EAGAN, Minn. — On Saturday, the Minnesota Aurora women's soccer team will write the final chapter of an incredible story: playing for a title in their inaugural season in the new USL-W league.
In their first year, they are in it to win it.
And along the way, magic has been happening for others, because of them.
Like 8-year-old Ruby Nguyen.
Ruby loves to play soccer, started doing it when she was 3-years-old at camp. So, to encourage her love for it, her folks introduced her to the Minnesota Aurora this year.
Ruby loved the game and would have just been thrilled to see some women suit up on the pitch; but when she saw one particular player, she couldn’t look away.
Mariah Nguyen.
Why?
Well, Ruby will tell you.
“Because she looks like me and has the same last name as me,” Ruby said.
A family friend said Ruby didn’t know people with her name played soccer at this level, so to see it meant more to her than anyone can really say.
So on Friday, at the last practice of the season the stars aligned and Ruby, met Mariah.
In a span of 60 seconds the girls learned they share the same name, shoes, play the same position, wear the same number and even have the same birthday.
After that they had little left to say, and just walked to the field for few minutes of play.
Mariah, when she learned Ruby saw in her, herself, said “It gives me more motivation to play. It's crazy to think that people like Ruby are watching me and saying, "I want to be like that one day.'"