All Sections All Sections Winnipeg Free Press Subscribe
Articles Read Your Balance +tax

February 25, 2021

Winnipeg
0° C, Overcast

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Canstar Community News
    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • Sponsored
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Flyers
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photostore
  • More

©2021 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Flyers
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photostore
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Read Now Pay later
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
Canstar Community News
  • The Herald
  • The Lance
  • The Sou'wester
  • The Metro
  • The Times
  • The Headliner
  • Sports
  • Correspondents
  • Columns
  • Contact Us
  • E-Edition
  • Publications
  • Building Unity: Our Community Centres

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

St. Boniface soccer star honoured by MSA

Simon Fuller By: Simon Fuller
Posted: 8:08 PM CDT Monday, Mar. 12, 2018

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/3/2018 (1080 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Damian Truong has really kicked things up a notch this past year.


The 16-year-old Old St. Boniface resident was a key member of the Bonivital U17 boys’ soccer team that won the 2017 Canadian championship in Fredericton, N.B., last October by beating CS Mistral from Sherbrooke, Que.

Damian Truong has had a standout year on the soccer pitch. (SIMON FULLER/CANSTAR NEWS/THE LANCE)

SIMON FULLER

Damian Truong has had a standout year on the soccer pitch. (SIMON FULLER/CANSTAR NEWS/THE LANCE)


On March 10, the Grade 11 Glenlawn Collegiate student was doubly honoured at Manitoba Soccer’s Night of Excellence, which was held at the Norwood Hotel. At the inaugural event, organized by the Manitoba Soccer Association, Truong and his teammates were recognized as team of the year while he also won the male player of the year award.


Talking to The Lance recently about his on-field achievements, as well as his tentative plans for the future, Truong said Bonivital’s championship-winning game was even sweeter in light of the loss the team suffered in 2016’s U16 final to Edmonton Juventus in Saskatoon, Sask.


"That made the win even better," Truong said, noting his favourite team is Barcelona and favourite player is Lionel Messi.  

Damian Truong demonstrates his soccer juggling skills outside the clubhouse at Bonivital Soccer Club on Sunset Boulevard. (SIMON FULLER/CANSTAR NEWS/THE LANCE)

SIMON FULLER

Damian Truong demonstrates his soccer juggling skills outside the clubhouse at Bonivital Soccer Club on Sunset Boulevard. (SIMON FULLER/CANSTAR NEWS/THE LANCE)


"Because we finished second the year before, we had the goal in our minds to bounce back to win the tournament, which made the success even sweeter. My adrenalin was pumping when we defended our lead and then extended it. It was an amazing feeling."


Truong said the influence of the team’s head coach, Tony Mazza, was a key factor in the team’s championship success last October, when the team netted an impressive 5-0 record and a +17 goal difference at the national tournament.


"Coach Mazza is passionate about the game, and we trained twice a day for a month before the tournament. As a unit, we knew that grit and hard work would be crucial to be successful at nationals," Truong said.


The teen has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember and says he first kicked a ball at the age of three.


Since then, he has been part of nearly every soccer program in the province. In his years with Bonivital, Truong has won several city championships and because he is an "age-advanced" player, he will get another chance this year to qualify for nationals for the fourth year in a row, which is a rare and unprecedented achievement for a youth player. Truong will also captain the team this coming season.


Last year, Truong also had the honour of representing Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, and he is currently a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps Pre-Prospects Program in conjunction with Glenlawn, as well as the Manitoba Blizzard Pre-University Program. He has also been a guest player for Ontario team Erin Mills, and recently played with them in New York at a college showcase event.


"Erin Mills is a phenomenal team, and the Canada Summer Games was a wonderful experience. I was the youngest player on the team, and to have 1,500 fans watching a game was a neat experience," Truong said.

Stay informed

The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.

Subscribe to COVID-19 Briefing
Sign Up


While he is already looking into university scholarships and talking to college coaches, Truong would ultimately love to play the ‘Beautiful Game’ professionally. However, he is level-headed about what it takes to achieve that goal.


"It’s hard to make the leap to pros, so before that you have to think about playing semi-professionally, and at the university and college level before that," he said.


"Also, having the Canadian Premier League coming to Winnipeg in the near future could be a gateway to bigger things. I’m super-pumped about a pro team coming to Winnipeg. It gives a very realistic goal for players of my age to aspire to."


In some ways, Truong’s passion for soccer is understandable, as the sport is very much a family affair.


His father, Oai, is a soccer coach and a past president of Bonivital, and his uncle Serge Bohemier, and aunties Julie Chan, Rose Bohemier, and Brigitte Bohemier, all went to the nationals at least once, and still play today.


As well, his three cousins — Alexandre and Celina, who are both nine, and Greyson who is seven (and age-advanced) — will all be beginning their club soccer experience with Bonivital this year.    

Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller
The Lance community journalist

Simon Fuller is the community journalist for The Lance. Canstar’s senior reporter, he joined the team in June 2009 to write for The Sou’wester, which was then the new paper in the Canstar family.

   Read full biography

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top