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The U16 Girls Canada Games team played an exhibition game versus a Whitehorse men鈥檚 team at the Canada Games Centre Thursday.

While the U16 team failed to score, it was an entertaining, competitive affair. The Whitehorse men led 2-0 at the half.

Following the game, Samantha Samuelson, an apprentice coach with the team, explained the makeup of the squad.

鈥淭his is a few girls who are trying out for the Canada Summer Games team in Niagara this summer. It鈥檚 not all of them. There鈥檚 not actually a team made yet.

鈥淚t was just a fun game that I organized last-minute because we鈥檝e been wanting to play the men for a while and found some gym time that was free, so we decided to try it out,鈥� she added.

Neil Sedgwick is the Head Coach for the U16 team.

鈥淭he assistant coach is Carli Tingstad,鈥� related Samuelson.

鈥淓ric (Porter) and I are apprentice coaches. So through the Canadian Association for Coaches there were positions to be apprentice and learn from more experienced coaches, obviously, at a major event. So Eric鈥檚 position I think is Aboriginal Sports apprentice and mine is a Women in Coaching apprenticeship.鈥�

Samuelson said the purpose of the game was 鈥渇un.鈥�

鈥淲e have played at times against the younger boys and they obviously go at a different speed and have a different knowledge level than the men, so it鈥檚 just to get a different opponent and to see how things are going ... but mostly fun.鈥�

As for what she thought of the game, 鈥淚 think it was good. As a coach, it鈥檚 always good to see games, because you learn lots and you can see where you鈥檙e at and what鈥檚 going on.

鈥淭he girls really liked it. They had a lot of fun, which they don鈥檛 always have when they play the younger boys, so I think that was good.鈥�

When asked if this game was more at their level, Samuelson replied, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 more at their level, but it鈥檚 useful because we are obviously going to play some strong competition at Canada Games. It鈥檚 girls that are fast and really skilled and smart soccer players ... these guys aren鈥檛 probably as fast as the people we play but they鈥檙e skilled and smart, so that part helps to adjust some things and try some things out.鈥�

Next up is a trip to Saskatoon.

鈥淥n May 5 we go to Saskatoon to play against a couple Western teams 鈥� Alberta and Saskatchewan. Their teams aren鈥檛 made either, but they鈥檙e having tryouts at that time too,鈥� said Samuelson.

The eligible age bracket for the girls is a 2004-2007 birth year, but the Yukon team is allowed up to nine 2003 over-age players. However, they only have four over-age players on the team.

Jordan Minifie, one of the key players of the U16 team, also spoke highly of the game.

鈥淚 really like it. I think it鈥檚 really good to play against the men because it鈥檚 better and we have to think more and I think they鈥檙e good competition for us.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I played phenomenally tonight, but I think that overall, as a team, we played pretty good and we got a couple good chances on net and our defending improved a lot (more) tonight than I think it has in past games,鈥� she added.

鈥淚 think we did improve as the game went on after we got a feel for the other team.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really great having (Head Coach) Neal (Sedgwick) here because he kind of reminds us of all the things we need to pay attention to in our playing to actually kind of make it like a good game that has a lot of like, thinking involved. Because, we went to a tournament just a few days ago ... we lost like, bad, and I think it was largely because we weren鈥檛 thinking as a team as much. So it鈥檚 good that Neil鈥檚 here to remind us to do that.鈥�

The U16 girls were in the SX Cup tournament in Vancouver April 15-17 as the Whitehorse United U16 girls team.

鈥淚t was tough. I don鈥檛 think we played terribly. I just think we weren鈥檛 expecting the competition to be that tough and we weren鈥檛 really prepared for the outdoor field, because we鈥檇 been playing indoor for quite a while.鈥�

To that end, the game with the men featured play with the boards being out of bounds to help the girls get used to playing outdoors.

Another game with the men was scheduled for Saturday evening.

Minifie said she鈥檚 looking forward to the outdoor season, if the snow in Whitehorse ever goes away, that is.

鈥淵eah, I鈥檓 really looking forward to it, especially going outdoors. I can鈥檛 wait for the snow to melt because playing outdoors is so much better, with the big field 鈥� lots of running.鈥�

As for what鈥檚 next for the team, 鈥淪ummer Games, Westerns, and we鈥檙e also going to Saskatoon in a couple weeks, and then we鈥檙e gonna play all the Western Canadian teams, so we can kind of get a better feel for other teams in the country,鈥� said Minifie.

鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to that.鈥�

The Niagara Canada Summer Games are August 6 to 21.