Zephyr

Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ‘26

In the first of three September home matches for Spokane Zephyr FC, the team picked up their second 1-1 draw of the season as they hosted Brooklyn FC Sunday night. 

 “We left some chances out there,” said head coach Jo Johnson. “So, a little bit disappointed but happy that we were creating those chances and implementing what we’ve been working on, and then just continuing to build as the season progresses and putting those pieces together.”

Zephyr had one match under their belt and a two week break between matches entering the match against Brooklyn, who had yet to make their USL Super League debut following their first match being postponed due to unplayable field conditions.

The first half saw both teams going back and forth, with Spokane controlling 56.4% of possession. A shot was not recorded until the 17th minute when Brooklyn’s Leah Scarpelli took the ball off her left foot and shot it over Spokane’s goal from outside the penalty box. 

Alyssa Bourgeois got her first start for Zephyr as a right back and put in a solid defensive shift against the Brooklyn press. On the offensive side, she had a key cross to Emma Jaskaniec who sent it wide in the last minute of the match.  

Spokane’s first chance to score wouldn’t come until the 21st minute when Emina Ekić had a shot on target saved by the keeper off a stray pass in the penalty box. She was caught offside, giving possession back to Brooklyn. 

Zephyr found the breakthrough in the 35th minute through Taryn Ries. Ekić dribbled down the far right side, threading a cross on the ground to Ries who was waiting on the backside to bury it in the bottom right corner of the net. 

“It feels great,” Ries said. “I mean, just to be surrounded by all these fans, in my home state, it’s just such a good feeling, for sure.”

Brooklyn kept pressure on Spokane throughout the first half and entered the second half hungry for a goal. Early in the half, Izzy Nino saved a shot from Brooklyn just inside the box, her first of three saves on the night.

Both Jodi Ülkekul and Jenny Vetter made their debuts for Spokane with Gonzaga product Ülkekul replacing Ries in the 63rd minute and Vetter replacing Ekic in the 79th.

Despite being outshot 10-7, Zephyr was able to hold on to their lead until the 85th minute when Nino saved a shot inside the penalty box that rebounded to a Brooklyn forward who was brought down by Nino leading to a penalty for Brooklyn. The call resulted in the fourth yellow card of the night against Spokane and Brooklyn’s first ever goal when Jessica Garziano converted the penalty.

Spokane was unable to find the back of the net in the remaining minutes of the half plus five minutes of stoppage time, settling for a 1-1 draw and earning a point on the league table.

“It definitely felt like it was another first game, just with three weeks being in between each game,” captain Sarah Clark said. “It’ll be nice moving forward, kind of getting into a rhythm of a week of training and then a game every weekend. So yeah, I felt like today we kind of had a bit of jitters again. So I feel like getting into that rhythm will take that side of it away.”

Zephyr remains at fourth in the USL Super League standings with 2 points and a record of 0-0-2. The club is looking for its first win of the season and have two home games left in “Zeptember.” Spokane will host Carolina Ascent FC on Sept. 15 for STEM Night with match theme “Brilliant” and DC Power FC on Sept. 22 at ONE Spokane Stadium. On Sept. 15, bring the family for a fun science project on the concourse courtesy of Mobius. 

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By Kaya Crawford, Gonzaga University ‘26

Spokane Zephyr FC is gearing up for their second match of the USL Super League inaugural season when they host Brooklyn FC on Sunday, Sept. 8 at ONE Spokane Stadium. 

Zephyr had a two week break since their season opener against Fort Lauderdale United FC that ended in a 1-1 draw. Head Coach Jo Johnson’s squad currently sits in fourth in the USL Super League standings with a 0-0-1 record. 

Brooklyn FC has yet to debut in the USL Super League. Their inaugural match against Carolina Ascent FC this past weekend was postponed due to the field surface at Maimonides Park being deemed unplayable.  

The first match of professional women’s soccer in Spokane was a success. In addition to the excitement of the match and a sellout of ONE Spokane Stadium, Spokane Mayor Lisa Browndeclared Saturday, Aug. 17, “Women’s Soccer Day” and before kick-off, more than 400 female soccer players in the Spokane community joined club President Katie Harnetiaux on the pitch for a special ceremony. 

Emina Ekić scored the first goal in Zephyr history off a penalty after being fouled in the box by a Fort Lauderdale defender in the 16th minute. Zephyr held the lead until Fort Lauderdale leveled the score in the 72nd minute when Addie McCain found the back of the net off a cross. 

“I was hyped,” Ekić said following the inaugural 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.”

The two teams have one thing in common besides playing in the USL Super League inaugural season – they have players who were teammates at the University of Illinois. Brooklyn’s Hope Breslin will go head-to-head with Spokane Zephyr defender Katie Murray after the two were key members of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini from 2017-2018.

While Brooklyn FC has not played a match yet, they have made history along with Fort Lauderdale United FC by completing the first club-to-club transfer in the league. Brooklyn acquired Brazilian national team forward Luana Grabias from Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Aug. 28. The forward competed collegiately at Nova Southeastern University and in her senior year led the team in goals (13) and assists (5).

Both teams also have homegrown talent, with six of Brooklyn’s players hailing from New York. Spokane’s squad has four athletes who hail from Washington, including Makena Carr, Taryn Ries, Jodi Ülkekul and Haley Thomas. In addition, Ülkekul and Sophia Braun starred at Gonzaga University.

This season, Zephyr FC will feature themes around a word that connects with the club’s values and brand. The theme will coincide with a fun, educational and/or celebratory sub-theme. In addition, an honoree will be selected by the club to represent the theme word. Sunday’s theme is “Tenacious” and the club will be celebrating Hispanic and Latinx/a/oHeritage Night. The theme’s honoree is Lidia Hernandez, Dancer & Co-Coordinator Ballet Folklórico de Spokane.

Zephyr will remain at home for their next two matches as they take on Carolina Ascent FC (Sept. 15) and DC Power FC (Sept. 22) at ONE Spokane Stadium.

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Broadcast arrangement gives local fans greater access to watch professional women’s soccer

Beginning on Sunday, Spokane-area soccer fans will be able to turn on their televisions to catch live local broadcasts of Spokane Zephyr FC soccer matches. 

The deal between NonStop Local KHQ/SWX and USL Spokane will bring nine Zephyr home matches to either KHQ or SWX, KHQ’s digital sports channel. Five of those matches will be from the USL Super League fall season, with four coming from the soon-to-be-announced spring slate. 

NonStop Local KHQ and SWX already broadcast matches of the men’s USL League One team, Spokane Velocity FC. The addition of Zephyr FC to this package brings top-level talent from the new USL Super League – a Division 1 professional women’s league – to viewers in Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Western Montana.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Zephyr FC and deliver its broadcasts to our local viewers,” said John Fritz, SWX Station Manager. “It’s really exciting to have such a high level of women’s professional soccer in Spokane and we can’t wait to showcase it five times this fall on SWX.

The partnership kicks off Sunday, Sept. 8 with Zephyr’s 6 p.m. home match against Brooklyn FC. Other home matches slated for broadcast this fall season include:

• Sept. 15 vs. Carolina Ascent FC, 6 p.m.
• Sept. 22 vs. DC Power FC, 6 p.m. 
• Oct. 13 vs. Lexington Sporting Club, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 27 vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC, 6 p.m.

The above fall matches will be broadcast on SWX.

“This is enormous for the Inland Empire, with tier 1 professional women’s soccer visible directly through our local partners in NonStop Local KHQ/SWX,” said Tate Kelly, Vice President of Partnerships for USL Spokane. “This additional viewing opportunity for Spokane Zephyr FC will deliver one of Spokane’s most visible sports products locally in addition to the national coverage provided by Peacock. 

“The whole team at USL Spokane wishes to extend a special thank you to John Fritz and Jason Ramsey with NonStop Local KHQ/SWX for their commitment to the region’s first pro women’s sport organization. We are excited to grow together!”

An additional four of Zephyr’s seven home matches in the spring will also be broadcast through the partnership. SWX is available free over the air on channel 6.2. Comcast/Xfinity customers in Spokane will find the channel on 112. TDS customers in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene can find it on channel 36, while those in Coeur d’Alene with Spectrum cable can watch channel 1245. 

All home and away games are available to view via NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, which is available by subscription.

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.” 

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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. 

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Cam McCann, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Zephyr FC is loaded with talent from a plethora of locations, but a batch of their athletes are familiar with the Pacific Northwest.

A couple of Gonzaga’s finest now load the roster, Sophia “Sophie” Braun and Jodi Ülkekul. The two donned the same uniform back in 2018. At that point in their careers, Ülkekul was an established veteran and co-captain on the team, while Braun was an unpolished freshman who looked up to her more experienced teammates.

“When I came to Gonzaga, Jodi was like a mentor to me,” Braun said. “She was definitely someone I looked up to, being able to come back and play with her is a full circle moment for me.”

The duo has gone from playing on Gonzaga’s Luger Field to less than a mile away on ONE Spokane Stadium’s pitch. This is a transition that speaks to the rapid maturation of Spokane women’s soccer, but Zephyr’s northwest connection doesn’t end in the Lilac City.

Haley Thomas and Taryn Ries are two PNW-based athletes who have also shared a pitch together. The duo played for MSV Duisburg in Frauen-Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league. 

Before the two were playing abroad, they began their careers in high school playing less than four hours away from one another, Ries in Ridgefield and Thomas in Kennewick. As their collegiate careers kicked off, Thomas chose to venture to Utah, competing for Weber State, while Ries stayed out west, playing for University of Portland.

During part of Ries’ time as a Pilot, future Zephyr teammate Hailey Coll was playing for Henry Sheldon High School in Eugene, two hours from Ries. Coll would stay in Oregon at the next level, playing for the Beavers of Oregon State University in her collegiate years.

Up north in Newcastle, Washington, was where Makena Carr grew up, playing for Liberty High School and winning a state championship in 2017. Her connection to the state of Washington continued after high school, attending the University of Washington before getting drafted by Seattle Reign FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

As for the coaching staff, there may not be as much familiarity with the northwest compared to some of the players, but they are already taking in and admiring the growing culture and atmosphere of Spokane.

“I love to walk around the downtown area, you look at Velocity and their support here for that is amazing; I couldn’t ask to be in a better situation.” said Zephyr assistant and goalkeeper coach Brian Periman.

Periman served as a goalkeeper coach at the University of Arizona and acted as a scout for the U.S. youth national program. His expertise at a national level helps a unit that holds a northwestern group but also plenty of talent from around the country and the world.

Cam McCann, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Zephyr FC is loaded with talent from a plethora of locations, but a batch of their athletes are familiar with the Pacific Northwest.

A couple of Gonzaga’s finest now load the roster, Sophia “Sophie” Braun and Jodi Ülkekul. The two donned the same uniform back in 2018. At that point in their careers, Ülkekul was an established veteran and co-captain on the team, while Braun was an unpolished freshman who looked up to her more experienced teammates.

“When I came to Gonzaga, Jodi was like a mentor to me,” Braun said. “She was definitely someone I looked up to, being able to come back and play with her is a full circle moment for me.”

The duo has gone from playing on Gonzaga’s Luger Field to less than a mile away on ONE Spokane Stadium’s pitch. This is a transition that speaks to the rapid maturation of Spokane women’s soccer, but Zephyr’s northwest connection doesn’t end in the Lilac City.

Haley Thomas and Taryn Ries are two PNW-based athletes who have also shared a pitch together. The duo played for MSV Duisburg in Frauen-Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league. 

Before the two were playing abroad, they began their careers in high school playing less than four hours away from one another, Ries in Ridgefield and Thomas in Kennewick. As their collegiate careers kicked off, Thomas chose to venture to Utah, competing for Weber State, while Ries stayed out west, playing for University of Portland.

During part of Ries’ time as a Pilot, future Zephyr teammate Hailey Coll was playing for Henry Sheldon High School in Eugene, two hours from Ries. Coll would stay in Oregon at the next level, playing for the Beavers of Oregon State University in her collegiate years.

Up north in Newcastle, Washington, was where Makena Carr grew up, playing for Liberty High School and winning a state championship in 2017. Her connection to the state of Washington continued after high school, attending the University of Washington before getting drafted by Seattle Reign FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

As for the coaching staff, there may not be as much familiarity with the northwest compared to some of the players, but they are already taking in and admiring the growing culture and atmosphere of Spokane.

“I love to walk around the downtown area, you look at Velocity and their support here for that is amazing; I couldn’t ask to be in a better situation,” said Zephyr assistant and goalkeeper coach Brian Periman.

Periman served as a goalkeeper coach at the University of Arizona and acted as a scout for the U.S. youth national program. His expertise at a national level helps a unit that boasts some northwesterners but also plenty of talent from around the country and the world.

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With the home opener of its inaugural season in a brand-new league speeding into view, Spokane Zephyr FC continues to take shape, adding two experienced pros to the club’s increasingly deep roster. 

Pending league and federation approval, Zephyr have signed goalkeeper Hope Hisey and forward Natalie Viggiano to the inaugural club roster.  

Hisey is a veteran of the Pac-12 Conference, having spent four seasons playing for the University of Arizona in her hometown of Tucson. During her years as a Wildcat, she worked along Zephyr assistant coach Brian Periman, who was the goalkeepers coach for Arizona. 

She played 87 games for the Wildcats, racking up a 1.36 goals against average and logging 366 saves. She also was named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week four times.

She was selected in the fourth round of the NWSL draft by the KC Current earlier this year. After a season in Kansas City, she is coming to the new USL Super League. 

“This brand new league will help shape women’s professional sports in this country,” Hisey said, “so I’m extremely humbled to be part of its inaugural season.”

Viggiano, originally from Macomb, Michigan, had a standout career at the University of Wisconsin, where she capped her graduate season with a spot on the Big 10 All-Conference first team. That year saw her start all 19 matches, leading the team in shots with 37 and shots on goal with 18. She tied for second on the roster with six goals on the year. In her senior season, she started 22 matches, including first and second round matches in the 2021 NCAA tournament. Viggiano scored eight goals and five assists that year. 

She came West in 2023 thanks to the NWSL draft, which saw her picked by the Seattle Reign in the fourth round. After a season on contract in Seattle, she moved to Iceland, where she made a couple appearances for IBV Vestmannaeyjar W of the top-tier Úrvalsdeild kvenna. 

“I am so excited to be joining Spokane Zephyr FC in the inaugural season,” she said. “It is amazing to see the game continue to grow within the U.S., and I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent this club and city.”

Viggiano is the second member of her family to play professional soccer. Her sister, Marisa DiGrande, has been playing in the NWSL since 2019 and is currently with Racing Louisville.

Zephyr will begin play Aug. 17 as  a member of the USL Super League, a new league sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as Division One – the top of the women’s soccer pyramid in the United States. Zephyr will host Fort Lauderdale United FC in the season opener at ONE Spokane Stadium. The Fall Schedule has been released and is available here. Season and individual tickets are now on sale for this historic season that will change the landscape of women’s professional soccer in Spokane, America, and worldwide.

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Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

It’s no secret that Spokane Zephyr FC was intentional in recruiting players with diverse experience

Some Zephyr players are recent college graduates, others have professional experience in the U.S., and a few have already made a name for themselves internationally.

Sophia Braun, Emina Ekić and Riley Tanner all recently showcased their talents on the world stage before coming to the Lilac City.

Braun, who graduated from Gonzaga University in 2023, spent this summer representing her mother’s birth country of Argentina in several international friendlies. 

The 24-year-old midfielder said she jumped at the opportunity to play with Argentina for a third time, having previously donned the national team jersey during the 2020 South American U-20 Women’s Football Championship and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“Soccer has not only connected me to family on my mom’s side in Argentina, but it’s allowed me to embrace a part of my identity that I didn’t get to explore living in the US,” Braun said. “I truly believe my love and passion for soccer comes from my Argentina roots, which makes playing there so special.”

Braun garnered international attention during the 2023 World Cup after burying a shot from deep outside of the 18-yard box, giving Argentina its first goal of the tournament. The goal went viral online and helped Argentina secure a 2-2 draw against South Africa.

“The World Cup was an absolutely incredible experience that is hard to describe in words,” Braun said. “I can’t express how grateful I am for the love and support I was shown on that world stage. From the stadiums we played in to the amazing fans in attendance, it was an experience I will never forget.”

As Braun competed for Argentina this summer, her new Zephyr teammate Emina Ekić made an even longer journey to play for her parents’ native country of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Women’s European Qualifiers. 

Ekić appeared in six matches, helping Bosnia and Herzegovina post a 2-3-1 record during that span. Although the country has never qualified for the Women’s Euros, it has two rounds of playoffs in October and December to play for one of the remaining seven spots in Euro 2025. 

“⁠It has been an absolute honor to represent the country of my family’s background,” Ekić said. “I am very grateful for the opportunity and carry a big sense of pride every time I put on my jersey.”

As Ekić gears up for the USL Super League season, she believes her experience with the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina will play a crucial role in her success with Spokane.

“Playing international football has helped me grow so much,” Ekić said. “It has made me become more adaptable to different environments/styles of play with such short notice. At the end of the day, I don’t think playing for Zephyr and Bosnia differ much because I will always give my all when stepping onto the field while representing either crest.”

While Zephyr’s presence was felt on the pitch of international friendlies and Women’s European Qualifiers, the club’s talent was also featured in the Concacaf W Gold Cup Qualification.

Spokane forward Riley Tanner appeared in seven matches for her mother’s birth nation of Panama from September 2023 to February 2024. She scored in her first two appearances of the tournament, both of which came against Guatemala. 

Despite Panama’s qualifying run ending with a 5-0 loss to Brazil on Feb. 24, Tanner said she was grateful for the experience and was encouraged by the country’s support for women’s soccer.

“The support we have received from friends, family, and the country has been amazing,” Tanner said. “To see a small country like Panama unite over women’s soccer has been such an amazing experience and every moment I get to put on that jersey and wear the crest reminds me of what a blessing it is.”

Tanner also spent part of the summer in France, where the Panamanian Women’s National Team trained and helped prepare the French Women’s National Team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Tanner’s previous experience with the Panamanian Women’s National Team includes being called up to the squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying. She scored a goal in a playoff match against Papua New Guinea to help Panama qualify for its first-ever World Cup.

The 24-year-old Michigan native made three appearances for Panama during the World Cup, which was held in Australia. 

“I don’t think anything will ever compare to playing in the World Cup,” Tanner said. “To make history like that for Panama and to set a new standard within the federation was such an amazing experience. The atmosphere of those games and being on the pitch with such amazing players from across the world was unbelievable.”

With Zephyr opening its inaugural season at home next Saturday, Aug, 17, Braun, Ekić and Tanner plan to bring the same level of pride and effort to boost Spokane’s up-and-coming soccer scene. 

“For me, every soccer game brings nerves and excitement,” Braun said. “Getting to play the game I love for a team, city, or country that I care so deeply about is what continues to prepare me for this opportunity.”

Aside from the season opener, there are plenty of other chances to watch Zephyr play early in their season, with seven of their first eight matches set to take place at ONE Spokane Stadium.

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