Bellevue Athletic’s Spring 2025 Season Comes to an End in State Final

Written by Adam Race

Bellevue Athletic and Seattle Eagles battled it out in an instant classic of a UPSL-Washington final over the weekend, with Seattle Eagles coming out on top after a penalty shootout.

Seattle Eagles captured the Spring 2025 state title in their first ever UPSL campaign, extending their current winning streak to nine and snapping Bellevue’s eight game winning streak. Eagles will represent Washington in the UPSL national playoffs, taking on Oregon champs Deportivo Rose City in the regional final this coming weekend.

Bellevue fell just short of a state three-peat, suffering their first-ever loss in the UPSL-Washington playoffs. Goals from Brady Minor and Nii Engmann got BAFC through 120 minutes in front of a loud crowd at Bellevue High School Stadium, but for the second time in 2025, Bellevue lost in a shootout.

The match was an end-to-end affair all night, with Bellevue controlling the majority of the possession but Eagles looking dangerous on the counter.

The first opportunity of the match came in the third minute when Eyal Shechtman was able to shake off a defender and charge towards net from an angle, but a quick closeout from Eagles netminder Mintesnot Barcho sent a hurried shot wide for a corner kick.

Eagles would create a breakaway opportunity of their own in the 13th minute, when Adama Kante would flick a through ball to Isaac Edgewell on a quick counterattack. Bellevue goalkeeper Keegan Brennan would react perfectly, rushing off his line to meet Edgewell at the top of the box, making a leg save to snuff out the one-on-one chance.

The counter attack would continue to be effective for the visitors, and in the 34th minute Eagles would find their breakthrough when combination from Isaac Edgewell and Adama Kante on a quick break gave Kante a shot in the box which took a looping deflection off of a Bellevue defender and over the reach of Brennan to make it 1-0.

This was the first time in the Spring 2025 UPSL season that Bellevue had conceded the first goal of the match, forcing the hosts into unfamiliar waters as they had to fight from behind. 

Bellevue  would push Eagles deeper into their own territory as the half went on, with their best chance to equalize coming in the 40th minute when Nick Rivera found himself with a yard of space in the box and hit a low shot on net, but Barcho sprawled to his right to make an excellent fingertip save and maintain the 1-0 lead. 

The teams went into the break at 1-0, and for the first time this year Bellevue had a hill to climb in the second 45. 

Head Coach Mike Mata pushed all his chips to the middle at halftime, subbing in the two highest scorers in Bellevue history, Jacen Stein and Owen Gorter, as well as playoff reinforcements Isaac Ketcham and Sean Sent.

The new additions saw Bellevue continue to apply pressure in search of an opener, but stout defensive work from the Eagles back line, and especially from Bafode Drame, kept the hosts at bay despite a couple of dangerous odd-man rush opportunities.

Another attacking introduction in the form of Nii Engmann late in the game injected some more life into the Bellevue attack, with Engmann forcing a save out of Barcho with an acute-angle shot in the 83rd minute.

As the minutes ticked into the final five of regular time, it looked as though Bellevue were losing steam, but in the 87th minute a move down the right wing from Cameron Yriondo and Sean Sent gave Yriondo the space for a near-post cross, which was met by the head of Brady Minor who delivered an inch-perfect flick header to the near corner of the net, leaving Barcho flat-footed and providing a late equalizer. 

It was Minor’s first goal of the year, and a third assist in just a handful of games for Yriondo. 

Eagles had been trying to see out the 1-0 result for most of the second half, but once the equalizer went in they shifted back into attack and seemed to catch Bellevue off-guard. 

Eagles had several chances to win it in regular time. In the 93rd minute an Alan Barragan direct free kick from just outside the box made its way over the wall, but was saved on a dive by Keegan Brennan, who then sprung back to his feet to make a follow up save off the rebound and keep Bellevue alive.

Barragan would once again have a chance to end it in the 95th when an Adama Kante breakthrough was stopped by a Kaydin Wall sliding challenge, with the ball falling right to Barragan at the top of the box and Brennan far off his line. Despite having nearly an open net Barragan pulled his shot wide right, and the match would go to added time tied at 1-1. 

This would be the third time in just six UPSL-Washington matches that Bellevue had gone to extra time, and the first time it had occurred in a state final.

Bellevue would once again find room to work on the wing in extra time, and were rewarded in the 100th minute. A long ball down the left wing would fall to Cameron Yriondo, who was able to get a step on his man and flash the ball into the middle where Nii Engmann got a glancing touch to put in a go-ahead goal. Bellevue led for the first time in the match after 100 minutes played, and Nii Engmann scored in his second straight playoff match off of yet another clutch assist from Yriondo.

Bellevue looked like they were going to be able to put it away at 2-1, as they controlled the pace of play for most of added time. But there would be another twist in the tale in the 109th, when a long throw into the Bellevue box was headed by Nii Engmann straight into the back of Eagles center-back Justin Soto, and the big defender was able to scramble to the loose rebound and fire it in from six yards out for a shock equalizer seemingly out of nothing. 

Despite yet another jolt Bellevue pressed on in search of a winner, and they would have their best opportunity to get it in the dying embers of added time. In the 117th minute Bellevue would have an attacking throw-in of their own, which Jacen Stein was able to head towards Sean Sent, who found himself all alone with the ball at his feet just a few yards in front of goal. Sent would attempt to slot it in with the left foot, but a miraculous kick-save just barely off the toe of a diving Barcho would send it wide, one of the most improbable game-saving stops that you will ever see.

That would be Bellevue’s best chance to put it away, and the game would go on to penalty kicks. 

Jacen Stein would confidently dispatch the first penalty with Eagles’ Kante responding in turn. After the first round of spot kicks however Bellevue’s fortunes would take a turn for the worst, as Dane Rogers penalty was saved by Barcho, and Nii Engmann and Sean Sent both sent their attempts over the bar. Seattle Eagle’s would convert three of their four penalties, with Justin Soto putting in the game-winner to give the Tukwila club a UPSL-Washington title in their first ever UPSL season.

It was an incredible match and a heartbreaking end to another great season for Bellevue, who battled until the very end but fell just inches short of a third straight state title. The squad embodied the class, ability, and spirit of Bellevue Athletic Football Club for all 120 minutes, but an equally impressive effort from the visitors was just enough to end the Spring season for the Eastside Boys.

Despite the loss the team has a lot to be proud of as they regroup and get ready to come back stronger than ever in Fall 2025, looking to retake their crown and make another run at UPSL glory.

Scoring Summary

Bellevue Athletic Final 2025 UPSL Stats 

Individual: Outfield

Individual: Goalkeeping

Team: Overall