Flathead Rapids to play two college teams at Smith Fields

The Flathead Rapids continue to be a key player when it comes to advancing soccer in the Flathead Valley.

The Rapids latest coup is having the University of Lethbridge and the University of Great Falls participate in the 2012 Spring Soccer Showcase at Smith Fields in Whitefish on April 21.

Lethbridge will play the Rapids at 10 a.m.

Lethbridge will then face off with Great Falls at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Rapids playing Great Falls at 5.

Each match will last 90 minutes.

The event is free.

“To have college soccer in the Flathead Valley will be awesome,” O’Brien Byrd, president of the Flathead Rapids, said of this historic event.

“They (colleges) are always looking to pick up some competitive games in the spring and we were able to pull it off and bring them in.”

Byrd said head coaches at Lethbridge, Randy Bardock, and Great Falls, Paul Zazenski, will also speak at noon and 3 p.m., respectively, to young players and their parents about what it takes to play at the collegiate level.

“What they need to be doing now, the goals they should have and the importance of academics,” Byrd said of what the coaches will focus on.

Bardock and Zazenski will also field questions.

Last year the Rapids held the inaugural 2011 Senior Showcase in November in Whitefish, which featured the top high school seniors from Northwest Montana.

The Rapids started an indoor soccer league this past winter and an Academy three years ago for youngsters ages 6-11.

Smith Fields will be a soccer Mecca on the 21st as the Glacier United teams will also be on the fields playing matches.