Soccer star hopes to score big in under-18s

Page 11

Though she's only a Grade 10 student, Taryne Boudreau has already represented Canada in international competition.

Boudreau was a member of the Canadian national girls' under-15 side that played three exhibition contests against Germany's under-15 squad in September 2004.

Boudreau, Metis on her father's side, and her Canadian teammates won two of the matches, all held in Atlantic Canada.

For starters, Canada downed Germany 5-1 at a game staged in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Canadians then registered a 2-0 victory in Moncton, N.B. Germany, however, managed to pull out a 2-1 triumph in the series finale held in Halifax, N.S.

Boudreau, a midfielder, saw action in all three games and she was in the starting lineup for two of those contests.

"It was awesome," Boudreau said of her time with the national squad.

But it was also a bit nerve-wracking donning a Canadian team jersey.

"I was nervous at first in all the games," she said. "But after about 10 minutes into the game, then I felt relaxed and felt I should be there."

Boudreau, who attends Edmonton's McNally Composite high school, started playing soccer at the age of four.

She spent this season toiling at the under-16 level with the Edmonton-based Victoria Soccer Club.

"She has a lot of tools and she's a very pleasant player to coach," said Rocky DeLuca, her coach with the Victoria Soccer Club. "She sees the field very well and she can hit the ball with both feet very well. I think she's a very complete player."

Many others obviously think so as well. Like officials with the Calgary Celtics girls' under-18 team, who asked Boudreau to join their organization. When her schedule permitted, Boudreau suited up for the Celtics.

Boudreau is currently a member of her co-ed indoor soccer team at her school. And she'll play for the McNally Composite girls' outdoor side during its spring schedule.

Though she's been earning rave reviews for her play, DeLuca said Boudreau still has plenty to work on.

"At her age, she can improve everything," he said. "For her age group, she's outstanding. But if she wants to keep moving up the different age groups at the national level, then every day she has to be working on her game."

Boudreau has some pretty lofty goals.

"I want to go as far as I can with soccer," she said. "I want to make the (Canadian) World Cup team some day. And if there is another pro (women's) league, I'd like to play there."

The Women's Unites Soccer Aassociation, which had eight franchises across the U.S., folded in September 2003, following a three-year run.

As for more immediate goals, Boudreau is hoping to crack the Alberta girls' under-18 team this year. That squad will compete at the Canada Summer Games in Regina.

She's also waiting to hear whether the Canadian Soccer Association will schedule any more games for its under-15 team. There has been some speculation that the club might go to Germany to play some matches early this year.

Besides her international stint, Boudreau has played in several other high calibre competitions.

When she was 13, she made an Alberta under-14 squad. That team participated at a tournament in Minnesota and placed fourth in its category, which featured about 80 teams.

Boudreau helped the Alberta under-15 side finish third, behind Quebec and Ontario, at the national all-star championships in Edmonton.

She also represented her province at the under-16 all-star nationals in P.E.I. in July 2004. It was her performances at that tournament which led her to be invited to the national under-15 tryout camp.