Spokane Zephyr hosts Carolina Ascent on Saturday for first home game since October

The midseason break has ended and the second half of the USL Women’s Super League has kicked off for the Spokane Zephyr.

The gates of ONE Spokane Stadium will again open to soccer fans on Saturday as the Zephyr host the Carolina Ascent at 5 p.m.

In its inaugural season, Spokane is 3-6-6 after a 1-0 road win over Dallas Trinity FC (6-4-6) on Feb. 22.

It was a unique break for professional soccer in the United States as the preceding Division I league, the National Women’s Soccer League, plays its season in entirety.

The Zephyr’s final match before the break was a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay Sun FC on Dec. 21 – the 14th match of the first half of the season with another 14 scheduled for the second half.

“I think that the break was a good mental, physical reset time, and it’s nice, especially how it fell over the holidays, that you get to spend time with friends, families and just kind of, in a way, separate a little bit from the soccer side of things,” Zephyr midfielder Taylor Aylmer said.

“We’re in a position where the second half is really important to us.”

Being an inaugural league, every team is still trying to get its footing and figure out the best way to attack a season.

“Everyone is going through the same thing, and I think every club and market have their own unique challenges,” Zephyr midfielder Marley Canales said. “There are just not too many excuses that we can use because everyone is in a similar boat.”

Spokane last played at home on Oct. 27, scheduling road matches in warmer areas into December.

Canales just wants to get back in front of the Spokane fans.

“I think that this city, in this market, is so unique,” Canales said. “I’ve never been in a city that’s really like Spokane and just embraces athletics as a whole.

“To see people kind of appreciate what we do is special. There’s really no other word for it, it really makes you feel proud. I’m definitely excited to be in front of our crowd again.”

Aylmer said the young girls they see after every match is also a reason they play this game.

“It’s something that we as a team don’t take lightly,” Ayler said. “We are beyond grateful for their support, so to come out – and for the spring, we have the table to climb – to have their support in doing that is going to be immense.”

Spokane is nine points back of a playoff spot with a game in hand – Dallas has played 16 matches, Spokane 15.

During the winter, the Zephyr added two new players, one new assistant coach and signed two players to permanent contracts after they spent the first half of the season on loan.

The two new players are Reese Tappan, a defender, and Ally Cook, a forward.

Cook spent last season with the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL.

The 24-year-old spent five seasons between the University of Oregon and UCLA, where she was a national title winner.

Head coach Jo Johnson said Cook’s experience and proven offensive repertoire makes her signing important.

“I really valued their emphasis on character and team culture,” Cook said in a release. “I can’t wait for this season.”

Tappan is on her first professional contract after spending her college career with Washington State.

The former Cougar said she is grateful to start her career with Spokane and that the city of Spokane as well as the entire Zephyr organization has welcomed her.

“She will add strength, size and valuable depth to our backline,” Johnson said in a release. “Her speed, athleticism and aggressive presence will be a significant asset to the team.”

Also added in late February was Sly Yeates, who will assume the role of first assistant coach under Johnson.

Her two-decade-long career most recently took her to Lexington Sporting Club in the Super League, but she has also spent time as the program director for a high school girls soccer program in Salt Lake City.

While coaching, Yeates was on staff for the Olympic Development Program in the Midwest Region between 2022-24 as well as a coach for the West Coast Region in 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sly to our staff,” Johnson said in a release. “She is an incredible coach, on and off the pitch, who models the kind of high character we are looking for in our club.

“With a wealth of experience across multiple levels of the game, she has earned success at every step and continues to grow at the highest levels.”

The other two players officially signed, Sophia Braun, a Gonzaga graduate, and McKenzie Weinert, a former Seattle Reign player, are now under contracts rather than loans.

The two played 689 minutes and 792 minutes, respectively, while starting nine of the 14 matches in the first half of the season.

Braun echoed her comments that she had made throughout the fall, expressing her love for the Spokane community and her excitement for the second half of the season.

“As we saw in the first part of the season, her dynamic and explosive style of play causes a lot of trouble for opposing teams in the league,” Johnson said in a release.

The additions are meant to accentuate the roster rather than bring in new blood to alter the chemistry.

Aylmer is expecting to see, within the first few games, the culture to burst through.

“In the fall, we were trying to figure it out a little bit,” Aylmer said.

“But I think as we’ve come back into market for the second half of the season, the picture of the kind of team we want to be is pretty clear.”