olytown admin

on

January 28, 2023

OLYMPIA, WA – USL W League Head Coach Chris Wells does not waste time in the offseason. The Oly Town Artesians formally announced on Saturday the signing of division one, University of Washington women’s soccer player Hayden Crowley to the 2023 USL Women’s team. Crowley, a native of Richland, WA comes to Oly Town with a full freshmen year of Pac-12 collegiate soccer experience.

“We’re very excited to add Hayden to the USL W League” said Coach Wells who was hired less than a month ago to helm the Oly Town women’s soccer program. “It was important to us to add a player well known in Washington State first and she fits that perfectly as one of the best youth players the state has produced in recent years.”

Hayden Crowley comes decorated with a coveted 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year honors as well as 4A All State Co-Player of the Year award. Crowley was not only a standout in high school but also played youth soccer at Crossfire Premier. Her first year in purple and gold at the University of Washington she logged 438 minutes logging 65 of those against UCLA towards the end of the fall 2022 season.

“Hayden comes from a very high-level, competitive environment at the University of Washington and earned minutes as a true freshmen which is no easy feat” said W League Coach Rachel Ross. “I am excited for her to bring that playing experience and competitive mindset to Oly Town this season.”

Oly Town USL W League matches start in May 2023 with their inaugural season in a new expansion league which features 4 teams from the state of Oregon and the Artesians who are based out of Olympia, WA. The season runs till the beginning of July where top seeded teams have a chance to compete for the National USL W League Championship. The USL W (women’s) and USL League Two (men’s) features top college players from around the nation including a mix of current pro, former pro and elite level youth academy players.

“We are putting a lot of effort in making sure we not only bring in the best players playing in the state, but we bring back the best player from the state playing elsewhere” said Head Coach Chris Wells. “The state has an amazing soccer scene and we’re looking forward to displaying that.”

Follow Oly Town FC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for daily updates as they prepare to announce the 2023 schedule, new stadium and season ticket packages. Learn more about the team by visiting their women’s soccer page at www.olytownfc.com and view their successful 2022 NWPL Championship win against new rival in the USL W League, Capital Atletica of Salem, OR.

Oly Town does not exist without amazing local businesses through sponsorship and donations from fans and followers around the region. Please visit our partner page to contribute to Oly Town’s soccer programs as well as their kid’s soccer camps.

Hayden Crowley | University of Washington | Freshmen | Forward

PHOTOGRAPHS: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

on

Oly Town FC scouts players at winter combine event in Southern California

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (January 25, 2023) — Oly Town Football Club continued its recruitment
efforts ahead of the 2023 USL League Two season by sending head coach Liviu Bird to the
PSC Combine in Southern California this week. Alongside a handful of coaches from all levels
of play across the U.S. and internationally, Bird watched more than 100 players showcase their
skills over three days.

“The PSC combines are great events, both for players to showcase themselves and also for
clubs of all levels to find players for their squads,” Bird said. “The agency has identified loads of
professional-quality players in its past, and I have found several for my teams over the years at
Oly Town’s level of play.”

Attending the PSC event is one of several player recruitment avenues that Oly Town FC is
exploring this offseason, which also include the club’s own tryouts, utilizing the network of local
coaches and scouts, discussions with college coaches across the nation, and fielding inquiries
directly from players.

“We have lots of ways to find players these days, and the combines are a great tool for us in
that process,” Bird said. “I would also encourage players to reach out to the club directly and
apply for our upcoming invitation-only tryout this spring.”
Bird can be reached via email at lbird@olytownfc.com. The club will announce the dates for its
invitational tryouts coming up ahead of the 2023 season, as well as the application process for
players to be considered for a spot.

The club will limit the number of players invited to the next step in its trial process, and the
number will be pared down further still ahead of the start of preseason training. Details and
future announcements will be made on the club’s website and social media channels.
—
Oly Town Football Club is a Washington State club that provides professional-amateur soccer
for both men and women. Founded in 2014, Oly Town competes in USL (outdoor) soccer and (indoor) soccer.

The Artesians also have youth soccer camps, youth tournaments and
free youth ticketing through the Oly Soccer Foundation.

on
Fairhurst (C-Sharp Images)

OLYMPIA, WA – The Oly Town Artesians cruised to a 13-6 victory over the visiting Everett City FC Saturday night in what would become a milestone night for the local professional-amateur soccer club.

Jason Fairhurst, Saint Martin’s University graduate and native of Snohomish matched Everett’s total scoring line of 6 goals breaking the Artesian club record for most goals scored in a game. Fairhurst is in his third year playing for Oly Town’s arena team and also rostered every game for the 2022 USL League Two Artesian squad.

“It felt pretty unbelievable” said Oly Town forward Jason Fairhurst. “It just felt like all my shots were dropping and I was just in the right place at the right time. It felt like I was in a flow state. Both of these records aren’t ones you can reach on your own and being able to break them is a testament to the squad we’ve brought together this year.”

“Jason is such an important player for us” said Head Coach Nick Boatright. “He was very special tonight and it is fitting that he broke the single game record because he is that caliber of player. I have always liked his ability to turn, his ‘one v one’ ability and his scrappiness.”

Fairhurst surpasses Oly Legends Willie Spurr and Matt Stalnik’s single game records which was set at 4 goals. Unique in all this is that Stalnik taking on a larger goalkeeper role this season held Everett to only 6 goals and watched Fairhurst break his record while sharing the same field for 60 minutes.

“Jason crushing mine and Willie’s single game goal record is well deserved” said Stalnik. “I have teased him for two seasons and I know it meant a lot to him to achieve it. Glad to be apart of the celebration.”

Manny Nicasio (C-Sharp Images)

Another standout performance was Manny Nicasio scoring 4 goals with 3 assists for the Artesians and would not be overshadowed by Fairhurst’s record breaking night.

“I’m really glad we beat them. I didn’t get to play against them (Everett) the first time due to a rib injury and I felt like I could’ve helped the team out” said Manny Nicasio. “Today it felt great contributing to the teams win.”

“Nicasio has been outstanding and he has the quickness to score goals on man down situations too” said Nick Boatright.

Another standout but defensive performance was from Oly Legend and Captain Nate Boatright meanwhile picking up his 13th assist of the season.

“Nate’s indoor knowledge and composure on the ball is incredible” said his brother and Coach Nick Boatright. “He is a great captain and all the guys have a lot of respect for him.”

Oly Town adds three points and picks up their sixth win of the 2022-23 Western Indoor Soccer League season. The Artesians head to Snohomish on January 28th to take on the Steelheads after an early season victory at home in their first meeting.

The next home match is February 4th at the Evergreen State College and will feature pro-arena player and former Artesian Willie Spurr and his induction into the Oly Legends Hall. Head to www.olytownfc.com for your tickets and get ready for autographs and a crucial home game against MASL second team, the Tacoma Stars Reserves.

1.21.23 Photo Gallery by Courtney Sharp & C-Sharp Images:

Follow Oly Town FC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for live, daily updates.

WISL Standings 1.21.23