The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor From the time she scored nine goals in her first game as a child, Delaney McIntyre's gift for soccer has been evident. Now the Hapnot Collegiate senior has caught the eye of a major American college, securing a scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota this fall. 'I was pretty excited,' said the 17-year-old left field when asked about her reaction to the news. 'I don't really show that much emotion so you couldn't really tell, but I was.' McIntyre has been playing soccer since she was five. As her talent became increasingly apparent, she began competing with players older than her in order to be challenged. She went on to captain the Kopper Kweens soccer team at Hapnot, where her speed and versatility on the field continued to stand out. McIntyre temporarily moved to Brandon last year to join the Manitoba Blizzard, a cream-of-the-crop team that played games at college tournaments in the U.S. The University of Minnesota liked what it saw and offered her a four-year soccer scholarship. Financial terms are not being disclosed. NCAA circuit McIntyre will play for the Golden Eagle Women's Soccer Team. On the famed NCAA circuit, she and her teammates will square off against some of the best female soccer players in North America. When she's not on the field, McIntyre will study sports management at the university's close-knit Crookston campus. Her goal is to become a soccer coach, but if the opportunity for a professional playing career kicks up, she would gladly accept it. 'That could be possible, but I can't really tell what's going to happen in the next four years of my university career,' she said. After more than a dozen years in the sport, McIntyre still relishes stepping out onto the field. 'It keeps you in shape and just trying to be competitive and trying to deke out your opponent,' she said, 'and finding ways to break down their team and getting the ball into the net as a team.' McIntyre's father, Murray, could not be more proud of his daughter. Not to say he is overly surprised. He still remembers that first game when a five-year-old Delaney put the ball in the net nine times. 'That was pretty special to watch. We still have it on video somewhere,' he said with a smile. 'Right from her first game it was evident that she had some talent.' Moving to another country will mark a major shift in Delaney's life, but she is up for it. 'I played soccer in Brazil this previous summer, and I was thinking if I was able to do that for two weeks away from home, I think I'll be okay playing soccer in the States,' she said. 'I'll just get homesick every now and then, but that's normal for people going away.'
