Spokane, WA — Spokane Velocity FC scored two second-half goals to lift them over Athletic Club Boise in a wild USL Cup match on Saturday, remaining undefeated at home in 2026.
Spokane’s head coach Leigh Veidman spoke on how the offense flowed throughout the match and how they adjusted to Boise’s defense.
“We had to be patient in finding the right spaces to attack,” said Veidman. “It was a little disjointed in the first half in terms of the final third getting into the 18-yard box, so we tried to tweak some things at halftime to give ourselves a couple more chances inside the box.”
Boise were the aggressors early, with midfielder Nick Moon putting pressure on Spokane’s box in the 12th minute, getting a potential shot deflected by Velocity FC defender Derek Waldeck. In the 16th minute, midfielder Denys Kostyshyn tried another attempt for Boise, this time from 35 yards out, which was saved by goalkeeper Sean Lewis.
Velocity FC returned the intensity as the first half went on. Defender Simon Fitch sent a promising crosser into the penalty area in the 15th minute that Luis Gil connected on, just missing a header to the left. Spokane continued to apply pressure, with midfielder Collin Fernandez taking an open shot outside the box in the 34th minute that was set up by an interception, with the attempt sailing wide left.
Spokane’s best scoring chance of the half came in the 37th minute when forward Neco Brett missed a right footed shot in the centre of the box by inches. Shavon John-Brown ignited the opportunity with a crosser to Brett, who barely missed the go-ahead goal.
Velocity FC created more chances in the second half that nearly converted into goals. In the 58th minute, Waldeck sent in a corner kick that defender Gagi Margvelashvili
received and fired towards goal, with his attempt deflected out by Boise midfielder Philip Mayaka.
Spokane finally struck in the 71st minute, with defender Camron Miller scoring a perfect header inside the box to give his side a 1-0 lead. Miller perfectly timed his header attempt off a corner kick by Waldeck to score his first goal of the season.
Miller reflected on his scoring sequence with Waldeck that gave his side the momentum to finish the match with a win.
“Me and Derek are always working on it every single week, so it felt good to put it into action and get a goal,” said Miller.
Velocity FC was not satisfied with one goal, however. In the 74th minute, midfielder Andre Lewis scored a goal of his own to give Spokane a 2-0 lead over its regional rival. Brett set up Lewis well in the centre of the box to give him his first goal of 2026.
Andre spoke on how important Saturday’s match was for not just Spokane, but for himself, as well.
“Spokane is like home for me, being here for three years,” said Lewis. “To beat our rivals, our neighbors, that’s a plus for us and we’re going to keep pushing.”
Boise showed its resilience after Spokane’s two goal run, scoring in the 76th minute to cut the home side’s lead in half. Boise midfielder Blake Bodily sent in a curving shot off the far side that Sean Lewis mistimed his save on, leading to an own goal.
Boise was unable to find a last minute equalizer, however, securing Spokane its second straight cup win and eighth straight win at ONE Spokane Stadium. Velocity FC is now second in group one standings, just behind Sacramento Republic FC.
Coach Veidman reflected on what needs to be done next week when Spokane faces AV Alta FC on the road seeking its first win away from home this season.
“Just finishing our chances, we had a couple tonight that we probably should have scored but we didn’t, that’s the game,” said Veidman. “When we do what we did tonight, finishing two of our three chances, we put ourselves in a good spot to win the game.”
Following Saturday’s pivotal cup win, the Lads will hit the road for a match against AV Alta FC at Lancaster Municipal Stadium in Lancaster, California on June 13. The game is set to kickoff at 8:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
For tickets to Velocity FC’s next home match on June 20 in a USL League One Finals rematch against One Knoxville SC, visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.
