Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Spokane SC Shadow announced today that long-time Shadow youth coach Kevin Moon WFT, WFT 2019, WPSL, Kevin Moon will again serve as the head coach for the Spokane Shadow Women’s First Team as it makes its return this spring as a member of the national Women’s Premier Soccer League.

Moon previously helped lead a talented Shadow Women’s First Team over the course of two seasons in the local Northwest Premier League, winning the inaugural league championship in 2016 and tied for the regular season title the following year with a combined record of 20-2 over both seasons, 19 goals allowed and a staggering differential of +81.

“I am excited to have the chance to coach the Shadow in the Womens’ Premier Soccer League and want to thank Abbas and the board for giving me this opportunity. It will be a great challenge to see what we can do in the WPSL this summer,” said Moon. “The step up into a national league will an exciting endeavor and it will be a great chance for our local collegiate and post-collegiate athletes to compete at the next level. ”

The highly regarded USSF National A Licensed coach is the only member of the club’s staff that dates back to the initial years of the Shadow youth program in 2001, and has been a vital part of the club’s success in helping guide young athletes into the collegiate ranks serving as the club’s collegiate advisor for many years. Many of those players, who may return to Spokane to play for the First Team this season, have gone on to find success at the college level.

“When we were awarded a WPSL team, there was zero doubt in anyone’s mind that Kevin would be the head coach. The success Kevin had with our NWSL team and also the impact Kevin has had in Spokane is remarkable. Nobody else has developed women’s players and teams like Coach Moon,” said club Technical Director Abbas Faridnia. “Kevin has brought the foundation for some of the most talented players coming out of Spokane. His knowledge of the game, of the SSC Shadow Way only exemplifies why he is the one to be our head coach.”

The Whitworth graduate helped lead the Pirates to three conference titles during his playing career (1988-91) at the school and has often been a part of the soccer coaching staff, serving as a men’s assistant on three occasions (including this past fall) and, most recently, as a women’s soccer assistant (1992-96, 2001, 2010-15). His playing career also included a brief stint with the Shadow men’s side during its provisional 1995 season prior to joining USL’s Premier Development League.

In addition to coaching with the Spokane Shadow and as an assistant at Whitworth, Moon has also been providing academy and camp training sessions since 1997, which later developed into the Spokane Soccer Academy, one of the area’s most successful training programs since its founding in 2002.

About WPSL: The WPSL is in its 22nd season and is the largest women’s soccer league in the world with more than 100 clubs from coast-to-coast. WPSL rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international and standout prep student-athletes. Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s players have played in the WPSL, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain.

ATTENTION POST-COLLEGIATE PLAYERS

If you live in the region and are interested in playing for the Shadow, please contact Kevin Moon at kevinm@spokanesc.org with information regarding your playing background for a tryout or evaluation opportunity. This is a great chance to not only continue your playing career, but have an impact on many of the top young players planning for or just beginning their collegiate careers.

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