Yakima United Wins Third Straight EPLWA Championship With 1-0 Victory Over Bellingham United

Yakima United Football Club (Yakima) captured its third consecutive Evergreen Premier League Washington (EPLWA) championship Saturday, defeating Bellingham United Football Club (Bellingham) 1-0 before a home crowd at historic Marquette Stadium to claim the club's first league title on its home field.

YUFC celebrates with fans (Fowler) 

The championship matchup featured the league's top two clubs after both sides finished tied atop the regular-season standings with identical 5-2-1 records, setting up what many considered the most fitting finale to one of the league's most competitive seasons. Yakima entered the match seeking its third straight championship, while Bellingham looked to win its first league title since back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022. 

Yakima and Bellingham have had a rich history in the EPLWA (Fowler)

Yakima secured the decisive goal in the second half when Gonzalo Frausto broke free behind the Bellingham defense and calmly finished past the goalkeeper for the match's lone score.

"It's just a big team effort. Everyone here does their part, and I just try to finish," Frausto said. "It was huge to win it at home instead of on the road like the other two titles."

The Hoppers leaned on goalkeeper Luis Birrueta to preserve the lead. The veteran keeper made several crucial stops throughout the match, including a spectacular one-handed save in the closing minutes to deny one of Bellingham's best scoring opportunities and secure the shutout.

"It was a team effort," Birrueta said. "We finished as a team, and everyone believed in each other."

Birrueta makes a key save (Fowler)

The championship was also a showcase of outstanding goalkeeping. While Birrueta anchored Yakima's defense, 16-year-old Bellingham goalkeeper Marcus Conlan delivered an impressive performance of his own, turning away multiple quality scoring chances to keep the Blackhawks within striking distance.

 Bellingham goalkeeper Marcus Conlan delivered an impressive performance of his own (Fowler)

The victory further cemented Yakima United's status as the EPLWA's modern dynasty. The Hoppers have now reached four consecutive championship matches, winning titles in 2024, 2025 and 2026 after falling in the 2023 final. The club also has advanced to at least the league semifinals in each of the past four seasons.

Yakima won last year's championship over WE SURF SC and claimed its first EPLWA title in 2024 with a victory over the Everett Jets. With Saturday's triumph, the Hoppers improved to 3-1 all-time in EPLWA championship matches, while denying Bellingham the opportunity to add a third league championship to its storied history.