From the announcement that women’s soccer was coming to Ballard in summer 2024, through the official brand reveal of Salmon Bay FC in the fall, and now to the start of preseason, one question has lingered: how will the club line up for its inaugural season?
We spoke to head coach Malia Arrant about both the challenges and benefits of building a roster almost entirely from scratch, and how she and the rest of the staff went about finding the right players to sport the badge this summer.
Schedule challenges, roster rules, injuries, and just overall player availability can make the roster selection process a lot more difficult than just picking the best players at each and every position.
Roster Rules
In terms of roster size, there is no cap on the total number of players that can be on the team however only 20 players can be on a matchday squad. Of these 20 players, a maximum of 10 players can be international players and a maximum of 11 players can be former professionals.
However, USL rules are not the only ones to comply with. A common roadblock that USL W League teams (and USL League Two teams like Ballard FC) face is the NCAA rule that prevents more than five players from a specific college playing together. So, even if Salmon Bay FC wanted to field a team made up of only the three primary Seattle college soccer programs (the University of Washington, Seattle University, and Seattle Pacific University), they would struggle as the maximum number players they could roster would be 15 (five from each school).
Season Schedule
Another difficulty for coaches is the condensed USL W schedule in comparison to USL 2 as there are fewer USL W teams. In the USL W Northwest Division, there are only six teams whereas there are nine teams in the division’s USL 2 counterpart. The difference in number of teams has a real impact on playoffs; there is only one playoff spot in the USL W Northwest Division compared to two spots in USL 2. Put simply, USL W Northwest Division teams have a harder time (over 5% less likely) making the playoffs then their USL 2 counterparts.
Arrant expressed her wishes for a longer preseason as she knows, “the season is going to come really fast, and we have a number of players coming in the week of our season opener. Dropping one match could be the difference in making the playoffs.”
But, Arrant also mentioned that all the teams in the league are in similar boats and feels confident that this roster has the talent to handle these challenges.
The shorter season and fewer playoff spots put an extra importance on each match. If a team starts out slow, their playoff chances could be all but gone at the end of May. However, many colleges on the west coast are still on the traditional quarter system, instead of semesters, and have classes throughout May. Because of this dynamic, it was important for Salmon Bay FC to recruit a combination of players from local colleges that could still play during their school year, players who have recently graduated college, and players who go to schools with earlier release dates.
Coach Arrant’s local experience in the youth game and as club director of PacNW has helped Salmon Bay FC find the right balance of players for this schedule.
Hyperlocal Soccer
Salmon Bay FC is a hyperlocal soccer club, aiming to showcase local soccer talent to a hyper localized fanbase at a local stadium (Interbay Stadium). Recruiting local talent for the inaugural Salmon Bay FC roster was more than just convenience, it speaks to the talent and quality within the seattle soccer community, and to the club’s hyperlocal values.
“There are so many great local players either from Seattle and playing out-of-state or playing here at local schools,” remarked Arrant. “I made a list of the top local talent and immediately started reaching out to players and got positive feedback right away.”
Of the 33 players rostered for the 2025 season, 29 of them either attend/attended college in the state of Washington or grew up in the state, with nine players doing both.
A great example of this is Alex Buck who just completed her freshman year at the University of Washington and was recently named a Big Ten Breakout Candidate by Top Drawer Soccer. Buck grew up in Medina, WA, just 15 minutes away from Husky Soccer Stadium and less than 30 minutes from Interbay. She even has a familial connection to the organization as her older brother, Jackson, played with Ballard FC both last summer and in this year’s Open Cup run.
A Family Affair
Buck is not the only player with a sibling connection in the organization. The 2025 Salmon Bay FC roster includes two pairs of sisters: the Barkers and the Dockters.
Alicia and Juju Barker are from Woodinville, WA. Alicia played most recently for the Philippines National Team, featuring in the 2023 FIFA World Cup. She started all three matches in Australia, including the country’s first-ever World Cup win over New Zealand. Before playing internationally, Alicia starred for the University of Illinois where she started in 75 of 76 matches during her time there and received both All-Conference and All-Region honors in 2018.
Juju is graduating from Oregon State University this spring after a great career in Corvallis. She played in over 50 matches for the Beavers, receiving All-Conference recognition in 2024. With one year of eligibility remaining, Juju is transferring to Seattle University this fall.
The Dockter sisters are from Seattle and play together for the University of Portland. Keeley Dockter just completed her redshirt junior season with the Pilots, appearing in 18 matches and starting 16. Her most successful year was in 2022 as a freshman where she played in 18 matches and started 16 for a Pilots team that made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Keeley scored two goals and dished out two assists that season, including an assist in the team’s NCAA Tournament victory over Arizona State.
Aliyah Dockter finished her sophomore season this past fall, playing the last two seasons with her older sister. In 2023, Aliyah was the only freshman to play in all 17 matches for the Pilots. Then, Aliyah truly broke out as a sophomore, starting in double digit matches for the first time in her career while scoring her first two collegiate goals and dishing out her first three assists.
College Connections
The Dockter sisters are not the only teammates on the Salmon Bay FC roster. Locally, we have 14 players who played for or a currently playing for colleges in the state of Washington. Amelia Severn is the lone player from Gonzaga University, however the rest will all have at least one collegiate teammate at Interbay this summer.
Mercedes Cullen and Sophie Hanay are staying at Interbay Stadium this summer after playing together at Seattle Pacific University this past fall. Juju Barker is not the only redhawk on the roster, as Ui Kaaihue, Alana Lamb, and Hallie Bergford were all part of Seattle University’s 2024 roster. Then, there are seven players who have played for the University of Washington. The five current huskies are Samiah Shell, Maya Loudd, Anna Menti, Tanner Ijams, and Buck. Ameera Hussen played five years for the huskies before graduating in 2021 and has since played professionally in Iceland and gained USL W League experience with FC Olympia. Lastly, Chloe Seelhoff played two years for the huskies before transferring to the University of Montana ahead of the 2024 season.
Outside of Washington, this trend continues with groups at an additional five universities. Seelhoff and Carly Whalen were both All-Conference midfielders for Montana in 2024. Seelhoff was Second Team All-Big Sky whereas Whalen received Honorable Mention recognition as a freshman. The Dockter sisters are not the only Portland Pilots on the team as they are joined by teammate Jillian McBride, a forward who made the WCC All-Freshman team this past fall.
Then there are three more college duos: Andie Miller and Alex Chang at Yale University, Milly Bray and Freya Spiekerkoetter at Stanford, and then from Depaul University we have Frey Jupp and Ballard High School graduate Elena Milam.
Earning their Spot
Every year, Ballard FC hosts open tryouts and has had at least one player make the final roster from these tryout sessions. Salmon Bay FC plans to do the same, and this year two players from tryouts have made the final roster. Maya Courtenay joins Bray as the tryout duo on the 2025 Salmon Bay FC roster.
Rookies and Vets
The 2025 Salmon Bay team contains a wide range of experience and age, aiming to have the perfect combination of eager young players and more mature veterans. The youngest player on the team, Bray, is still in high school and will not join Stanford until the fall. However, she looks very comfortable in training and will push for minutes against much more experienced players.
On the flip side, players like Hussen and Alicia Barker have gained professional and international experience and will not only be valuable players on the squad, but can be mentors and examples to the younger players who want to reach similar heights in their careers.
When asked about this age and experience dynamic, Arrant mentioned how exciting it is, “We have many players with ambitions to play at the next level after college. The fact that we have a handful of players who have done that already can help us better provide a pathway to that next level.”
Looking Ahead
With preseason starting earlier this week, Salmon Bay FC’s full 2025 roster is finally starting to take shape ahead of their season opener on the road against fellow newcomers West Seattle Rhodies FC on May 18th.
The team’s first home match will be a friendly, the Evergreen State Exhibition, against Spokane Zephyr FC (a professional USL Super League side) on Memorial Day, May 26th. The USL W Home Opener will be Friday, May 30th against the Tacoma Galaxy at 7pm. Get tickets at salmonbayfc.com/tickets.
Arrant is impressed with the fan support already and looking forward to the first home matches for Salmon Bay FC, “The community backing Salmon Bay FC so much already is so exciting. Women’s sports in general are growing so fast, and I cannot wait for these players to showcase their talents to such an eager fanbase.”
