FC Olympia has announced through their website that they are set to take over Lacey Lights FC for the upcoming 2024 season to elevate and expand local semi-pro soccer opportunities in Thurston County.
The announcement was made on the heels of the ongoing preparations for Oly Soccer Gala night , a fundraiser of the Oly Soccer Foundation, on March 23 to support the local soccer programming of the club.
Following this acquisition, Lacey Lights FC is set to apply to enter the Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA) top division for men’s competition and the Northwest Premier League for local women’s soccer this season, which is expected to kick off this May.
More recently, they have also accepted an invitation to re-join this season’s Washington State Super Cup, where the Artesians were crowned
The merger has also resulted in a rotation of personnel among both teams’ top management and staff. Artesians’ men’s arena soccer head coach Nick Boatright will reprise his role as head coach of the Lights in their debut season in the EPLWA.
On the business side, Lacey Lights FC’s board member and investor Jacob Irwin is now the Partnerships Director at FC Olympia, while Chad Carpenter joins the Artesians as a Brand Ambassador Director overseeing influencers and brand management for the club.
Lacey Lights FC is an amateur soccer team founded in 2021 by Paul Tollefson aiming to “put the town of Lacey on the map for competitive soccer.” They most recently competed in the Cascade Premier League in the 2023 season, finishing as semifinalists after losing to eventual champions Wenatchee All Stars FC.
In preparation for the upcoming summer, the men’s team will host a tryout for aspiring soccer players on April 13 at Timberline High School in Lacey.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here