Missoula just scored the right to host two statewide high school events, including The Statewide AA High school soccer tournament. Mary Holmes from Destination Missoula explains.

"We have been excited to try to get soccer in here to kick off our new beautiful complex that is going in at Fort Missoula,” said Holmes. “We were awarded that for 2017 which is very exciting. We were able to get the class B combined boys and girls state basketball tournament which is very exciting because it is the first combined tournament that we have had.”

This will be the first time Missoula has hosted a AA soccer tournament, because the city hasn’t had the proper facilities. Holmes said Missoula hasn’t hosted a combined basketball tournament because of parking issues.

“We kind of had to prove ourselves I guess,” Holmes said. “Many many years ago there were some challenges with parking at the University. Some old history that is 10 or 15 years old at this point and it deterred MHSA from wanting to bring those tournaments into Missoula.”

The Class A boys basketball tournament held in March in Missoula helped make the case that the city’s venues can handle the parking.

According to Holmes, the soccer event alone is expected to bring about 210 players and at least 480 out of town spectators to Missoula.

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