July 6, 2026
WPSL 2026, Portland Thorns FC II (photo by Eric Naslund)
By Andrew Mosier, WPSL Communications
The Pac Northwest Conference title came down to goals.
Tied on points with identical 5-0-1 records, the conference title was decided by head-to-head goal differential.
An early-season clash between the reigning conference winners Portland Thorns FC II and bitter rivals, Spokane Shadow at the hallowed Providence Park proved to be the decider who was crowned conference champion.
Kenley Whittaker put the hosts in the lead in the 20th minute only to see the goal erased eight minutes later. Frances Reuland broke the deadlock moments later to make it 2-1 going into halftime. Lilly Yakel, Elise Broberg and Alana Harry tallied second half goals to give Portland the 5-1 win ultimately its second consecutive Pac Northwest title.
“Winning a championship in back-to-back seasons is a special accomplishment, especially given this is just our third season in the league,” Gabe Tatz, Portland Thorns FC II executive director, said.
Looking to build on last season’s conference title, Portland jumped out of the gates with a 5-1 road win at Vancouver Victory FC. Lexi Cockerill Gonzalez, Yakel, Marian Dunne, and Sophia Rubano tallied goals in the club's first victory of the season.
Dunne would go on to lead the club with six goals on the season and earn National Offensive Player of the Week honors for her Week Seven performance that saw her contribute to seven of Thorns II's 13 goals it scored in wins in the return match versus Vancouver and at cross-town rivals, Westside Metros FC.
The only blemish on Portland’s record came in its Week Eight trip to Spokane, falling 3-2 after equalizing and then taking the lead with second-half goals by Emelia Warta and Rubano.
Portland rebounded with a big win over Westside Metros FC to close out the season with its second title in hand.
Portland finished the season with 34 goals spread out across 17 different goal scorers, while allowing a conference-low, five goals in six fixtures.
But for Tatz, the season was about more than scorelines and individual statistics.
“This season was always about the players and the program. From day one, our focus was on creating an environment where our players could develop, compete at a high level,” Tatz said. “Every decision was centered around serving our players and building a first-class environment that will continue to strengthen our player pathway, from the Academy, to Thorns FC II, and ultimately to opportunities with the Portland Thorns first team in the NWSL.”
