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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, June 25, 2015 | 42 HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports "Connected to your Community" Oakville midfielder gets Pan Am call TFC reserve Adam Bouchard to play for Canadian men's soccer team by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor With three brothers close to him in age, Adam Bouchard had no choice but to get better at sports. "Ever since we were young, it was so competitive," said the 19-year-old, who grew up in Oakville with brothers Mark (now 17), Evan (16) and Ryan (14). "We did it for fun, but there would be hockey fights, the fights in soccer. It was just so competitive at a young age, I think it translated on the field with our individual teams." It must have. Ryan is currently playing rep in the Oakville Soccer Club, Mark plays in the Greater Toronto Hockey League with the Toronto Titans, and Evan was the first-round pick of the London Knights in the recent OHL Priority Selection. But Adam can still trump all of them. Not only is he a professional soccer player in the United Soccer League for Toronto FC's reserve team, he's also preparing to compete in the Pan Am Games after being named to Canada's under-22 men's soccer team Friday. Bouchard said he was aware of the possibility he could be selected for the Pan Ams, but it still caught him off guard when he was officially named to the team. "To be honest, I was focused with TFC, getting into a starting position and just performing," the midfielder said. "It was always in the back of my mind, though." Bouchard first started playing soccer at the age of four with the Burlington Youth Soccer Club, then played in Mississauga before joining Oakville Soccer Club at the age of 16 to play for the club's U20 squad. The following year, he was one of three OSC players who moved to Uruguay to train and attempt to land a pro contract with Defensor Sporting Club's under-17 squad. Bouchard said his two years in South America helped him "truly learn what the game's about." "Those kids, even though they were 16 and 17 at the time, they were playing to feed their families. You saw it every day, even in training sessions and warmups. Here in Canada, it's pretty light. There, they're already kicking each other. "I'd love to go back one day and play in that environment," he added. "The environment is the big thing. It's the atmosphere that makes the game." The Canadian men's U22 team will get a taste of that intensity at the Pan Am tournament. Canada will kick off its preliminary-round schedule with a July 12 game against Brazil, followed by matches with Panama (July 16) and Peru (July 20). All games will be played at Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium (Tim Hortons Field). "It will be very good practice to play against big teams and big countries," said Bouchard, who has previously represented Canada in U17 and U20 competition. "This is a stepping stone for Olympic qualification. That would be the next goal." Oakville resident Adam Bouchard, pictured in action for Toronto FC's reserve team in United Soccer League play, has been named to the Canadian men's soccer team that will compete in next month's Pan Am Games in Toronto. | photo courtesy of Toronto FC McNicoll, Lewis also named to Pan Am squads Kinley McNicoll and DanWomen's soccer will iel Lewis joined Adam be contested at Hamilton Bouchard as Oakville Pan Am Soccer Stadium residents to be named to (Tim Hortons Field). Canadian Pan Am Games Canada will face Ecuador teams last week. (July 11), Costa Rica (July McNicoll was selected 15) and Brazil (July 19) in to play for the women's group play. soccer team Friday, a day Lewis, 39, is a veteran Kinley McNicoll Dan Lewis after Lewis was officially libero with the men's nanamed to the men's voltional squad. The T.A. leyball squad. Blakelock high school alumnus has also played McNicoll, a White Oaks high school grad, professional volleyball in Europe for more than was Canada's captain in last year's FIFA U-20 a decade. Women's World Cup, helping the team to a Pan Am volleyball competition will take place quarter-final appearance. The 21-year-old re- at Exhibition Centre Hall A, with the men comcently concluded her junior year at the Universi- peting July 17-26. Canada will play Mexico (July ty of Wisconsin, where she already ranks second 17), Puerto Rico (July 19) and the United States all-time in Badgers history in career assists (28). (July 21) in the opening round. OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB Week Four Photo Contest Winner: Photographer: Logan Podrebarac Age Division: BU21 For more inFormation, contact Dino@apexfootball.ca and Reliance Home Comfort A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club Oakville Beaver Sponsored by: