Mr. Speaker, I am so excited to rise today to celebrate and to congratulate some very extraordinary young female soccer athletes from Winnipeg.
Two teams, the Bonivital Flames girls under 16 years and the Flames girls under 14 years, both won their Manitoba Soccer Association cup earlier this month. Coincidentally, both had to face their talented rivals, the Football Club Northwest, in their final matches. Victory was sweet and this was the perfect way to end their exceptional season. Both teams went on to the nationals, achieving their goal of placing higher than they did last year.
As an avid soccer player and a soccer coach myself, I know how hard these girls had to work. I am so proud of their efforts.
Congratulations to all of our tremendous players, their proud families and, of course, their dedicated coaches, Stan Kern for the girls under 14 and Terry Schultz for the girls under 16.
Keep up the great work, and go, Flames, go.