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Prince Albert soccer players travel to Minnesota for international tournament

Jul 20, 2018 | 1:22 PM

A group of young soccer players from Prince Albert are in Minnesota this week, competing in an international soccer tournament against teams from around the world.

The Prince Albert Celtic U13 team arrived in Minneapolis on Monday, following a long 17-hour, two-day trip by bus. The boys’ soccer team is competing in the Schwan’s USA Cup, where more than 1,100 teams from 20 U.S. states and 20 other countries are also taking part.

So far in the tournament, the team is sitting with two wins and one loss. The team’s next game is Friday evening, beginning at 6 p.m. local time. The Celtics will play a quarter-final game against Brazil that will also be live streamed for families and friends to watch online.

Celtics’ assistant coach Rod McKay spoke to paNOW by phone from the tournament Friday. He said the event is exciting for the young players.

“It’s the first experience for these young boys and they’re adjusting to a different kind of competition very well,” McKay said. “These boys will never forget that they came down here and they played Brazil, a virtual powerhouse in the world of soccer.”

The team’s captain, 13-year-old Carter Minier, said he’s enjoying the event, and the team is playing well together. Minier said the players have also been enjoying the local sights, including the Mall of America.

“It’s been really fun and cool because we get to play teams from all over the world,” Minier said. “We never got down on each other and it was always just really fun.”

Heather Giles is in Minnesota with her son Jonas, who plays defence on the Prince Albert team. Parents and players have been working to raise funds for the trip since last fall, doing bingos, barbecues, bottle drives and steak nights. Giles said the group has been enjoying their time in Minnesota and taking in everything they can while there.

She said everyone is grateful for the opportunity to attend the tournament, which would not have been possible without the support from families, friends and the community.

“I’m so proud of these boys right now,” Giles said. “Like any time they walk off the bus with their jerseys on and stuff, our hearts swell with pride.”

Teams from Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw are also in Minnesota for the tournament. The Celtics are the only team attending from Prince Albert.

The tournament wraps up this weekend. The Celtics are scheduled to return to Prince Albert late Sunday evening.

 

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt