Adam Papin/MDN Bravera Bank presented Minot State University Beavers FC with a check becoming a premier sponsor for the MSU men’s club soccer team as it enters its inaugural season this fall in the Great Plains Soccer Conference and the NIRSA Region 5. Members of Bravera Bank and Minot State University are, from left, Simon Conrad, Minot State Beavers FC assistant coach; Jacek Mrozik, vice president for enrollment, marketing, and outreach, Minot State; Jennifer Hubrig, vice president-marketing, Bravera Bank; Greg Vetter, president of client services, Bravera; Jason Spain, Minot State Beavers FC head coach; Kelly Perrin, regional president, Bravera Bank; Rick Hedberg, vice president for advancement, Minot State/MSU Development Foundation executive director; Steven Shirley, president, Minot State.

The Minot State Beavers FC took a huge step towards its inaugural season Thursday morning when it announced Bravera Bank will be a premier sponsor.

“Bravera is honored to be involved in bringing men’s club soccer to Minot State University,” said Kelly Perrin, regional president at Bravera Bank. “This is an asset to MSU and Minot. We are excited to watch the players develop as a team while supporting our community and youth.”

The university announced the creation of the club team in March of this year. It will begin play in the Great Plains Soccer Conference (GPSC) and the NIRSA Region 5 in the fall.

The three-year partnership is worth $100,000, and it will help finance the team, as well as fund clinics to help develop the sport not only in Minot but also across the western North Dakota region. Bravera will receive jersey recognition and signage as part of the deal.

“Soccer has been the fastest growing sports discipline in the United States, and Minot State is vigorously addressing this opportunity with the creation of this new soccer team,” said Jacek Mrozik, vice president for enrollment, marketing and outreach at MSU. “We are excited to watch the players develop as a team while supporting our community and area youth.”

Head coach Jason Spain sees his new squad as critical to the broader development of the sport in Minot.

“This is the DNA of Minot,” said Spain. “I think adding men’s soccer will help the boys’ side [at Minot High]. I think you’ll see, in a few years, the boys will become just as dominant as the girls, who are winning state championships every year. You will see in a few years, the boys catching the east teams. It’s just going to enhance they boys’ side of the sport, you know?”

To that end, a key part of the partnership will be the soccer clinic provided to the community. The clinic will be provided by MSU’s coaching staff and players free of charge on an annual basis to local youth and coaches. The six-week clinics will reach multiple age groups, but it will also be geared to coaches as well.

“We are also teaching how to teach the game, and while we teach it to coaches, we will raise the level of soccer in the entire western North Dakota,” said Spain. “We want our program to become a leader for development and education in soccer. I think it fits with what Bravera has done in other communities.”

Plans for the clinics are being finalized to start up this fall.

There will also be some familiar faces joining the club. Minot High star Noah Schmidt has committed, a has Kaiden Campbell from Bismarck Century.

Spain said, “Schmidt was one of the best players in Minot history to come back here to play. That was kind of our anchor to get going, and with Campbell, from there it’s just been a little bit easier.”

The team will play its first game at home against North Dakota State University on Saturday, Sept. 2, before taking on Minnesota State – Moorhead on Sunday, Sept. 3 to close out its opening weekend.