Kicking their way to nationals
Phoenix FC’s U15 Girls set to bring the heat to Prince Edward Island
Advertisement
Winnipeg Phoenix FC’s U15 Girls will be representing Manitoba at Canada Soccer’s 2025 National Championships next month.
This is in the wake of going undefeated and earning first place at the Manitoba Soccer Association’s provincial championships, winning 8-2 in the final against Bonivital Flames. Now, the girls are training hard before they fly off to Charlottetown, P.E.I. to take on opposing teams hailing from all over the country in the Girls U15 Cup.
Avery Mochnacz, who plays right back, described the development as “kind of a shock,” adding that she and many of her fellow players — who have essentially grown up together, on the field — have been dreaming of this moment since they were little.
Photo by Emma Honeybun
The Winnipeg Pheonix FC U15 Girls team went undefeated at this year’s provincials and will be making its way to the national champtionships early next month.
“It’ll be a really good experience for all of us,” the 14-year-old said.
“After the final whistle blew, we were all really excited,” said Reese Katcher, a defensive midfielder, adding that “it’ll be way more competitive out there” and that the team will need to amp up its game from where it is now.
“After we were all in shock, we were pretty hyped up,” added Nahla Suehn, a right winger.
“We just need to work as a team. We’re good and clean … if we bring that to nationals, other teams will have a hard time,” she said.
When it comes to what will set them apart from the competition, there are a few big contenders — the team morale Suehn had mentioned is a big one.
No matter what skill level a team has, there needs to be passion, said Mochnacz: “The goal to work hard and passion, that’ll bring home what you want to bring home.”
“We have to do it for each other,” Katcher said. “We have to pull together, play as a team and not for ourselves.”
As well, the team has been powered by its coaching method “since day one,” according to Hassan Kamara, head coach.
Kamara credited the ‘XNQ Matrix’ methodology — taught by assistant coach Laurence Leydier — which aims to heighten cognitive awareness in players and reduce the time it takes to improve skill and performance, according to its official website.
“It’s given us a step up,” he said. “It’s given the girls a lot of confidence.”
Leydier said that although he predicts the team will be “fighting an uphill battle,” at nationals, the current aim is to heighten its development through consistent training so that it will match the levels of teams based in other provinces.
“The glue for them is that part of our program develops a foundation of culture,” he added. “It helps them navigate all the changes they go through (on and off the field).”
At this point in the season, many teams are overwhelmed with issues between players, Leydier said, but he and Kamara have prioritized a healthy culture at the same level as skill development, which has led to a “stabilizing force that helps them zig when they want to, rather than zag.”
“We gotta go for gold,” Mochnacz said. “We can’t travel all the way to P.E.I. to not win gold.”