Oly Town FC fall short in women’s arena soccer comeback

Oly Town FC’s much-awaited return to women’s arena soccer in the Northwest Premier League (NWPLi) was spoiled by a season opener defeat against Oly-Pen Force, 7-4, last Saturday at the Bremerton Sports Center in Washington.

Oly Town, one of the founding members of the Northwest Premiere League Indoor (NWPLi) for its inaugural season in 2020, announced earlier this year its intent to rejoin the indoor soccer league after taking a break in the 2023 season.

Their last campaign in the NWPLi was in 2022 when they finished third in a season highlighted by an incredible 24-goal haul by Artesian legend Kailey Utley.

In the offseason, Oly Town flexed their mounting firepower with the signing of 2022 NWPL championship-winning indoor coach Matt Herrera as the Artesians’ head coach, flanked by former Oly Town goalkeeper Vanessa Crisp’s return in the role of assistant coach.

But it wasn’t the best start for Oly Town this season. The team’s first game at Bremerton was a close battle – Oly Town FC kept the contest tight through the third quarter, which closed at 4-4, before they ran out of steam and permitted three unanswered goals in the final period.

Goalscorers for Oly Town were Whitney Self, who scored a brace, while Sarah Peterson and Lena White added one goal each. Goalkeeper My’kel Jones was the woman in between the gates as Oly Town kept the match neck and neck before the team’s unfortunate final period collapse.

Kaitlyn Hansen and Eden Comstock had assists for the Artesians, but Hansen would go down limping with a game-ending injury.

Oly Town returns to Olympia on Saturday, December 16, seeking their first win of the season against current league leaders Snohomish Sky on their return to home support at the Evergreen State College Pavilion. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m.