Evergreen Premier League

The Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA) is an amateur men's soccer league in the U.S. state of Washington affiliated with the United States Adult Soccer Association. The league was established in 2013 and is contested by ten teams— eight from Western Washington and two from Eastern Washington. The current champions are Bellingham United. The league is headquartered in Bellingham.

Evergreen Premier League
Founded2013
First season2014
CountryUnited States
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams10
Domestic cup(s)Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup National Amateur Cup
Current championsSpokane Shadow (3rd title)
(2023)
Most championshipsSpokane Shadow
(3 titles)
Websiteeplwa.wordpress.com

History

EPLWA was founded in 2013 and began accepting clubs in August of that year, beginning with Bellingham United transferring from the Pacific Coast Soccer League as the league's founding member.[1] The league adopted its current logo, a silhouetted soccer player over a map of Washington, in September 2013.[2] On May 16, 2014, three weeks into the league's inaugural season, EPLWA was recognized as an "Elite Amateur League" affiliated with the United States Adult Soccer Association.[3]

The inaugural season was won by the Spokane Shadow.[4][5] The Shadow went on to win the second season with only a single defeat in their 13 matches, finishing with 32 points.[6][7]

Everett Jets FC was announced as the league's 12th team in 2020.[8]

Teams
Team City Stadium Founded Joined Titles
Bellingham United FC Bellingham Civic Stadium (4,000) 2011 August 6, 2013[1] 1
Everett Jets FC Everett Goddard Stadium (2,700) 2019 October 17, 2019[9] 0
FC Northstar Bellevue Bellevue TBA 2022 October 17, 2017[10] 0
Oly Town FC Artesians Reserves Olympia The Pavilion at The Evergreen State College 2022 December 7, 2016 0
Olympic Peninsula Force Bremerton Gordon Field (1,500) 2014 January 22, 2015[11][12] 0
Pacific Northwest SC Tukwila TBA 2018 November 29, 2018[13] 0
Spokane Shadow Spokane SFCC Stadium (4,000) 1996 August 19, 2013[14] 2
Vancouver Victory FC Vancouver Harmony Sports Complex 2013 September 4, 2013[15] 1
Washington Premier FC Lakewood Harry Lang Stadium (3,000) 2011 August 11, 2013[16] 2
Yakima United FC Yakima Marquette Stadium (2,000) 2010 January 21, 2014[17] 0

Former teams
Team City Stadium Founded Joined Folded
WestSound FC Silverdale Silverdale Stadium (2,500) 2013 August 14, 2013[18] 2015
Wenatchee FC Wenatchee Wenatchee Apple Bowl (3,000) 2013 August 12, 2013[19] 2016
Oly Town FC Artesians Olympia The Pavilion at The Evergreen State College 2014 March 4, 2020[20] Moved to USL League Two

Hiatus
Team City Stadium Founded Joined Start of Hiatus Titles
Seattle Stars FC Tukwila Starfire Sports Complex (4,500)[n 1] 2011 August 13, 2013[21] 1 (2017)
Tacoma Narrows FC Tacoma Silas High School 2018 October 15, 2019[22] March 4, 2020[23] 0
Tri-Cities Alliance FC Kennewick Neil F. Lampson Stadium (6,800) 2017 October 17, 2017[24] March 11, 2022[25] 0

Seasons
As of July 2022.[26]
Season Winner Runner-up Highest goalscorer Average attendance Total attendance
2014 Spokane Shadow (1) South Sound FC Tyler Bjork (Bellingham) 13 298 16,695
2015 Spokane Shadow (2) South Sound FC Eleazar Galvan (Wenatchee) 11 237 13,372[27]
2016 Vancouver Victory FC (1) Bellingham United Tyler Bjork (Seattle) 14 — —
2017 Seattle Stars FC (1) Bellingham United Tyler Bjork (Seattle) 14 — —
2018 Washington Premier FC (1) Seattle Stars FC Brandon Madsen (WPFC) 10 — —
2019 Washington Premier FC (2) Bellingham United FC Tyler Bjork (PacNW) 12 — —
2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[28]
2021 Bellingham United FC (1) Pacific Northwest SC Tyler Bjork (PacNW) 6 — —
2022 Bellingham United FC (2) Washington Premier FC Ale Tomasi (Bellingham) 8 — —
2023 Spokane Shadow (3) Yakima United FC

Notes
  1. Beginning in 2015, Seattle Stars FC played some of their home matches at Quil Ceda Stadium in Marysville.

References
  1. Falk, David (August 6, 2013). "Bellingham United FC accepted as founding member of Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA)". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  2. Falk, David (September 7, 2013). "The official logo of the Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  3. Falk, David (May 16, 2014). "Huge early honor: US Adult Soccer grants EPLWA Premier League status". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  4. Falk, David (July 20, 2014). "Spokane Shadow win EPLWA title in match #56". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  5. "Spokane Shadow claim inaugural Evergreen Premier League championship". The Spokesman-Review. July 20, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  6. Falk, David (July 26, 2015). "Shadow roll past Force, celebrate second EPLWA championship". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  7. "Area roundup: Adam Talley scores 4 as Shadow cruise past Olympic Force". The Spokesman-Review. July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  8. Patterson, Nick (January 27, 2020). "Community sports roundup: Everett Jets FC to join men's league". The Everett Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  9. "Everett Jets FC Flies Into Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. October 17, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  10. Falk, David (March 11, 2022). "EPLWA Adds FC Northstar Bellevue for 2022 season". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  11. Falk, David (January 22, 2015). "Bremerton's Olympic Force join the EPLWA". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  12. Graham, Jeff (January 21, 2015). "Olympic Force joining Evergreen Premier League". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  13. "PacNW Becomes Tenth Evergreen Premier League Member". Evergreen Premier League. November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  14. Falk, David (August 19, 2013). "Spokane Shadow to make historic return in 2014". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  15. Falk, David (September 4, 2013). "Vancouver Victory FC accepted as eighth EPLWA club". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  16. Falk, David (August 11, 2013). "South Sound FC becomes second club accepted into Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  17. Falk, David (January 21, 2014). "Yakima United joins Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  18. Falk, David (August 14, 2013). "WestSound FC Men join EPLWA, open doors for players on the peninsula". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  19. Falk, David (August 12, 2013). "Wenatchee United Football Club brings EPLWA soccer to the Valley". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  20. Falk, David (March 4, 2022). "Club Updates: Artesians Reserves In, Narrows Out". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  21. Falk, David (August 13, 2013). "Seattle Stars FC will return to statewide play in EPLWA". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  22. "Tacoma Narrows FC Joins Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. October 15, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  23. Falk, David (March 4, 2022). "Club Updates: Artesians Reserves In, Narrows Out". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  24. Falk, David (October 17, 2017). "Tri-Cities Alliance accepted into Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  25. Falk, David (March 11, 2022). "EPLWA Adds FC Northstar Bellevue for 2022 season". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  26. 26, 2022 "Standings". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  27. Falk, David (August 26, 2015). "Drawing a crowd harder for EPLWA clubs in league's second season". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  28. "Evergreen Premier League Cancels 2020 Season". Evergreen Premier League. April 2, 2020.
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