WDM Premier Games Schedules Posted

For the fourth year in a row I'll be taking a team to this event. Easy drive, good Region II competition, great fields. We've completely lucked out with good weather down there each year. Knock on wood we'll see the same this year.

I've been working closely with Larry Conklin, WDM Premier Games Tournament Director, for a number of months to try and (selfishly) help build our U12G 11v11 age group and coordinate the participation and bracket placement of Minnesota teams.

When all was said and done in terms of tournament registrations, MTA is sending 15 teams to the event. More than any other participating club, including the host club :)

Here's a list of MTA teams making the trip south -

• U11B Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 98e Blue
• U11G Minnesota Thunders Jrs. 98n Blue
• U12B Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 97s Blue
• U12B Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 97n Blue
• U12B Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 97s White
• U12G Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 97e Blue
• U12G Minnesota Thunder Jrs. 97e White
• U13B Minnesota Thunder Elite 96 Blue
• U13B Minnesota Thunder Elite 96 White
• U13B Minnesota Thunder West 96 Navy
• U13G Minnesota Thunder Elite 96 Blue
• U13G Minnesota Thunder Elite 96 White
• U14B Minnesota Thunder Elite 95 Blue
• U14B Minnesota Thunder Elite 95 White
• U14G Minnesota Thunder Elite 95 White

Schedules were posted yesterday. Here's how things look (kind of blurry, I know) -

Link to schedule

We come into the event as the top seeded team at the U12 Girls age group and have large targets on our backs.  Challenging new experience for the girls as I don't think we've come into any regional event at our age group as the top seed before... at least not in anyone elses' minds :)

I like the way this year's tournament is set up.  If we can win our group we'll be guaranteed two tough games on Sunday as the four bracket winners will square off in the semis, with the winners meeting in the finals and the losers meeting in a 3rd place game.  Looking forward to seeing teams like KC Select Rage, Midwest Reign Knockouts (formerly CIS Knockouts who we beat in last year's WDMPG final and who beat us last fall in the Eclipse Challenge Cup recap) or Toro (NE) from Group C, or a team like NSA Jaguars (IL) from group D - though to me that group is a bit of a toss up (aren't they all?) as the WDM team had some good players when we saw them last year up in MN.  I don't know much about KCFC United (though they did win the competitive Metro United Fall Classic last November).

We'll be traveling without Mickey (hockey conflict) and Gia (family trip).  Chels (who came with us to the Eclipse event last fall) will be guesting with us, as will Taylor from our U11 East team.  A U11 guest player?!?!  Yep. 

In addition to being down there for the soccer, the WDM Soccer Club has partnered with my company (Skillzys, LLC) for the event, and we'll be providing Custom Bag Tagz to all Premier Game participants (pictured below), as well as Friendship Tagz (like trading pins), Controlling the SEAS Tagz, and Player of the Match and Tournament MVP Tagz to certain age groups.  Busy weekend for me, but looking forward to it on a number of fronts!