San Francisco Nighthawks is an American women's
soccer team, founded in 1995. The team is a member of the
Women's Premier Soccer League
The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is the top amateur league for women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, below only National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). ...
, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the North Division of the Pacific Conference.
The team plays its home games at
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is an outdoor athletics stadium in San Francisco, California, located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It is the former home of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders (first AFL s ...
in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. The club's colors are red and white.
Players
Current roster
Notable former players
Year-by-year
Honors
Competition history
The Nighthawks, formed in 1995 as a charter member of the
W-League, a division of the United System of Inter-regional Soccer Leagues (USISL). In 1998, the Nighthawks became a founding member team of the
omen's Premier Soccer League a national amateur league for women
soccer players with over 40 teams and 6 divisions.
The Hawks also play in the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League (GGWSL), a 50+ team, 8 division regional league based in San Francisco with relegation and promotion. The Premier Division includes many women who have played Division I NCAA
soccer and want to continue competing at a premier level. The Hawks are four-time champions of GGWSL's Premier Division, having won the title in the fall 2006, spring 2006, fall 2005 and spring 2005.
The Nighthawks, in addition to providing a soccer program for
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
women players, provide playing and training opportunities, coaching, instruction and learning opportunities for females of all ages in and around
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. The Hawks organization also conducts low or no cost community soccer camps and clinics, staffed by experienced players and coaches, to teach playing and coaching skills to the community.
The Nighthawks, commonly referred to as the 'Hawks, play at
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is an outdoor athletics stadium in San Francisco, California, located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It is the former home of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders (first AFL s ...
during the WPSL season and at
Boxer Stadium
Boxer Stadium (also known as Matthew J. Boxer Stadium) is a soccer stadium in San Francisco, California. Located in Balboa Park, the stadium has a capacity of 3,500. It is owned and operated by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and ...
among others during the GGWSL seasons.
Team highlights
* Competed and won 2008 Las Vegas Silver Mug.
* Invited to and competed in the 2007
USASA
The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 55 state organizations as well as national, regional and state leagues.
The National Premier Soccer League, NI ...
National Cup Amateur Division Cup at the
Starfire Sports Complex
Starfire Sports is a multi-purpose stadium and sporting facility in Tukwila, Washington, United States. It is located on the banks of the Green River, just south of Seattle. The stadium is operated by the nonprofit corporation Starfire Sports an ...
in
Seattle, WA
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of ...
. The
USASA
The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 55 state organizations as well as national, regional and state leagues.
The National Premier Soccer League, NI ...
National Cup Finals program is the oldest and most prestigious competition offered to all affiliated teams of the United States Adult Soccer Association.
* Played an exhibition game against the
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
WNT
Black Queens before a crowd of 2,000 in preparation for their 2007 African Women's Championship, a 2007
FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier. Before the game, nearly 500 boys and girls ranging in age from 6 to 18, received instruction in all aspects of soccer in a free clinic led by the
Black Queens and the Nighthawks.
* Several Nighthawk players participated in a WPSL All-Star game versus the
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
WNT
Black Queens as a preliminary to the 2003
FIFA Women's World Cup.
* Fielded a team for scrimmages against the
San Jose CyberRays, a member of the
WUSA franchise.
* 1998 trip to
Shanghai, China
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
where the Nighthawks scored a 2-1 victory vs. China. The roster included
WUSA draft picks Emmy Barr, Tiffany Hadfield, Keri Sanchez and Jen Tissue.
Nighthawks in the community
The Nighthawks provide free annual soccer clinics for low income youth players, conduct fundraising events for inner city youth soccer teams and leagues (providing teams with uniforms, balls, nets and more), and fundraising events for the community.
The Hawks provide
soccer coaching and education to players of all ages and skills. They provide to the community, a stable of knowledgeable, skilled and motivated female coaches, teachers, administrators and others who will share those attributes at little or no cost to the community.
Coaches
*
Petra Kowalski -present
Stadia
*
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is an outdoor athletics stadium in San Francisco, California, located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It is the former home of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders (first AFL s ...
,
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
-present
Average attendance
External links
Official SiteWPSL San Francisco Nighthawks pageGolden Gate Women's Soccer League
{{USSoccer
Women's Premier Soccer League teams
Women's soccer clubs in California
N
Association football clubs established in 1995
1995 establishments in California