Net Shredders: Local Teams Lace Up For Hemisphere's Largest Youth Soccer Tournament

More than a dozen soccer teams from the Lake Minnetonka area will be competing in this week’s Schwan’s USA Cup Tournament in Blaine—the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western hemisphere.

The local soccer teams will be among the more than 1,000 squads from 17 countries and throughout the United States playing this week.

Divisions are divided into age groups, from U9 to U19, and teams in the older brackets have been selected to play in this year's tournament by earning an invite.

Olympic-style Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the National Sports Club.

The following are a list of teams from the Lake Minnetonka area registered for the 2013 Schwan's USA Cup:

• Orono Thunder (Girls U9)
• Wayzata Dominators (Girls U10)
• Orono Thunder (Girls U11)
• Tonka United Helling-Christy (Girls U13)
• Wayzata Lightning (Girls U13)
• Orono Thunder (Boys U14)
• Tonka United Blue (Girls U15)
• Westonka Soccer (Girls U17)
• Wayzata Pterodactyl (Boys U17/18)

Games are scheduled on each of the National Sports Complex 48 fields through the week, and championship games for each age bracket will be played on Saturday. Webcasts for games played on the two main fields, as well as of the Opening Ceremonies, will be available online at www.usacup.org.

A professional soccer game between the Minnesota United and Edmonton will be played on Wednesday, July 17, at 7:30 p.m.