From modest beginnings, Oly Town Artesians become solid presence in men’s and women’s soccer

In 2014, a stay-at-home dad with a background in minor league baseball marketing turned his attention to a local indoor semi-pro soccer team he later renamed the Oly Town Artesians.

Eight years later, Brandon Sparks has moved to Seattle and returned his attentions to baseball, promoting a summer collegiate team, the Dub Sea Fish Sticks. Former Artesian goalkeeper Ryan Perkins, once the University of Washington’s football placekicker, is now the principal owner.

But, in the meanwhile, the club Sparks wasn’t quite sure which path it would take when he founded it has blossomed.

“When I got involved, they weren’t doing a lot of promotion,” Sparks remembered. “There was a lack of spectator sports in the area. I thought if I focused my expertise on it, we might really have something.”

The team lost its indoor home in Tumwater after just a single season, but the Pavilion at The Evergreen State College was available and became an engine for the Artesians’ success.

“Once we established ourselves it was always a goal to add outdoor,” Sparks said. “Then the goal was to consistently move up the ladder.”

Consider many boxes checked off.

Another newly-available facility added to the mix when Black Hills High School built its lighted football/soccer turf field which, minus the usual running track, has seats close to the playing surface, adding positively to the fan experience.

The Artesians’ top outdoor men’s squad joined USL2 this season, a part of soccer’s official structure in the U.S., two rungs below Major League Soccer. A second team continues to play in the Evergreen Premier League.

Oly Town’s women recently wrapped up the Northwest Premier League championship via a penalty kick win over Capital FC Atletica on the road in Salem after a 2-2 tie, thanks to an 89th minute goal by former Tenino High School and current Evergreen player Brieanna Dell and two shootout saves by goalkeeper Olivia Brock.

Matt Herrera, a co-owner and also the coach at North Thurston High School, coaches the women as well as handling general manager duties for the USL2 team.

Both men and women play indoors during the winter.

“Ryan taking over really jump-started the move to USL2,” Sparks said.

The step up to USL2 wasn’t seamless. The nationwide association is structured to provide current and recent college players a showcase to move on to the United Soccer League and, ultimately, MLS. Many teams’ rosters are heavily laden with NCAA Division I talent, something the Artesians don’t have.

They dropped their first four USL2 matches before tying Ballard FC and defeating PDX FC. A hectic 6-5 victory over Oregon Valley Futbol Alliance last weekend made it two wins in three tries for an improving Oly Town.

“We’re working on trusting ourselves as a team,” said coach Jason Smith, a co-owner who previously coached at Shelton High School and with the Black Hills FC youth program. “We’re steadily improving. The goal is to win every game, but if you’re going to do that, you need to get better every game.”

Oly is fueled by locals such as former Evergreen players Max Hauser and Alec Zimmerman and St. Martin’s defender Jose Marquez. Olympia High School product Sawyer Price, who plays for Northwest Nazarene University during the collegiate season, is in goal.

While the Artesians maintain their membership in the EPL, the roster is different, with only a few reserves from the USL2 side playing for both.

“The commitment level is higher at the USL2 level,” Smith said. “The players have a little bit more experience and more initiative, which is a big thing in sports. The knowledge of the game is higher, so is the athletic ability.”

The United Soccer League, proper, is the official Second Division of the sport in America and fields 28 teams in its Championship division, 11 more in League One. USL2, roughly analogous to Single A baseball, though its players are not paid, to preserve collegiate eligibility, has 113 teams in 16 division across the U.S. and Canada.

“We’ve got players who are just a bit raw. They haven’t refined their abilities yet to get to that pro level but show glimpses,” Smith said. “We give them the opportunity to push and push to get them to that level.”

Gilbert De La Luz, a Tacoma product who plays collegiately for Western Washington, has paced the Oly Town offense with four goals and two assists heading into Saturday night’s home match against Lane United at Black Hills at 7 p.m.

The Artesians have high hopes for the final stretch of their initial USL2 campaign.

“Our goal is to win out and really make a statement for the players who’ve been grinding all season,” said Smith. ”We want the next level to take a look at us. Our goal as owners and as coaches is to get exposure for these players so they can realize their goals in life.”