Salmon Bay FC's Playoff Hopes Ended with Scoreless draw Against FC Olympia

Salmon Bay FC played to a tense and action-packed 0–0 draw against FC Olympia on Tuesday evening, kicking off at 7 p.m., in a high-energy road matchup at Regional Athletic Complex.

Under cloudy skies and wearing their bold Discovery kits, Salmon Bay dominated possession and spent much of the match camped in the attacking third, creating chance after chance in a match that kept fans on the edge of their seats but ultimately lacked the final finish.

The match opened with intensity from both sides. In the 8th minute, FC Olympia’s striker Ginny Lackey received a yellow card after barreling into goalkeeper Elena Milam along the edge of the 18-yard box. Milam had gone up for a clean jumping save when the contact sent her to the ground, prompting immediate concern before play resumed with a booking.

Just minutes later in the 11th, Salmon Bay nearly took the lead through a brilliant strike from Amelia Severn. Picking up the ball outside the box, Severn let loose a curving, lofted shot aimed at the top right corner. The Olympia keeper came up with a spectacular diving save, just tipping the ball onto the crossbar and denying what would have been a highlight-reel goal.

The visitors continued to build momentum through the first half. In the 27th, defender Kelsey Kwon made a crucial block inside the box, redirecting a dangerous ball that forced Olympia’s keeper to make an aggressive full-body catch well outside her line. Salmon Bay’s defensive discipline showed again just before the halftime whistle, when they cleanly worked the ball upfield from a dangerous foul deep in their half. A two-player wall fended off the free kick, and after three successive headers, the team broke pressure and transitioned the play into Olympia’s half.

Despite a physical first half and a stoppage for Milam’s injury, the referee allowed no added time, and the teams went into the break scoreless.

The second half picked up right where the first left off, with end-to-end action and chances coming from both sides. In the 52nd minute, Amelia Severn again tested Olympia’s defense with a blistering solo run and low shot, forcing a diving save.

Throughout the match, Salmon Bay’s bench kept energy levels high, offering loud and constant support as they cheered every successful tackle, interception, and close opportunity. That energy carried into a flurry of chances in the 58th minute, when a beautiful lofted cross from Maia Tabion sailed into the box. Three Salmon Bay attackers crashed the goalmouth, but no one could get the final touch to convert.

A substitution in the 67th minute saw Jillian McBride come on for Kelsey Kwon to add fresh legs in the final push. Three minutes later, Tabion nearly unlocked the defense with a phenomenal back-post ball, but the timing was just off as Hallie Bergford’s run arrived a second too late.

In the 80th, McBride was brought down just outside the left edge of the 18, earning a dangerous free kick. Tabion delivered a perfectly lofted ball into the heart of the 6-yard box in the 81st minute. Amid the chaos, Hallie Bergford and an FC Olympia player collided and went down, but Samiah Shell—just subbed in for Anna Menti—rose to meet the ball and nodded it into the net. The Salmon Bay bench erupted, but the goal was ultimately disallowed, with the referee calling a foul as the ball was in the air.

Frustration grew late in the match. A yellow card was shown to the FC Olympia bench in the 84th, and in the 90th, Alicia Barker was booked for colliding with the goalkeeper during a corner kick as she contested a loose ball in the air. In added time, Chloe Seelhoff entered for an injured McBride to close out the match.

Despite the scoreline, Salmon Bay FC delivered a commanding performance defined by relentless pressure, crisp passing, and patient build-up play that kept the opposition on their heels throughout.

Player of the Match honors go to Sadie Sider-Echenberg, who delivered a standout performance on the left flank and in the midfield. Her ability to read the game, intercept passes, and break through defenders with well-timed tackles created several of Salmon Bay’s best opportunities of the evening.

The draw means that FC Olympia clinches the division title and will go on to the USL W playoffs.