Strong start for N.W.T. soccer at North American Indigenous Games

The N.W.T. U16 female soccer team isfocusing on a medal finish after rolling to a 6-1 victory over Team Alberta on the first day of the North American Indigenous Games.

• The North at the Indigenous Games: Catch athletes from Nunavut, N.W.T., Yukon in action
• Indigenous Games kick off in Toronto

Striker Valadee Lockhart, 14, from Lutsel K'e, N.W.T., scored three times. She said a hat trick in her first game wasn't at all what she expected.

"I thought I was going to be benched and not doing much, cause it's my first time going to NAIG," Lockhart said. "It's going to be a really great tournament. I think we're going to make it to the final."

Monday's win was the first time the N.W.T. U16 girls soccer team beat Alberta at any North American Indigenous Games, Lockhart said.

"We made history," Lockhart said. "It's really thrilling. Everyone's happy that we won, that we beat Alberta."

The team is feeling good and the hope is to compete for gold after the opening win, Lockhart said,

"We're a good team. We don't do anything solo, our efforts are all together. We compliment each other on and off the field," said coach Yvonne Doolittle."We've become like a family and I call these girls my daughters."

Team N.W.T. next plays Team Ontario Tuesday afternoon.

Other Northern teams were well represented Monday, the first full day of competition.

Yukon's Naoise Dempsey took silver in the boys U14 2-kilometre cross country race.

Seven of eight Nunavut U19 girls and U16 boys badminton players moved on to quarter finals.