Tryouts for the 2023 Arctic Winter Games futsal teams took place at Yukon University on Saturday. The junior girls started them off. 15 girls tried out for the team.

The Star spoke with the junior girls' coaches, Tyler Milton and Samantha Samuelson, after the game.

Milton said "For Team Yukon, we're doing all the age groups. Me and Sam are the coach(s) for the junior girls team, so that's 2007-2008 birth year."

According to the coaches, the junior girls are mostly ages 14 and 15, in grades nine and 10.

Samuelson said she thought the tryouts were "great. I was pretty impressed. I think they've learned a lot in the last few years and the intensity was really great.

"This is their first time playing futsal this year. They've mostly been outside because the weather's been so nice. And then we played once on the turf last week. This is our first time on the gym floor, I think. It was good."

Milton added, "The intensity was really good. A lot of the players clearly have played futsal before. They had the patterns and all of the techniques down, which are a little bit different than what you would use outdoor or in the field house here in Whitehorse (the indoor soccer field at the Canada Games Centre). So, yeah, I was really impressed, actually. I was really happy with it."

To an outside observer, the tryouts were much more physical then expected.

"I think the intensity was really high," said Milton. "The girls were excited to play. Sometimes you get a bit of physicality."

The coaches explained the process.

Samuelson said, "We practice tomorrow morning as well, so we have another assessment tomorrow morning. And then from there we'll pick a training squad of 12, which we can keep for a month, I think, and then our final squad will be nine (players)."

Milton added, "We get three alternates but unfortunately they aren't part of the traveling squad. We have nine that will travel to Arctic Winter Games eventually."

But what happens in the case of injuries?

"That's where the alternates come in. The three alternates that we've named," explained Milton. "If we get an injury on our traveling squad, then they would step in."

However, once the tourney begins, in the event of an injury, they will not be able to bring in an alternate. Injury substitutions can only happen during the lead-up to the Games.

"If someone gets injured at the tournament, then we're just down a player," related Milton.

As for the chances of having a strong squad for the Games, Samuelson said, "I think they're strong. I don't know; I've never been to an Arctic Winter Games, because the last one was cancelled, when we were supposed to go, but I coached this age group the last time around and I think these guys are already at that level and so, I think they're strong."

Milton added, "I've participated in two Winter Games myself as a player and I think we've got a good, strong group here. I was impressed."

The 2023 Wood Buffalo Arctic Winter Games take place Jan. 29 to Feb. 4. Futsal kicks off in Fieldhouse 1 at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre in Fort McMurray, Alta. The schedule is to be determined.