LACEY, WA – The Artesians who announced in February the acquisition of the Lacey Lights have formally entered teams into the Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA, Men) and the Cascadia Premier League (CPL, Women). The move comes as FC Olympia continues its path to professional USL franchises USL League Two and the USL W League.
The Lacey merger provides a path for local college players to play summer soccer in competitive semi-pro leagues. EPLWA Head Coach Nick Boatright and Lacey Lights investor and newly appointed Partnerships Director Jacob Irwin discuss the collaboration and merger of the two local semi-pro soccer clubs in Thurston County.
Q&A
What do you most look forward to with the Lacey Lights, FC Olympia merger?
Nick Boatright: “What I look forward to the most with the merger is bringing together like minded people. The ‘why’ and purpose behind FC OLY is the same as we have provided at Lacey these past two years.”
Jacob Irwin: “Very excited about the merger because of the community impact. Taking two successful clubs on the pitch, merging the two to grow the love of the game for a combined soccer community… to ultimately continue to build a streamline path 2 pro progression in our back yard. The opportunity this will create for the players will transform the community in the years to come.”
What type of player pool can you expect for the EPLWA Men’s Team?
Nick Boatright: “The player pool is always top of the list when it comes to winning and we expect to push the level with very talented College Players, High School Junior & Seniors and Post College players.
You can expect Schools like PLU, TESC, St. Martins, SPSCC, etc. I believe one of the beautiful things about the summer is it is a melting pot of different programs, personalities & cultures.
We are excited to put together a competitive player pool in which we reach our goals. And the players who play for us are well equipped and confident heading into the fall.
Jacob Irwin: “The player pool at this level is very high. Combining the club will create the type of atmosphere and resources the players at this level in the community deserve.”
What does it mean to keep the Lacey Lights team in Lacey, WA even after the merger?
Nick Boatright: “It means a lot! There is a lot of talent in Lacey. You can look to a player like Farhan Mustafa, currently at Gonzaga and recognize that part of his success is within his family and local Lacey community.
Obviously, you have to credit the clubs he played at (Sounders Academy, WPFC), but there is something to be said about the local development that allowed him to play at those places.
Hopefully our work can inspire local club players & local clubs. When someone succeeds from our community it is an accomplishment for the whole community. Kasey Keller is a great example of that.”
Jacob Irwin: “Having the club continue playing on in Lacey is beautiful. Keeping a flavor of the past club and putting that flavor into the Artesians so we don’t lose our roots, continues to build the story of what was and what is to come for the growth of soccer locally.”
With a record amount of teams joining the Washington State Soccer Super Cup in 2024 what can fans look forward to this year with that tournament?
Nick Boatright: “I love cup competitions because it creates beautiful cross competition between leagues and it usually leads to very cool storylines.
The other factor that is absolutely critical that other countries do a better job than we do is 16+ year old players need more games and more opportunities to play & perform.
We are very excited to compete in WA Super Cup and will go all out to lift the trophy again.”
Jacob Irwin: “There are many high level teams in this league and in these tournaments, so winning the tournaments won’t be easy. However, with the player pool we have and the coaches at the level they are… we are excited to bring some trophies back to the Artesian’s case!”
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“One thing that stands out to me is the opportunity to move into our USL franchises should the level of play present itself for a larger opportunity” said FC Olympia Owner Ryan Perkins. “Some of the founding concepts of having local semi-pro soccer with the Artesians was access to more playing opportunities and players could find their EPLWA film in Coach Jason Dunn’s hands in the USL and individuals could be called up for action against Ballard FC, Lane United or a USL National Playoff. Anything is possible now.”
“Another large reason we decided to move forward with this acquisition was to get a local semi-pro women’s team back on the field” said Perkins. “With the NWPL folding for summer 2024 we decided to make sure we had a team and joined the CPL. We can’t wait to see our local women’s college players competing under the lights of stadiums in Lacey, Washington this summer.”
While the CPL women’s schedule has not been released the EPLWA Men’s Schedule has been publicly announced and season tickets and single match tickets are for sale.
EPLWA matches begin in May and go until July but most of the home Artesian matches at Timberline High School are in June.
Support the club and your Lacey Lights expansion by getting your season passes and attending games to cheer on this local group of soccer players.
Lacey Lights in 2023
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