A ‘truly historic’ debut: Lisa Brown names Saturday ‘women’s soccer day in Spokane’ for Zephyr FC’s inaugural game

Mayor Lisa Brown proclaimed Saturday as “women’s soccer day in Spokane,” anticipating a “truly historic” occasion for sports in the city.

It’ll be the inaugural game for Spokane Zephyr FC, the newly formed professional women’s soccer club, the first of its kind in Spokane.

“When we look back, I think this is going to be momentous … this kickoff of women’s pro sports at the highest level,” Brown said Tuesday during a preseason celebration at ONE Spokane Stadium. “Now, we have this pinnacle of opportunity with women’s pro soccer, starting right here.”

The Zephyr are one of the eight founding members of the new USL Super League – a top-level pro women’s soccer league that will stream its games nationally on Peacock, competing for attention with the National Women’s Soccer League. The USL Super League, which plans to expand in the near future, will officially begin play Saturday afternoon.

The final USLS match of the night will feature the Zephyr, who are set to host Fort Lauderdale United FC at 6 p.m. at One Spokane Stadium.

“The emotions are exciting and eager,” Zephyr coach Jo Johnson said. “We want to give back to the game and respect it. We’ve got a lot of people from the community here, the mayor is here today. The whole town of Spokane – we feel that (energy) as a staff, as an organization, as players.

“We’re playing for a lot more than just results on the field. It’s for the whole city, the people who got us to where we are, the community, the soccer community. That encompasses a lot of emotion.”

From a broader perspective, Saturday will be a significant day for the continued growth of soccer in America and an important chapter for women’s sports, in terms of opportunities and recognition.

“It’s a testament to the growth of women’s sports,” said Johnson, the former Tulsa assistant who was hired in late June to head Spokane. “It’s just a culmination of things that we know people have fought for, and doors have been opened. We won’t take that lightly. We also want to be intentional with what we’re leaving as our legacy and our standard, and what this will look like in the future. We’re excited to take that on.”

The potential impact of the USLS isn’t lost on Zephyr players, several of whom spoke with the media Tuesday and expressed gratitude for the chance to put Spokane on the map as a soccer city.

“It’s special to be a part of,” said forward Jenny Vetter, a former top-tier pro in Portugal. “Growing up, there wasn’t always the most accessible leagues to watch. … Just seeing the way soccer has grown in the last decade, 5 years, it’s so special. The fact that we get to be a part of it on Saturday, we’re all grateful.”

The Zephyr roster is a diverse group featuring former Division I university stars, NWSL notables and international standouts. Many of the players competed for pro clubs overseas, and some continue to play for their home countries in international FIFA tournaments.

“Twenty-two brand new players, and (Johnson) has brought everybody together,” club president/co-owner Katie Harnetiaux said. “These women come from all sorts of different backgrounds, and they’re the most amazing women.”

The Zephyr boast former first-round picks in the NWSL draft. There are former All-Pac-12 and All-Big Ten honorees on the roster, for instance. Fans will see elite competition, featuring players who fared well at the highest levels in Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia, to name a few. They’ve been training together for just under two months – some were late to arrive due to international events.

“I’ve been here for about three weeks and I haven’t been here from the start just because of international games, but it’s such an easy group to fit into,” said Bosnian-American forward Emina Ekic, a former first-round pick in the NWSL draft out of Louisville. “It was so organized and easy to get into. What sets us apart is how close we are and how good we are in the locker room. I think that’s going to translate onto the field. … We all have a point to prove and the level is high in training, and I think we’re ready to prove it coming into this weekend.”

There’s also some local flair. Forward Taryn Ries prepped at Ridgefield High in southwest Washington, then spent some time as a pro in Sweden and Germany. Center-back Sophia Braun played at Gonzaga and serves on Argentina’s national team. Forward Jodi Ulkekul also starred for the Zags before pro stints in the NWSL, and in Spain and Italy. Defender Haley Thomas, a former pro in Iceland, hails from Kennewick.

“I didn’t even totally have the USL on my radar,” Ries said. “Just at the time, being abroad, I was focused on that. But getting the call, as I had more conversations and learned about their vision, it became apparent to me that this is a special place to be. On top of that, being from Washington, I thought it was so cool to be a part of a new League 1 and a new inaugural team in my home state, to grow women’s soccer for future girls and myself.”

It’s been a long process to get this league and club up and running. Harnetiaux said she’d been part of the planning with the USL over the past two-and-a-half years, “helping craft what this league will look like.” Spokane was granted a franchise in May 2023, and since then, Harnetiaux has been hard at work, putting the pieces together. Now, the Zephyr are finally set to make history.

“I think I’ll finally breathe on Sunday for the first time in nine months,” Harnetiaux said. “We’ve achieved what we set out to achieve … ultimately, to turn Spokane into a soccer town, right?”