SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown officially proclaimed this Saturday, August 17, as Women's Soccer Day in Spokane.
This comes ahead of the Spokane Zephyr's first-ever game.
The Zephyr practiced on Tuesday as the team continues to prepare for Saturday's season opener against Fort Lauderdale United.
The team and its ownership group are excited to begin the season in the coming days.
"Proud is an understatement," Katie Harnetiaux, club president of Zephyr FC, said. "Ryan and I both grew up here, so for us to be here and watch this happen and see this come to life and see kids that looked just like he and I growing up in our stadium playing, wearing the gear, these people have become part of the fabric of Spokane. That's pretty awe-inspiring for us."
"It's just all a culmination of things that we know people have fought for, and doors have opened for us, so we won't take that lightly," Jo Johnson, head coach of Zephyr FC, said. "We also want to be intentional with what we're leaving as our legacy and our standard of what this will look like for futures to come, and so it's kind of a bridge, and we are excited to take that on. The girls know that in the locker room, and they're excited too. We want to make sure we do it the right way.
"I think just seeing the way that soccer has grown in the U.S. the last decade, five years, is so special," Jenny Vetter, forward for Zephyr FC, said. "The fact that we get to be part of it on Saturday, I think we are all just really grateful for it.
Kickoff of Zephyr FC's inaugural game is at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
