Year In Review: Happy Birthday Salmon Bay FC

On October 24th, 2024, Salmon Bay FC was introduced to the world with hopes of connecting to the local community and making hyperlocal women’s soccer a success.

A year later, the club has done that more by excelling on and off the pitch in the team’s first full year.

When Salmon Bay FC officially launched last fall, it was met with immediate overwhelming support. The hype and excitement started back in July when the club announced that Women’s Soccer was coming to Ballard at halftime of Ballard FC’s regular season finale. The announcement was made alongside a new ownership group that included 25 influential Seattle women, starring NWSL players Lauren Barnes, Jess Fishlock, Olivia Van der Jagt, and Sam Hiatt.

This hype led to the launch party at Rough & Tumble being sold out with hundreds of people packed into to see the brand reveal in person. The night was full of smiles and cheers as the club name, crest, and merch were unveiled on the big screen with the launch video below.

The launch caught national attention, with some of the biggest voices in women’s soccer — including Meg Linehan and Sarah Spain — chiming in.

The party didn’t stop there. The Reuben’s Brews Afterparty and Q&A was packed with fans eager to learn more about the club’s upcoming season.

From there, the big announcements kept coming. Malia Arrant was named the club’s first-ever head coach on November 14. Then, on November 28, the club unveiled its inaugural home jersey — designed by renowned artist Matthew Wolff.

Next came the roster. Samiah Shell was announced as the club’s first-ever player, followed shortly by 30 more top talents from around the Seattle area. And before you knew it, it was time for the season to begin.

The season opener kicked off on the road against the West Seattle Rhodies on May 18th, in front of a record crowd as hundreds of Salmon Bay fans mad the trip to see the club in action for the first time. The match would finish 0-0 as Salmon Bay got their first-ever point.

Then came the first home match on Memorial Day, when Salmon Bay secured its first win in club history — a 4–0 victory over the Spokane Shadow — with Samiah Shell scoring the first goal in club history. The friendly win was quickly followed by the USL W League home opener, where Hallie Bergford’s goal made the difference in a 1–0 victory before a sold-out crowd at Interbay Stadium.

Even as the season went on, the records continued to come. Salmon Bay FC was the last team in the nation to concede a goal, holding opponents scoreless for more than a month into the season. And although the defense eventually allowed two goals all year, it still finished with the fewest goals conceded in the country.

The season ended earlier than players and fans would have liked, but it concluded on a high note with an 8–0 victory over Bigfoot FC in the season finale — the most goals scored in a single match in club history.

Reflecting on the first year, Vice President Tiffany Mallick shared:

“It’s surreal to think that the launch of Salmon Bay FC was just a year ago. Looking back, we’re filled with gratitude for the incredible support we’ve received from our community, from the moment we announced that USL W was coming to Ballard to the release of our brand and name. We also want to express our gratitude for the women in our ownership group, whose leadership and vision created a strong foundation of success that made this club possible.

We are so thankful to have such a dedicated and passionate fanbase that has supported us from day one and played an important role in the success of our inaugural season. This first year has been full of achievements, creating more opportunities for women to play competitive soccer in an environment they truly deserve.

We’re deeply appreciative of the growth we’ve experienced this past year and beyond excited for the endless possibilities ahead!”

Mallick’s comments about creating more opportunities for women to play competitive soccer ring very true as after the season, two players from the 2025 squad signed professional soccer contracts in Europe. Goalkeeper Elena Milam became the first alumni in Salmon Bay history to sign a professional contract when she joined Apollon Ladies FC, the best team in Cyprus. A few weeks later, Bergford joined the top club in Czechia, AC Sparta Praha Ženy.

In addition, Juju Barker earned a call-up to the Philippine Women’s National Team during the season, while Shell, Maia Tabion, Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Alicia Barker, Maya Loudd, Anna Menti, and twins Aliyah and Keeley Dockter all received opportunities to train with Seattle Reign.

The club is proud to be part of the pro pathway for all of these players as they continue to write their Seattle soccer stories and pursue their professional careers.

After an incredible first year, the club cannot thank the fans and Salmon Bay community enough for rallying around this team and proving that hyperlocal women’s soccer belongs. Here’s to more records broken, goals scored, wins secured, beers and margaritas shared, burgers tossed, and clean sheets kept in Year Two.

Written by Max Dresbach