Submitted by Oly Town Artesians
The Oly Town Artesians are excited to announce that their men’s outdoor side has joined the USL League Two for the upcoming 2022 season. The Thurston County based soccer club will compete in the Northwest Division and joins fellow newcomer Ballard FC as the second Washington based club in the division.
“This move will positively impact so many parts of Thurston County from the soccer community to local businesses and the national exposure opportunity is endless,” said Oly Town FC Owner Ryan Perkins. “Olympia is wonderful in so many ways and can’t wait for our new soccer partners and guests to enjoy the city and region when they travel here to play our Oly Town Artesians.”
The Artesians were founded in 2014 by Brandon Sparks and Tim Smith as a men’s indoor soccer team playing in the inaugural season of the Western Indoor Soccer League. They added men’s outdoor soccer in 2017 when they joined the Evergreen Premier League and have played four seasons in the EPLWA. The club also operates a women’s indoor and outdoor teams playing in the Northwest Premier League. Oly Town was purchased by Perkins in 2021 and since formed an ownership group with local soccer coaches Matt Herrera and Jason Smith.
Oly Town FC taking the step up to the USL2 is the continuation of the vision the club was founded on.
“One of the reasons I pursued founding a club in Olympia originally was seeing DeAndre Yedlin and Jordan Morris, among others, play in town during an annual visit by the Sounders U23s and Timbers U23s, then of the PDL,” said Sparks, who stepped away from the club in 2021. “Having the new ownership and management group take the step to bring that same level of pre-professional soccer to the Olympia area is very exciting and I’m proud to see the club continue to grow.”
The Artesians will face five opponents they have never faced during the 2022 season as part of the Northwest Division: Ballard FC (Seattle, WA), Lane United (Eugene, OR), Oregon Valley Futbol Alliance (Albany, OR), Portland Timbers U23 (Salem, OR) and PDX FC (Portland, OR). Alumni of Lane United include Khiry Shelton (Sporting KC), Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United) and Oly Town indoor great Willie Spurr (Ontario Fury) and two Timbers U23 players were recently drafted in the top 25 of the MLS SuperDraft. Sixteen out of the first 27 picks in the MLS SuperDraft were alumni of USL2 teams.
“This is the next step in the evolution of local soccer – being nationally competitive and bringing great soccer minds to Oly Town FC,” part owner Matt Herrera said. “USL2 coming to Olympia will provide new challenges like the Portland Timbers U23s and Ballard FC and we will see a different caliber of player and coach this region hasn’t seen before.”
“The exposure for Oly Town FC players will be incredible and we cannot wait to compete and grow in this USL expansion. The goal is to win the division and make dreams come true at the national tournament to get a berth to the US Open Cup. Imagine that: Oly Town FC versus the Seattle Sounders,” said Ryan Perkins.
View the 2022 USL League Two schedule here.
Follow the Oly Town Artesians as they continue their indoor schedule and move outdoors later this spring by visiting Oly Town’s Website, following them on Twitter, and liking them on Facebook.
