THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Chill may not be competing this summer in the USL2, but the team will have a presence on the soccer map.
The organization on Monday announced it plans to field a team in 2025, one that will specifically compete at the Minnesota Cup, an event that includes teams from the USL2, NPSL, UPSL and the MLS Minnesota United Next team.
The Chill begin qualification games for the cup in the Minneapolis area on May 9 and 10 against the 18x266 Academy of the MASL-Minnesota Amateur Soccer League and Spam FC of the United Premier Soccer League.
The winner will move on to the next stage, where they will face the USL2’s St. Croix Legends and Duluth FC of the National Premier Soccer League.
Training camp is scheduled to begin on May 3 to help the team prepare for qualification weekend.
"This will provide young local players with an opportunity to play at a higher level, aspiring to join the squad in 2026 with the hopes of a USL2 return," team executive director, Tony Colistro, said in a release.
The Chill will also play a pair of exhibition series: on May 23 and 24 against Bon-Vital Soccer Club of Winnipeg and on June 21 and 22 against the Winnipeg Lions. Both opponents are members of the Manitoba Super Soccer Alliance.
The Chill played in the Premier Development League, which rebranded at the USL2 in 2019, from 2000 to 2024, taking two years off for COVID in 2020 and 2021. They won a PDL championship in 2008 and made the final in 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Team officials announced earlier this year the team would step away from the USL2, in part because of travel costs and concerns, in 2025 and re-evaluate returning to the league in 2026, with the possibility of more Minnesota-based teams in the 144-team circuit.
