PORT ORCHARD, WA—Port Orchard Football Club (POFC) is pleased to announce that the men’s semi-pro soccer club will join the Evergreen Premier League of Washington (EPLWA) starting with the 2026 season. The EPLWA (usually pronounced “E-P-L-Wah”) enters its 12th year of play this spring. In 2025 the league featured teams in cities such as Bellingham, Vancouver (WA), Yakima and Spokane, among others. Yakima United are two-time defending champions.
The EPLWA has both Premier and Championship Divisions. Port Orchard FC joins the highest level, the Premier. The league is also adding a women’s division in 2026. Interested clubs can apply to join here.
Port Orchard FC departs the Cascadia Premier League after playing in three straight league finals, winning two of them (2023, 2025.)
Port Orchard FC Head Coach Max Sampson says, “I am excited to compete across a larger area and against more clubs and player pools. I think the EPLWA is a fantastic league. The mission for us is simple: continue to build our program and work hard to maintain our success.”
General Manager Sam Ironside adds, “Making the move to EPLWA is an exciting step, bringing new territory and new opponents into our path. I’m looking forward to what the upcoming season holds.”
EPLWA ‘Ecstatic’ To Welcome POFC
The Evergreen Premier League VP of Competition John Crouch communicated with Port Orchard FC as the club researched the move to a new league.
Crouch says, “The EPLWA is ecstatic about having POFC come over to our Premier league. We have been working hard to define our brand and goals as well as upgrade our tech and our processes. Giving our players the highest level on the field and allowing their efforts to shine in the social media and website coverage to build our local soccer communities is paramount in our brand. We know POFC brings a strong competitive team to the pitches of the EPLWA, coming from two championships in the CPL (2023 and 2025) and along with that comes one of the best fan environments at our level in the region. We know POFC will bring it in every way and help raise the EPLWA alongside the goals and brand we are building. We want to wish a warm welcome to our newest member of the EPLWA and welcome David Falk (Port Orchard Club Coordinator and Port Orchard local) home to a league he helped build from scratch. It’s a great day for the EPLWA.”
Port Orchard FC will announce all of the new teams headed to South Kitsap this year as opponents when the league and clubs reveal the 2026 schedule in the coming months.
The Evergreen Premier League is expecting more off season news as it prepares for 2026. There is anticipation of more new clubs on the horizon that will further grow the statewide reach of the EPLWA over all divisions of play.
Follow EPLWA news at eplwa.soccershift.com.
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