Logan Redinger, University of Washington ‘25
Spokane Zephyr FC went back and forth with Fort Lauderdale United FC to earn a 1-1 draw in front of a sold-out crowd in their historic home opener on Saturday night.
The match saw some familiar faces return to Spokane, including former Gonzaga Bulldog midfielder Sophia Braun. The midfielder started the match and played the entire 90 minutes, playing in a three-player midfield.
“I love Spokane, and being back here is so special,” Braun said. “Getting to have a lot of people that I love here cheer me on was amazing.”
Just prior to kickoff, more than 400 girls youth players streamed onto the pitch and surrounded Club President Katie Harnetiaux to symbolize both the roots and future of pro soccer in Spokane and America. Harnetiaux’s emotional remarks rallied the crowd into the club’s Rumble Tradition that welcomed players onto the pitch.
Both teams entered unfamiliar territory in the match, being the inaugural contest for both. But it was Fort Lauderdale who got off to a quick start with three shots, one on goal in the opening 10 minutes.
“In the first few minutes, we had a bit of technical issues and you could tell there was a tightness in the team,” said head coach Jo Johnson. “But after that, the players definitely settled in and played well.”
Spokane did indeed find its rhythm, and in the 16th minute, a phenomenal build-up from the defensive third led to forward Emina Ekić nut-megging a defender and drawing a penalty.
Ekić converted the penalty, and went down in the record books for scoring Spokane Zephyr FC’s first-ever goal.
“I was hyped,” Ekić said following the match. “It was a great team build-up, and that just represents what we embody as a team. We are one, and I think everybody is behind that.”
After the goal, Fort Lauderdale came flying back down the field and a header from forward Gianna Gourley forced a tremendous save by Spokane goalkeeper Izzy Nino in the 18th minute.
Both teams went into the half nearly equal on possession, with the score 1-0 in favor of Spokane.
Zephyr started the second half strong, with opportunities coming from Braun in the 47th minute and forward McKenzie Weinert in the 50th minute, both missing the target by a small margin.
Still down 1-0 and escaping a flurry of chances from Spokane, Fort Lauderdale began to possess and look dangerous.
In the 72nd minute, a costly Zephyr turnover resulted in a nice cross and finish from Fort Lauderdale’s Addie McCain, who leveled the score at one apiece.
Despite conceding, fans rallied behind Zephyr with 25 minutes remaining.
A huge chance to win the match came for Zephyr in the 85th minute when a beautiful cross from inside of the box by Weinert fell to Braun, but she missed her header just wide.
The match ended 1-1 in an evenly contested display from both teams.
“This is a very long season, and so now we have a lot to work on,” Johnson said. “We saw a lot of good stuff, and so it’s nice that we are not starting from scratch anymore.”
Spokane and Fort Lauderdale will each take a point as the standings begin to take shape for the first season of the USL Super League.
While the outcome was a draw, the evening was a celebratory win for the launch of professional women’s soccer in Spokane and the start of a new league that will dramatically expand opportunities for women in sports. The 509 Syndicate Supporters Group marched to the match and brought energy the full 90 minutes, and players signed fan autographs long after the game ended.
Spokane Zephyr FC will play three September home matches, Brooklyn FC on Sep. 8, Carolina Ascent on Sep. 15 and DC Power FC on Sep. 22. All three matches will take place at 6 p.m. at ONE Spokane Stadium.
