goal. 

“I think it’s a matter of us taking today, taking how we feel, and just building upon it,” Aylmer said of Zephyr’s mentality after the Dallas match. “We had a lot of good moments, so how do we just build upon those moments and have more of them, and then just add in that final piece of executing in front of goal.”

Lexington FC is without a win in the USL Super League. They played Carolina Ascent FC to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 6, with Kimberly Mendez scoring in late stoppage time for Lexington off a corner kick from Maddy Perez. Perez, a California native, leads the league in assists with four. 

Spokane (1-2-3) sits sixth in USL Super League standings and ranks second in shots (76), averaging one goal per game. Lexington (0-4-2) is eighth in the standings. Spokane’s Thais Reiss was suspended for one game following her red card against Dallas, however she is currently out of action with a long term knee injury. 

Izzy Nino will face her former college teammate in Lexington’s Sydney Shepherd on Sunday. They played together from 2018-2021 on the University of Michigan women’s soccer team and were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2021. The Northville native sits second in saves across the league (20), trailing behind DC Power FC’s Morgan Aquino by two saves.

The match kicks off at 2 p.m. PDT and will be broadcast live on Peacock and locally on SWX.

Zephyr will play their final home match of the fall against Tampa Bay Sun FC on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. PDT at ONE Spokane Stadium. The match will be send-off day with the theme “Confidence.”

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