Special Memorial Day First Annual EPLWA Captain’s Cup Opens Today in Olympia

Captain’s Cup Begins Today as FC Olympia Hosts Port Orchard FC in Memorial Day EPLWA Game of the Week

OLYMPIA, WA — Memorial Day soccer arrives at the Regional Athletic Complex today as FC Olympia hosts Port Orchard FC at 3:00 PM in a featured Evergreen Premier League Washington matchup — and the opening leg of the newly introduced EPLWA Captain’s Cup.

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The 2026 Captain’s Cup will be decided over a two-leg aggregate goals series between FC Olympia and Port Orchard FC. The first leg kicks off today, Monday, May 25, at 3 PM at the RAC in Olympia. The second leg is scheduled for Sunday, June 7, at 5 PM at South Kitsap High School Field in Port Orchard.

The two clubs have met just once before, a 2024 friendly in Port Orchard that saw FC Olympia take a 3-2 win. Today’s match marks the beginning of a more formal rivalry between two community-rooted clubs separated by water, bridges, shared player pathways, and a growing competitive edge.

“This league is all about our local communities and nothing highlights these communities more than a strong derby rivalry game,” said Evergreen Premier League President John Crouch. “We are excited to introduce our first community-specific competition and highlight it with the Captain’s Cup tradition. Don’t miss the first fixture in what we hope will be a long lasting high level cross bridge community rivalry.”

The match has also been selected as the EPLWA Game of the Week, with FC Olympia planning an enhanced matchday experience at Well 80 Pitch inside the Regional Athletic Complex. Fans can expect a beer garden, kid zone, hot food vendors, EPLWA prizes, expanded seating, covered bleachers, and a special broadcast stream with live play-by-play coverage.

The EPLWA match follows a USL League Two regional matchup between West Seattle Junction and the Artesians, giving fans a full Memorial Day soccer showcase in Olympia.

A New Derby With Real Local Roots

For FC Olympia owner Ryan Perkins, the Captain’s Cup is about more than just points on the table.

“From player pool and coaches to proximity of our home venues within EPLWA, this is the closest rivalry for us in this path to pro EPLWA conference,” Perkins said. “We’re thrilled to embark on a new Captain’s Cup tradition with Port Orchard FC & FC Olympia — we’ll see who gets the first bragging rights in 2026. OLY! OLY! OLY!”

Perkins is also putting some extra flavor behind the rivalry, offering the 2026 Captain’s Cup winner $150 in pizza and favorite beverage. Bragging rights, table points, and pizza. That is basically the holy trinity of summer soccer.

Port Orchard FC Coordinator David Falk sees the rivalry as a natural fit for both clubs.

“Our jump up to statewide play in the EPLWA makes FC Oly our current closest opponent,” Falk said. “Our cities have plenty in common, from being near water, to being local government hubs, and more. In terms of soccer we both also share the mission of engaging the communities we represent. This will be a fun derby and I am excited to see how it develops over the years.”

The two clubs already share several soccer connections. Port Orchard players have gone on to compete at both The Evergreen State College and FC Olympia, while others have played at South Puget Sound Community College. This season, Port Orchard Head Coach Max Sampson and Assistant Coach Joshua Coetzee both bring strong ties to the capital city. Sampson is the head coach at SPSCC, while Coetzee was a student there before later featuring with the Geoducks. He now serves as an assistant with the Clippers.

The Captain’s Cup Name

The Captain’s Cup draws from the regional history of Captain George Vancouver, whose 1792 expedition mapped much of the Pacific Northwest.

Vancouver named Port Orchard after his ship’s clerk, Harry Masterman Orchard, after Orchard surveyed the strait separating present-day Bainbridge Island from the Kitsap Peninsula. Vancouver also named Puget Sound, where Olympia sits near the southern tip, after Lieutenant Peter Puget.

Olympia’s waterfront connection continues through Budd Inlet, the body of water on which the city sits. Budd Inlet was charted during the era of Pacific Northwest exploration and later named by Captain Charles Wilkes after expedition member Thomas A. Budd.

That shared maritime history gives the Captain’s Cup a fitting identity: two communities connected by water, exploration, local pride, and now, a new EPLWA rivalry.

FC Olympia’s EPLWA History Runs Deep

Today’s match is also a chance to recognize Olympia’s long relationship with the Evergreen Premier League. The club’s outdoor identity began in the EPLWA in 2017, when original founder Brandon Sparks expanded the Oly Town Artesians from an indoor men’s program into outdoor statewide competition.

Olympia’s first EPLWA outdoor match was played at South Sound Stadium, marking the return of Olympia-based semi-pro soccer for the first time since the 1980s.

“I remember jumping in at keeper backing up Oly legend JJ Olson in those early years of EPLWA and going on the road with the guys and having some fun wins,” Perkins said. “That team was mixed with local collegiate athletes and graduates and the atmosphere was really competitive.”

That inaugural 2017 season saw Olympia finish 4-7-3 with 15 points, including wins over second-place Bellingham United and defending EPLWA champion Vancouver Victory. The Artesians finished sixth but stayed in the race for third deep into the campaign, laying the foundation for the club’s continued outdoor growth.

Today, the rebranded FC Olympia Artesians continue to use EPLWA as a key piece of their development pathway, connecting local elite youth players, college players, graduates, and athletes looking to move into higher levels including the club’s USL League Two and USL W League environments.

Match Preview

FC Olympia enters today’s match sitting near the top of the early Premier Division table with a 1-0-1 record and four points through two matches. Olympia opened its 2026 EPLWA season with a 5-2 win over Skagit Athletic, powered by a two-goal performance from Marvin Soeum and goals from Tristin Evans, Leon Tomno, and Preston Soeum.

The Artesians then met Skagit again on May 16, playing to a 2-2 draw after goals from Tristin Evans and Brandon Clough before late Skagit goals split the points.

Port Orchard FC enters the match looking for its first EPLWA Premier Division win after opening the season 0-1-1. POFC is coming off a 2-0 road loss at Bellingham United but has already shown it belongs in statewide play.

The club is new to EPLWA Premier Division competition in 2026, but not new to building a serious semi-pro soccer presence. Port Orchard FC joined the Evergreen Premier League after three straight Cascadia Premier League finals appearances, including CPL titles in 2023 and 2025.

Port Orchard markets itself around regional competition for elite adult players while building a strong community matchday environment for local businesses, families, and soccer supporters in Kitsap County.

That shared mission is what makes today’s matchup feel like more than an early-season table test. Olympia and Port Orchard both represent cities where local players, families, businesses, and community pride sit at the center of the club model.

Now they meet with points, history, and the first Captain’s Cup advantage on the line.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM today, Monday, May 25, at the Regional Athletic Complex in Olympia.

RAC (Credit: FCO)