State girls soccer tournament moves to Fargo

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FARGO — The North Dakota state girls soccer tournament is changing venue. The event was moved from Minot to Fargo due to wet field conditions in Minot.

The tournament — which runs Thursday through Saturday — will be held at Fargo Shanley’s Sid Cichy Stadium, the North Dakota High School Activities Association announced Tuesday.

“After driving around town right now, it’s the right thing to do,” said Minot girls soccer coach Matt Pfau. “It looks like the world is ending. … The people who didn’t live in the flood zones are ripping carpet because the water table is so high.”

Pfau said his basement flooded after heavy rainfall over the holiday weekend.

“Even if we thought maybe with some drying weather it could happen, that pretty much sealed the deal,” said Sheryl Solberg, an NDHSAA assistant to the executive secretary.

On Tuesday, Minot mayor Curt Zimbleman ordered a mandatory evacuation for city residents living near the rising Souris River.

Fargo Shanley athletic director Randy Nelson said he was first contacted last Friday about the prospect of hosting the tournament if Minot was unable. He received the official word Tuesday.

Nelson said the Metro Tournament Committee has helped him line up tournament workers in an efficient manner.

“Trying to do this by myself on such a short of notice, it could have been pretty hectic,” Nelson said.

Minot athletic director Pat McNally, who was the tournament manager if the event had stayed in Minot, had already handled some of the other details for the tournament, like T-shirts, game programs and lining up officials, Nelson said.

The Fargo area also had heavy rainfall Monday, but Sid Cichy has an artificial surface.

“Our field holds up very well to that,” Nelson said.

Pfau said his team plans to leave for Fargo this afternoon.

“I think everybody is going to be thinking about home,” Pfau said. “I think it was smarter to just get it out of town.”

Peterson is a sports reporter for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: sports, preps, soccer