Minnesota Aurora’s Paola Then will represent Dominican Republic on national team

CATHY WURZER: Say, we're going to talk about soccer right now. Minnesota Aurora, the pre-professional women's soccer team based in Eagan, is gearing up for their second season after their stunning opening season. Nearly 2/3 of the inaugural team will be back this year, along with some new players on the roster.

One of those new players, Paola Then, is a defender who plays for Iowa Lakes Community College. As the Aurora kicks off their first game, Paola will be in her home country the Dominican Republic preparing to play Mexico in the women's under 20 continental championship. That's a qualifying tournament for the Under 20 FIFA World Cup. Oh my gosh, Paola, welcome.

PAOLA THEN: Hi. Thank you so much. Really nice to hear you.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, it's nice to hear your voice too. Thank you so much. Hey, you must be so excited when you got the call to play on the Under 20 national team this year for the second time in a row, right?

PAOLA THEN: Yes. It's really exciting to always be called up for your national team, and especially to represent your country, your hometown, and being close to my family and all my friends. It's really going to be a fulfilling experience.

CATHY WURZER: Say, how big is soccer in your home country, in the DR?

PAOLA THEN: So basically, in Dominican Republic, the main two sports would be baseball and then volleyball. And growing up and wanting to play soccer, it has always been a challenge for me. Even for my parents, they always say that that's a men's sport. So being a woman and liking this sport, it has been a challenge.

CATHY WURZER: When did you get serious about wanting to play professionally? Because it doesn't sound like there was, as you say, a lot of background in the Dominican Republic for soccer.

PAOLA THEN: I would say, when they called me for our first camps for the U-17 three years or four years ago, I realized that I could be good at this sport.

CATHY WURZER: And I know you played on the Under 20 national team last year and you practiced with the senior national team, did you pick up any new skills from both experiences?

PAOLA THEN: Yeah. Some of the players from the senior team, they play pro in Europe. And it was nice to meet them. And then some of them play in my position as a center back. And then them having much more experience than me, it's always good to learn from.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Congratulations on making the championship. I want to talk a little bit here about playing for Minnesota Aurora this season. I have to tell you that Minnesota residents were very, very excited about the team last season. They did really well. What does it mean for you to play with the Aurora this coming season?

PAOLA THEN: Well, not playing for the first few games for Minnesota Aurora, it's always going to be tough. But I'm still inviting, encouraging everyone to go to the home opener in May 24 at TCO Stadium. Everyone can buy their tickets online, and it will be so good to have all the Minnesota fans out there in the audience.

CATHY WURZER: Oh yeah. And, really, when you get out there, you're going to just be so surprised as to how just the energy-- as I say, it got pretty loud last year, which is good. I know you've been training with the team for a couple of weeks now. How's it going?

PAOLA THEN: So it is really challenging for me, because I come from a junior college and then this is my first year in the States. So getting adapted to this new routine, living by myself, it's always a challenge. But it keeps pushing me to be the best version of myself.

CATHY WURZER: You are a defender, right? So can you tell folks who are not really up on soccer how difficult a position is that?

PAOLA THEN: Well, the defender, from the center back point of view, you can see the whole game. You need to be like a hawk, basically. So it's kind of funny to play there, but it's really tough when you get all the forwards against you. They're faster than you, so you just have to be more agile and learn where they're going to play in it. So it's really a challenging position, I would say.

CATHY WURZER: And by the way, do you see a path forward to playing professionally someday?

PAOLA THEN: That's definitely my goal. That's why I'm here in the States. That's why I'm here in Minnesota Aurora. I think this environment will help me a lot, especially with some of the professional players that I'm practicing with right now.

It will definitely shape my path. And I think it's for the best being here.

CATHY WURZER: Paola, I wish you all the best. You're going to be great. And I think you're going to really enjoy your experience on Minnesota Aurora. Have a great season. Thank you. And good luck.

PAOLA THEN: Thank you so much.

CATHY WURZER: We've been talking to Paola Then. She's a defender for the Aurora and the Dominican Republic women's Under 20 national team. Friday, there's a story about Minnesota's second women's pre-professional league, the Rochester Loons.

They launched this year. They're playing the Aurora in Eagan Wednesday, May 24, as Paola mentioned. Thank you so very much for listening to Minnesota Now today here on MPR News.