By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25
In its second-to-last match of the regular season, Spokane Velocity FC travels to face Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at 6 p.m. PDT Saturday, in what could be a preview of a No. 2 vs. No. 7 quarterfinal showdown in the USL League One Playoffs.
Both teams have already secured their postseason berths, with Velocity (7-8-5) currently in seventh place and expected to retain that seeding. Northern Colorado (10-5-5), currently third in the standings, could move up to second with a victory over Spokane, provided Forward Madison FC also loses its match on Saturday.
Spokane and Northern Colorado have met three times across all competitions this season, with Velocity taking a 1-0 victory on March 23 and the Hailstorm winning 3-1 on both June 29 and Aug. 31.
Northern Colorado striker Ethan Hoard has been a standout in these encounters, netting goals in each of the past two matchups. The 23-year-old scored in the seventh minute of the June meeting and converted a penalty in the 87th minute of the August game, helping secure victories for his club.
Hoard and the Hailstorm have racked up 32 goals this season while only allowing 18, posting the third-best goal differential in the league at 14.
Velocity have the eighth-best goal differential in the league at -8 and are looking to snap a four-match losing streak. Their latest contest saw a 3-2 loss against Greenville Triumph SC at home. Forwards Josh Dolling and Anuar Peláez both notched goals for head coach Leigh Veidman’s club, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Triumph, who were led by a two-goal outing from the league’s scoring leader, Lyam MacKinnon.
The outcome tempered an otherwise historic day for Spokane. Just minutes into the match, a loss from Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in an earlier game secured Velocity’s spot in the postseason, where it joins Union Omaha (2020) and Charlotte Independence (2022) as the only clubs to qualify for the playoffs in their first season since the USL League One’s founding in 2019.
As Velocity looks to end the regular season on a high note, they will also have to face fifth-place One Knoxville on Saturday, Oct. 26, at ONE Spokane Stadium.
“I feel like it’s a great test for us, and it’s good to end the regular season against those types of opponents because it pushes us more,” said midfielder Luis Gil.
The match against One Knoxville will also celebrate Halloween/Fan Appreciation Night, with the club honoring its fans for producing the third-highest home attendance in USL League One this season.
Get tickets to Velocity FC’s last home match this season! $12 Fan Appreciation Special!
