VIDEO: Experience Puts Bunny's Soccer Team a Hop Ahead of the Competition

Kicking the ball around is nothing new for the players on the Bunny’s soccer team. Some of the women on the team have played together since they were 9 years old.

That experience working together has led to recreation division championships each of the past two years. The team, so named because it’s sponsored by St. Louis Park’s , was so good that this year it is putting its skills to the test in the more-competitive premier division.

“A lot of us grew up playing soccer, so it’s just kind of a way to still play the game and also get some exercise,” said St. Louis park resident Maggie Kanowitz, a Bunny’s forward who acts as the team manager.

The players are a diverse group who now live in communities as wide-ranging as Orono, Plymouth, Chaska and Wayzata. But soccer keeps them close. They chat during the off-season, and players describe their e-mail exchanges as “legendary.”

“We just have a lot of fun. We don’t take it too seriously. We just come out, try to have a good time,” said Hopkins resident Mike Kanowitz, Maggie Kanowitz’s brother.

Some of the players were on college teams, and some weren’t. But they all work together on the field.

Playing at the Pavilion is a different variety of soccer, though. The turf makes the pace faster, and men and women are on the team together.

“It’s different just having guys,” said Libby Schroll, of Deephaven. “They’re faster, a little bit tougher. So it’s fun for us girls because we’re pretty competitive, so it’s fun to step up the competition a little.”

And naturally after the final seconds tick off the game clock, they head to Bunny’s to relive the game’s best moments and enjoy some refreshments.

“I love being here, and it’s a great atmosphere to play in, and it’s just so much fun,” said Amy Seubert, of Blaine.