A new soccer team has hit the field running.
The Stolo Braves played their first game on Sunday in Seabird Island, ending in a tie.
It was a hard-fought game, against Port Coquitlam, said coach Richard Parsey.
"We got the goal to tie it up with less than a minute to play," he added.
Parsey had been trying for a few years to get an all native team together to play in the Fraser Valley Soccer League. They originally started as a team just competing in tournaments, but recently, the players started showing more commitment.
"It was getting easier to get a group of guys out," he said. And armed with a strong roster of 24 players, they made the jump to league play. Nine of those players are aged 15 to 21, he added, giving local youth a chance to take part in a sport they love.
"There's always kids kicking the soccer ball around," Parsey said. "I wanted to put one team in and include them, because most of them haven't had that opportunity."
They're practicing Monday and Wednesday nights at Seabird, and have several games coming up in September.
The next one is this Friday (Sept. 13) at Aldergrove Athletic Park at 7:15 p.m., then they're back in Seabird on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m.
Rounding out month, the Stolo Braves play in Langley at 9 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 28.
The season will run until March. Watch for updates and scores in upcoming editions of The Observer.
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