Salmon Bay FC won their second game in three days on Sunday, narrowly defeating Portland Cherry Bombs to collect three points and keep themselves right in the middle of the NW Division title chase.
A second-half Ginny Lackey goal was all the Coho needed to secure the result, as they posted their third shutout of the season and claimed the inaugural Crown Cup over their newest league rivals.
Salmon Bay head into their mid-week marquee matchup with division-leaders West Seattle with a chance to leapfrog the Rhodies into first-place with a win.
The first match of Sunday’s double-header began in scorching mid-afternoon heat with the same back-and-forth intensity that defined the first fixture between these two sides.
Portland was not shy in their press, controlling the better half of attacking possession in the first ten minutes.
The visitors would find their footing however, with a solid early chance coming through a Ameera Hussen run and Ginny Lackey flick-on, but Hussen’s shot was a miss-hit.
Portland’s first clear chance on net came in the 15th minute, with a long through-ball finding Esmerelda Arenas Ceja 1-on-1 with Blayke Warner. Salmon Bay’s netminder closed the space, and forced a shot from the top of the box that got by Warner, but was cleared by Maya Loudd six yards from net.
The first game between Portland and Salmon Bay was defined by a first-half stalemate, and this match was no different. A slew of long-shots and half-chances defined a 45 minutes that never truly flew from end-to-end.
The energy picked up for the visitors to start the second half, knowing they needed all three points to keep pace with league leaders West Seattle. In the 49th a glancing Eleanor Morrissey half-volley sailed just wide of the net.
Morrisey would once again try at goal in the 53rd, and this time her shot from the top of the box struck the crossbar, coming down to earth on the goalline where Ginny Lackey tapped-in to make it 1-0.
The Coho wouldn’t let up the pressure, pushing for insurance. A Ginny Lackey shot flashed wide of the net in the 56th, and Portland put a long shot on net in the 73rd with Blayke Warner easily making the save.
Lauder Headrick would come close to doubling the lead, with a well sculpted low drive from the top of the area in the 82nd forcing a diving save out of Portland goalkeeper Keely Wieczorek. Wieczorek would once again keep her team in the game with point-blank saves on Chloe Seelhoff and Megan Cardenas in the 84th and 90th minutes.
Salmon Bay shut up shop and controlled the final passages of the game, seeing out a tight but convincing 1-0 win.
Ameera Hussen was named player of the match for her control of the midfield, her second POTM selection in just three days.
Written by Adam Race
Game Notes
- The result is the first one-goal win for Salmon Bay this season
- The Coho posted their third shutout of 2026, allowing just two shots
- All three Salmon Bay shutouts have come on the road
- This is Blayke Warner’s second shutout of 2026, and the second in her last three starts
- Ginny Lackey’s 5th goal of the year puts her back on top of the team’s scoring charts
- This is the second goal that Ginny Lackey has scored following a long shot striking the crossbar
- Salmon Bay once again dominated the match statistically, taking 4x as many shots as Portland
- The win gives Salmon Bay the 2026 Crown Cup, an annual trophy decided between the Cherry Bombs and Salmon Bay
Scoring Recap
- 53’ (SBFC): Scored by Ginny Lackey, assisted by Eleanor Morrissey
