By Cam McCann, Gonzaga ‘25, and Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga ‘26
To say Saturday’s Spokane Zephyr FC match lived up to expectations is an understatement.
“It was everything I hoped it would be and more,” said club president Katie Harnetiaux after the match.
As Spokane Zephyr FC took the field for its inaugural match in USL Super League against Fort Lauderdale United FC in front of a sold out home crowd, the excitement for professional women’s soccer could be heard throughout ONE Spokane Stadium.
“I’ve never heard the stadium so loud,” Harnetiaux said. “They cheered for those girls, they cheered for the players, they cheered for Spokane. It was really a magical moment.”
On what Mayor Lisa Brown declared “Women’s Soccer Day” in Spokane, the mayor, along with family members of Zephyr players, joined the USL Spokane supporters club 509 Syndicate in celebrating women’s soccer as they marched from Riverfront Park to the stadium, cheering along the way.
“It was wild, everybody cheering and all so excited that this is happening…I thought the energy was a little bit bigger this time around,” said a fan who joined the march.
The magic of the pre-match atmosphere climaxed just minutes before kickoff, as more than 400 female youth soccer players shared the pitch alongside both teams and Harnetiaux, who made emotional remarks highlighting the significance of what Zephyr FC and USL Super League have brought to Spokane and the nation.
Jen O’Holloran’s two daughters were among the youth players on the pitch before the match.
“Both were really excited to put their jerseys on and go out there,” O’Holloran said. “It makes me proud of them to work hard, and especially see these ladies and how hard they work and [represent] what my daughters could become.”
“It was super fun,” said O’Holloran’s daughter Julia, 10. “It was kind of scary. Everybody was cheering loud, but it was a really cool experience.”
After starting lineups were introduced, Gonzaga University women’s soccer coach Katie Benz gave a wonderful performance of the National Anthem, leading to a roar of cheers while Mayor Brown brought out the match ball and performed the coin toss to get the historic match underway.
As the match progressed, cheers of “Let’s go Zephyr, let’s go!” could be heard throughout the stadium, led by exuberant young fans. The 509 Syndicate also kept the energy up throughout the contest with drums setting a beat for the crowd to follow.
“We’ll play up to all the themes, we’ll be here cheering, and we want this section to be as strong or stronger for women than it even is for the men,” said 509 Syndicate board member Kori Baker.
As Emina Ekić took the ball down the line off a deep cross and nutmegged a Fort Lauderdale defender to enter the penalty box, she was taken down, resulting in yells of disapproval from the crowd. Ekić was awarded the penalty and sunk it deep into the bottom right of the goal, scoring Spokane Zephyr FC’s first-ever goal and bringing the crowd to its feet.
“It was amazing,” said 509 Syndicate board member Jessica Prewitt. “It was so fun to see the team right here hug and everything. And I felt like, I just wanted to give them a big hug, because that was like, that was it! That was the first goal!”
With Spokane’s first 45 minutes of professional women’s sports under its belt, the excitement was nowhere near faltering. Even the coach of Spokane Velocity FC, Leigh Veidman, could notice that the cheers were something different than that of a regular match.
“Just being around the stadium, on the way in, in the parking lots, walking through town, you can feel and see the buzz around town. And then when you get in the stadium, you can really feel it, and you could feel it when the first goal went in,” Veidman said at halftime. “It’s not just a noise and a crowd. You can feel the excitement from people around you. People have been talking about it everywhere you go, so it’s really been a highly anticipated event, and now it’s actually happening. The buzz is real.”
Even as Fort Lauderdale equalized in the second half, the fans in ONE Spokane Stadium remained energetic and proud, refusing to let the goal extinguish their fervent enthusiasm.
As the final seconds of the match wound down, the crowd rose to their feet in celebration for this historic moment in Spokane.
Spokane’s pride was evident as fans stayed long after the final whistle for the players to walk around the pitch. The players remained outside to speak with fans, sign merch and see their friends and family who came out to support them.
“Obviously, I love Spokane, but just the fact that we can be in a city where we can be role models and an inspiration for young girls and young athletes, it’s so special,” said Zephyr midfielder and former Gonzaga Bulldog Sophia Braun. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet, but seeing everybody out here was amazing. Being able to sign autographs and look those little girls in the eyes is so special, and something we’re so grateful for.”
After everyone had left the stadium previously filled to the brim with fans, the mystical air still hung over ONE Spokane Stadium, and a successful USL Super League opening weekend left many fans wanting more.
“Our daughter will proudly be wearing Zephyr gear at their match in Brooklyn,” said a fan who will be heading east on Nov. 2 when Zephyr play at Brooklyn FC.
Overall, “Women’s Soccer Day” in Spokane was a monumental one for everyone involved, especially for Katie Harnetiaux who led the charge in bringing professional women’s soccer to the Lilac City.
“I saw in the faces of those girls, my daughter, my niece, my goddaughter, it was every small child that I’ve had the opportunity to help raise over the years, and just saw their fresh faces, so excited about what we were going to do,” Harnetiaux said. “And, you know, we had the opportunity to listen to them. And I just heard a couple girls leaving the stadium, and they were like, ‘I’m going to play soccer one day.’ And I just thought we did it, that’s what we wanted.”
