Four Teams Move Forward in Northwest Indoor
The WISL season wrapped up with staggering results. Bellingham United took the Oly Town Artesians 10-5, and Oly Town’s fourth season ends without the promise of a playoff appearance. Bellingham celebrated their final game with specialized orange jerseys in partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Down south and across the mighty Puget Sound, Tacoma Stars Reserves saw a looming defeat before an incredible final push to beat Olympic Force. The Stars Reserves went full-steam ahead after being down by two, resulting in a stunning 8-5 victory.
This Saturday, Seattle semi-pro indoor gets to see an incredible meeting of rivals in the playoffs. Tacoma has proven time and time again that they can shine at home, making them heavy favorites in their semi-final match against Olympic Force. Being home to the league’s golden boot winner, Alex Hernandez, may not be enough to drive the Force past the Stars Reserves. Olympic Force saw their way to the final game last season but suffered a shattering blow against Bellingham United, who are the league’s returning champs.
Up north, we see the Snohomish Skyhawks go head-to-head against the top of the table Bellingham. The Skyhawks are looking at the same fourth place finish that drove them out of the running for the league title last year. A win by the 2-6 Skyhawks over the 7-1 United would represent a massive shake-up.
The teams to watch in these final games are certainly going to be Tacoma Stars Reserves and Bellingham United; my personal prediction is a showdown between these two teams as the final match-up. Both teams host a fantastic lineup of players: Tacoma’s top scorers Nate Ford and Danny Minniti vs Bellingham’s Nick Cashmere and Richard Henderson with elite and passionate players standing behind them. Bellingham is used to being king of the hill in WISL standings, but this season Stars Reserves have come back with a fighting vengeance compared to their 3-5-2 performance last season. Both teams have shown an intense fighting style of play with the burning desire to win; no doubt the atmosphere on the sidelines will be absolutely amazing…and outlandishly vulgar.
The Turf and Boards 