Evergreen Premier League

Evergreen Premier League
Country  United States
Confederation CONCACAF
Founded 2013
First season 2014
Number of teams 8
Level on pyramid 5
Domestic cup(s) Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Current champions Vancouver Victory FC
(2016)
Most championships Spokane Shadow (2)
Website eplwa.com

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 seven teams—five from Western Washington and two from Eastern Washington. The EPLWA regular season runs from April to July, with teams playing 14 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away) totaling 56 matches in the season; the team with the best record in the single-table league is recognized as that season's champion.[1] The current champions are the Vancouver Victory FC, who won the 2016 season—their first title. The league is headquartered in Bellingham.

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.[2] The league adopted its current logo, a silhouetted soccer player over a map of Washington, in September 2013.[3] 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.[4]

The inaugural season was won by the Spokane Shadow.[5][6] The Shadow went on to win the second season with only a single defeat in their 13 matches, finishing with 32 points.[7][8]

Teams

Team City Stadium Founded Joined Website
Bellingham United Bellingham Civic Stadium (4,000) 2011 August 6, 2013[2] bellinghamunited.com
Olympic Force Bremerton Gordon Field (1,500) 2014 January 22, 2015[9][10] olympicforce.com
Seattle Stars FC Tukwila Starfire Sports Complex (4,500)[n 1] 2011 August 13, 2013[11] seattlestarsfc.com
South Sound FC Lakewood Harry Lang Stadium (3,000) 2011 August 11, 2013[12] southsoundfc.com
Spokane Shadow Spokane SFCC Stadium (4,000) 1996 August 19, 2013[13] spokanesoccerclubshadow.org
Vancouver Victory Vancouver McKenzie Stadium (5,000) 2013 September 4, 2013[14] vancouvervictoryfc.com
Yakima United FC Yakima Marquette Stadium (2,000) 2010 January 21, 2014[15] yakimaunited.net

Former teams

Team City Stadium Founded Joined Folded Website
WestSound FC Silverdale Silverdale Stadium (2,500) 2013 August 14, 2013[16] 2015 westsoundfcmen.com
Wenatchee FC Wenatchee Wenatchee Apple Bowl (3,000) 2013 August 12, 2013[17] 2016 wenatcheefc.com

Other teams

Team City Stadium Founded Joined Status Website
FC Three Rivers Tri-Cities 2011 August 15, 2013[18] On hold since January 17, 2014[19] 3rsc.org

Seasons

As of August 2016.[20]
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[21]
2016 Vancouver Victory FC (1) Bellingham United Tyler Bjork (Seattle Stars) 14

Notes

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

References

  1. 1 2 Falk, David (April 17, 2015). "Evergreen Premier League announces 2015 season schedule". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Falk, David (August 6, 2013). "Bellingham United FC accepted as founding member of Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA)". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ Falk, David (September 7, 2013). "The official logo of the Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ Falk, David (May 16, 2014). "Huge early honor: US Adult Soccer grants EPLWA Premier League status". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Falk, David (July 20, 2014). "Spokane Shadow win EPLWA title in match #56". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Spokane Shadow claim inaugural Evergreen Premier League championship". The Spokesman-Review. July 20, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ Falk, David (July 26, 2015). "Shadow roll past Force, celebrate second EPLWA championship". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Area roundup: Adam Talley scores 4 as Shadow cruise past Olympic Force". The Spokesman-Review. July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ Falk, David (January 22, 2015). "Bremerton's Olympic Force join the EPLWA". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ Graham, Jeff (January 21, 2015). "Olympic Force joining Evergreen Premier League". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ Falk, David (August 13, 2013). "Seattle Stars FC will return to statewide play in EPLWA". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ Falk, David (August 11, 2013). "South Sound FC becomes second club accepted into Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ Falk, David (August 19, 2013). "Spokane Shadow to make historic return in 2014". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ Falk, David (September 4, 2013). "Vancouver Victory FC accepted as eighth EPLWA club". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ Falk, David (January 21, 2014). "Yakima United joins Evergreen Premier League". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  16. ↑ Falk, David (August 14, 2013). "WestSound FC Men join EPLWA, open doors for players on the peninsula". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  17. ↑ Falk, David (August 12, 2013). "Wenatchee United Football Club brings EPLWA soccer to the Valley". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  18. ↑ Falk, David (August 15, 2013). "FC Three Rivers will bring EPLWA semi-pro soccer to Tri-Cities". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  19. ↑ Falk, David (January 17, 2014). "Evergreen Premier League puts TriCities club on hold for 2014". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Standings". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  21. ↑ Falk, David (August 26, 2015). "Drawing a crowd harder for EPLWA clubs in league's second season". Evergreen Premier League. Retrieved September 15, 2015.

External links

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