PLAYOFFS: SPOKANE SC SHADOW, SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTHAWKS

Written By:  Katie Parker
Photography:  Noel Danseco

SPOKANE SC SHADOW AND THE SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTHAWKS SET TO BATTLE IT OUT IN WEST REGION SEMIFINALS

The Northwest Conference’s Spokane SC Shadow will host the West Region Playoffs and face the Pac North’s San Francisco Nighthawks in the first semifinal match this Saturday, July 13 at 3 PM PDT. It will be the first time these two clubs have ever faced each other.  

First thing’s first, the Shadow and Nighthawks match up nicely on paper. Their regular season records are nearly identical at six wins and one loss. The Nighthawks played one more match that resulted in one more draw than the Shadow. Both teams played their final regular season matches on July 7, which ended a back to back for Spokane. 

Even their goal differential is similar. Spokane ended the regular season with 27 goals, which 15 different players scored, and allowed 11 goals from opponents. The Nighthawks scored 25 goals, with 12 different players finding the back of the net, and allowed 12 goals.  

Both sides have numerous offensive threats, but the top goal scorers are certainly ones to watch this weekend. Livvy Moore (University of Oregon) leads the Shadow with seven goals, Rebecca Skinner (a high school senior and Washington State University commit) sits at six, and Marissa Garcia (Gonzaga University alumna) has five goals. 

Maggie Altman (Colorado State University) is San Francisco’s leading scorer with five, Raniyah Burton (Washington State University), and Sydney Cooke (Academy of Art University alumna) follow that up with four each.  

The Nighthawks and the Shadow also both players recognized with West Region Player of the Week honors. 

Spokane’s Kyah Le (Utah Tech) was voted West Region Player of the Week for gameweek six. The midfielder contributed to three out of four goals on the week and was key to the team’s success on both sides of the ball. Le also leads the team with seven assists on the season.

San Francisco’s Cooke earned West Region Player of the Week for gameweek three. Cooke’s hat trick led the team to victory in her first game back after a long hiatus. 

Both West Region clubs have a core group of veteran players and their chemistry has truly propelled each team through the season. 

 
“I grew up playing with these girls, so we have that chemistry,” Hannah McCord, Nighthawks player, said after a home match in San Francisco. “There’s just a drive to win - to win this whole thing.” 

McCord is a prime example of the core group of veterans’ loyalty to the club. She started with the Nighthawks when she was just a sophomore in high school and now a grad student at Southeastern Louisiana University. 

Back on paper, there are three main things that seem to set the Shadow and the Nighthawks apart: time in the league, recent stints of road versus home games and rankings position throughout the season. 

The Nighthawks is a founding team of the WPSL and the club has had its sights set on the national title for 26 seasons. This trip to Spokane is San Francisco’s second appearance in the playoffs. This season marks the Shadow’s sixth season in the WPSL and this weekend is the club’s Regionals debut.  

Another interesting fact is that Spokane hasn’t played at home since June 15th. Being in front of a home crowd for its first postseason showdown will obviously be an advantage. On the other hand, the Nighthawks spent the final few weeks of the regular season at home. The team hasn’t played an away match since June 22. The calm of not having to make it to a road game in a while could serve as a nice reset before this weekend’s match, which is nearly 900 miles away.

The Nighthawks has had a leg up on rankings this season. San Francisco broke into the WPSL’s Top 25 National Power Rankings at No. 24 after gameweek three. The club then catapulted itself as high as No. 4 before falling back off the Top 25 after gameweek eight. The Shadow, however, just entered the final regular season Top 25 at No. 17. 

With all of this fleshed out, Spokane seems to be the slight underdog, but with home field advantage and a core group of veteran players finding their rhythm and something to prove in the club’s first Regional appearance, will the Shadow emerge victorious and move onto the West Finals? Or will the Nighthawks’ experience, team’s chemistry that is undeniably on another level this season and the 26-season-long drive to make it to Nationals be enough for the ‘Hawks to soar through? 

We’ll find out on Saturday, July 13 at 3pm PDT.