Zags Turned Pros: Two Alums Reunite at Spokane Zephyr FC

Two Zag alums once shared the pitch as teammates at Gonzaga University, now they’ve reunited as part of Spokane’s first professional women’s soccer team, Zephyr FC.

Both Sophia Braun (’22) and Jodi Ülkekul (’18) spent their collegiate careers playing for Gonzaga’s women’s soccer team. In 2018, they shared the pitch during a standout season in which the Bulldogs logged a ten-win record, their best finish in the West Coast Conference in a decade. Braun was just beginning her journey as a freshman, while Ülkekul, a senior and team captain, wrapped up her final year as a Zag.

After graduation, their post-collegiate careers led them to different places. Ülkekul played overseas for CD Castellón in Spain, AS Roma in Italy and briefly for Seattle Reign FC under a National Team Replacement Players contract. Braun played abroad for Mexican Club León Femenil and competed internationally with Argentina’s national team. Eventually, both found themselves back in Spokane, taking the field for Zephyr FC during the club’s inaugural season, which kicked off in August 2024.

“I loved my time in Spokane, and I fell in love with the game all over again at Gonzaga. I had such great memories there and felt a strong pull to come back. When the opportunity came up, I knew it was something I really wanted,” Braun said.

Originally on loan from the NWSL’s Kansas City Current, Braun has since signed a permanent deal with Spokane Zephyr FC.

“Spokane has a special environment that blends a city and small community vibe, something I enjoyed throughout college,” Ülkekul said. “Playing professionally here, so close to home and my alma mater, is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Reuniting on the field in Spokane has allowed Braun and Ülkekul to reconnect with each other and with the community that supported them as Zags. Reflecting on their 2018 season together, Braun acknowledged the impact Ülkekul made on her, “It’s been really cool for me because I looked up to Jodi when I came in,” she said. “She was really dedicated, a big leader on our team, and she showed me that if I wanted to keep playing soccer, I could. Now coming full circle and being able to play with her again is so much fun.”

Ülkekul expressed a similar sentiment to Braun: “It’s been really cool revisiting an old friendship and growing a relationship with someone I’ve known for so long, even if we weren’t super close back then.”

What was once a parking lot during their time at Gonzaga has since been transformed into ONE Spokane Stadium, now home to Spokane’s first professional men’s and women’s soccer teams. Zephyr FC competes in the United Soccer League’s Super League at the Division One level, standing at the top of the women’s soccer pyramid in the United States.

While both former Zags are excited to play together once again, they are also excited about how Zephyr FC is helping transform the local sports scene, especially for young fans. Braun finds it special to have a pro team where she once played as a Zag. “People really care about Gonzaga sports and that passion lives on through our team,” she said. “It’s important to be a part of something that is giving more opportunities to players and shows little girls that they can watch us live out our dream and know it’s possible for them too.”

Both players credited the fans for creating a unique, invested atmosphere. Even before the team’s first official game, the support was there. Ülkekul recalled leading the pregame rumble, a pregame tradition that energizes the crowd, for Spokane Velocity FC, “The crowd and city didn’t have a reason to be excited about us other than the fact that we simply existed. We got a standing ovation, and they clapped for what felt like forever. It hit us that this community really cares, and even if we don’t get the results we want, they’re still there picking us up.”

Their first home match confirmed how much the Spokane community has embraced its new team with fans stomping so hard at times that the stadium felt like it was shaking.

“It was incredible,” Braun said. Ülkekul added that she took a moment during the game to step back and absorb the significance, “The mayor had just made it ‘Women in Sports Day,’ and seeing all these younger and older girls on the field reminded me that this is way bigger than us. You tend to forget that when you’re focused on your job, but when I saw how excited they were, it really hit me that we’re paving the way for future players right here in Spokane.”

For Braun and Ülkekul, playing for Zephyr FC goes beyond reuniting on the pitch. By competing at the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States, they’re helping to shape a new era in Spokane’s sports scene, one that inspires fans of all ages and shows young athletes a path to professional soccer right in their own hometown. As the club’s inaugural season continues, matches resume in mid-February, with the home match spring season opener on March 8.

For these two former Zags, their journey continues, and so does their impact on a community that has supported them since their days at Gonzaga.