Bosch and Keesic off to West Ham International Academy

Matteo Bosch and Andrew Keesic, both of the Thunder Bay Chill, have been selected to attend the West Ham United International Academy in London, England.

The boys qualified for the trip following an initial tryout in Duluth, MN in June of 2015. 

After being selected from this camp, they attended the West Ham North American Academy in Rome, GA.  A week of intense July heat and two a day training sessions saw the boys, and eighteen other players from across the US and Canada, selected to train with West Ham's Academy programme in East London this April, 2016.

The boys will train at the Academy, tour London, and will be special guests for the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal on April 9.  They will also be the last international group to stay at the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park, as West Ham will move from their home of over 100 years, to the renovated Olympic Stadium in 2017.

The boys early success can be attributed to their hard work, dedication, and family support.  They also  credit their skills to their coaches at the Thunder Bay Chill, who include current PDL players Sullivan Silva, Zetroy Roberts and Pedro Adan, as well as PDL coaches Giovanni Petraglia, Stefano Cristali and Saverio Lento. 

Chill Director of Soccer Operations, Tony Colistro has been influential in bringing excellent coaches to Thunder Bay's youth programmes since 2000. Matteo and Andrew look forward to future opportunities to develop theirs skills and forward aspirations as soccer players.