Written by Adam Race
Bellevue Athletic have a double-dose of action this week as they will play Shoreline outfit Esperance FC in the second round of the Washington Super Cup on Thursday, before travelling to Tukwila on Sunday to take on Seattle Eagles FC in their fourth match of the UPSL Spring 2025 campaign.
In league-play, Bellevue are hoping to snap a two-match winless run following a 3-2 loss to SeaGam two weeks ago and a 0-0 draw with 3 Cities FC on Saturday. The Black and Gold currently sit in third place in the UPSL-Washington table, just two points behind SeaGam and United Sports, who are tied on points atop the league. A Bellevue win paired with SeaGam and United Sports losses this weekend could see the Eastside Boys move back into the top spot.
Seattle Eagles FC currently have a loss and a win in their debut UPSL season, beating SeaGam 3-2 on matchday one and falling 3-2 on the road against 3 Cities in their last match. The Tukwila side and former Seattle Afrikan Premier League powerhouses are currently 7th in the league table, hoping to remain undefeated at home to move back into a playoff spot.
In the Washington Super Cup, Bellevue won their first-round matchup 5-1 against United Sports on March 22 at Bellevue College, and are looking to extend their cup run in this week’s elimination game against Esperance FC. The game will be played at Wilburton Hill Park in Bellevue at 8:45 PM this Thursday, with the winner advancing and the loser being eliminated.
“Bellevue Athletic is going to go for everything,” said Head Coach Mike Mata. “We want to win every cup we compete in. It will be an important match to rotate players, we have a very big squad, so it’ll be a great chance for other players to play.”
Bellevue goalkeeper Matt Janke spoke about the cup competition after keeping a clean sheet against 3 Cities on Saturday, “It’s really exciting. It’s an opportunity to play more games and get more wins.” In last season’s Washington Super Cup, Bellevue were knocked out in the opening round of the competition by Skagit Athletic FC. “It’s nice to be back in it, make it further than we did last year, and then win another trophy,” said Janke.
With a talented squad and recent UPSL success under their belt, the Eastside Boys’ aim this year is to do the double and make another addition to the club’s recent trophy collection. “We are hungry for every title,” said Coach Mata.
The Super Cup match will also be available via livestream at: veolive.page.link/et6k. The UPSL match against Seattle Eagles FC will take place at Foster High School in Tukwila, Sunday at 6:00 PM, and will be available to livestream through Seattle Eagles FC.
Washington State Super Cup
Bellevue’s first match this week is a quarterfinal elimination game in the Washington State Super Cup against Esperance FC, a club from the neighborhood of Esperance in Shoreline.
The Washington State Super Cup is an annual single-elimination cup competition that is competed for by amateur and pre-professional teams around the state. The last two iterations have been won by Yakima United. This is Bellevue’s third time competing in the cup.
In 2022, Bellevue Athletic made the Super Cup semi-finals after defeating FC International on penalties before being knocked out by USL-2 side FC Olympia. In 2024, Bellevue were eliminated by Skagit Athletic on penalties in the first round. In this year’s tournament, Bellevue defeated UPSL rivals United Sports FC 5-1 at Bellevue College, reaching the quarterfinal round for the second time.
Esperance FC won their opening Washington Super Cup game 3-1 against Holac Academy, the reserves team of former UPSL-Washington members Holac FC.
The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to the semi-final to face the winner of Fall 2024 UPSL-Washington playoff qualifiers FC International and Skagit Athletic FC of the Evergreen Premier League.
Know the Opponent: Seattle Eagles FC
This week’s UPSL opponents, Seattle Eagles FC, will be the second league debutants Bellevue face in spring 2025. Founded in 2021, the club originally competed in the Seattle Afrikan Premier League, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering immigrant youth from Africa, where they won two league titles, including in the recent 2024 season, being crowned in December.
Club owner/founder Dauda Sanoh said of the club’s move up to the UPSL premier, “Moving to UPSL was always a work in progress. We always strive to provide our players with a platform to showcase their talent at the highest level, and we also want them to experience what a professional environment looks and feels like. UPSL is a great league for all the talented amateur players in the nation. We are extremely excited to be part of this league.”
Seattle Eagles have gotten off to a solid start in the UPSL, highlighted by a 3-2 win in their home opener against a SeaGam team that currently sits atop the league table. “So far, I am happy with everything we are doing, participating in the UPSL and strengthening our brotherhood. As a club, we love playing quality opponents. Our first 2 matches were a great experience for our players,” said Sanoh. “Our goal this season is to simply make our first season in UPSL memorable, have fun, and win.”
Jacen Stein: Bellevue Athletic Career Goal Scoring Leader
Jacen Stein couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Spring 2025 UPSL season, scoring four goals in the 45 minutes of game one against Thurston County. But Stein’s first half heroics in the season opener didn’t just set the tone for a dominant Bellevue victory, it set a new record for career competitive goals scored in a Bellevue Athletic jersey with 15. Stein jumped from third to first in Bellevue’s record book after his output against Thurston, surpassing the totals of Connor Steward and Nicholas Rivera, and has since extended his record to 16 after netting against SeaGam on UPSL matchday two.
“I’m very happy for Jacen’s achievement,” said Bellevue Head Coach Mike Mata. “He’s a player eager to improve and compete at the highest level, and he shows this in every practice and game.” What makes Stein’s achievement all the more impressive is the fact that he has scored his 16 goals in black and gold over only 13 competitive matches going back to last Fall, averaging 1.2 goals and 1.6 goal contributions per game in that time. Stein has scored in all three of his competitive appearances for Bellevue in 2025, logging seven goals and an assist.
“Im stoked to hold this record with Bellevue, but without the success of the team since I joined in the fall it wouldn’t mean anything,” said Stein, who helped Bellevue to a UPSL PNW regional title in the fall, leading the Eastside Boys with 7 goals and 3 assists in league play, as well as two goals and an assist in the U.S Open Cup. “Being confident in myself, working hard, and creating positive environments with both West Seattle Junction and Bellevue have allowed me to be successful.” Jacen has also been a star and leader for USL 2 club West Seattle Junction, and while his time remaining with Bellevue in spring 2025 will be limited by the start of the USL 2 season, he has high hopes for the squad. “I don’t have many more games with Bellevue until the fall or hopefully spring national playoffs, but my goal for the squad is to push past the national round of 16.”
Bellevue Athletic Career Goals Scored
Player | Goals | |
1st | Jacen Stein | 16 |
2nd | Nicholas Rivera | 14 |
3rd | Connor Steward | 13 |
4th | Alec Willett | 10 |
5th | Tyler Hopp | 9 |
Bellevue Athletic 2025 UPSL Stats
Individual: Outfield
Player | Goals | Assists | Goal Contributions | Appearances |
Tyler Hopp | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
Kenny Mansally | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
Jacen Stein | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
Kaydin Wall | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Nii Engmann | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Marc Pedrosa | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Scott Burkholder | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Jackson Finn | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Kiran Menezes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Zak Khan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Austin Hill | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Brady Minor | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Miguel Guevara | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Edgar Lopez-Ramirez | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Individual: Goalkeeping
Player | Starts | Saves | Goals against | GAA | Clean Sheets |
Matt Janke | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1.50 | 1 |
Bruce Corrie | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 |
Team: Overall
Bellevue | Opponents | |
Goals | 23 | 5 |
Goals per game | 7.66 | 1.6 |
Clean sheets | 1 | 1 |
UPSL Washington Standings/Schedule
Team | W-L-D | GD | Points | |
1st | SeaGam FC | 2-1-0 | +1 | 6 |
2nd | United Sports FC | 2-0-1 | +8 | 6 |
3rd | Bellevue Athletic | 1-1-1 | +18 | 3 |
4th | 3 Cities FC | 1-1-0 | +4 | 0 |
5th | Gala | 1-1-0 | +2 | 0 |
6th | Everett Jets | 1-0-0 | +2 | 0 |
7th | Seattle Eagles FC | 1-0-1 | -3 | 0 |
8th | Snohomish Sky FC | 0-1-2 | -5 | 0 |
9th | Thurston County | 0-0-3 | -27 | 0 |
UPSL-Washington Matchday Two Schedule: |
Saturday, April 26th: Gala at SeaGam, 4 pm Everett Jets at Thurston County, 6 pm Seattle Eagles at 3 Cities, 7 pm
Sunday, April 27th: United Sports at 3 Cities, 5:30 pm Bellevue Athletic at Seattle Eagles, 6 pm |
How To Follow
Fans can follow Bellevue Athletic online at bellevueathletic.com and via social media on Instagram (@bellevueathletic), Facebook (@bellevueathletic), and YouTube (@bellevueathletic).