Until they were in their early teenage years, Taw Hser and his cousin, Ray Ner, were raised in a refugee camp in Thailand.

The pair, along with their families, were among the 140,000 or so Karen refugees, dispersed among camps along the Thailand/Myanmar, or Burma as it was formerly known, border.

鈥淚t was pretty hard to live there,鈥� admitted Hser, now 18, and a 91原创 Secondary Student.

Ner is 17.

鈥淵ou weren鈥檛 allowed to go outside the camp unless you got permission,鈥� Hser said.

While this lack of freedom or choice may seem like such a foreign concept for most Canadian teenagers,  Hser and Ner didn鈥檛 know anything else.

Both were born in the United Nations camp.

鈥淵ou are just used to it,鈥� Hser admitted. 鈥淚t is your way of life.鈥�

But a couple of years ago, they came to Canada as refugees.

Hser came with his mother, while Ner was accompanied by his parents, two sisters and three brothers.

Arriving with very limited English skills, the pair spent their first year at LSS, just trying to fit in with not only their new classmates, but also a new culture.

And the old clich茅 goes that sports is a language that all cultures understand.

Last year, they saw a poster up in the school鈥檚 hallways, advertising the Saints鈥� senior boys soccer team tryouts, the pair jumped at the chance.

Both had played before, but never in an organized fashion.

鈥淭hey are both good kids,鈥� said Saints coach Gurp Mahil. 鈥淚t has been an adjustment for them coming to a new culture.鈥�

鈥淏ut I think through soccer, they have had the ability to make friends and represent the school.

鈥淎nd they are role models for their peers.鈥�

Last year, the pair鈥檚 first of organized soccer, they helped 91原创 place fourth at the provincial AAA championships.

Unfortunately, at last week鈥檚 tournament at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex 鈥� originally scheduled for November, a snow storm resulted in a six-month postponement 鈥� the Saints came 15th out of the 16-team tournament.

They can take solace in the fact they played the eventual champions from Coquitlam鈥檚 Dr. Charles Best 鈥� a team they beat handily earlier in the season 鈥� to a scoreless draw. Best won its other four games, including the championship final, 3-2 overtime victory against North Delta, another foe the Saints beat during the season.

Mahil has noticed a big difference in the pair.

鈥淭hey were new and hadn鈥檛 played any organized soccer,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd now I have seen them develop into team players.

鈥淚t took them a little bit (to blend in) but I think it has been a good experience for them,鈥� Mahil added.

鈥淚f they never participated on our team, I think it would have been very difficult for them to make friends and get involved with our school.鈥�

The school does have a large contingent of Karen refugee students, but by being a part of the Saints鈥� soccer team, Mahil believes the pair have gone outside their comfort zone.

He has noticed a big difference, especially in his goalkeeper.

鈥淚n the first year, Taw wouldn鈥檛 talk or come out of the net, now he is coming out and demanding his area.鈥�

But for the pair, the chance to play was less about fitting in and more about competing in a game they loved.

鈥淚 just wanted to play,鈥� admitted Hser, the team鈥檚 goalkeeper.

Ner, a defender, said that being in Canada represents opportunity.

鈥淗ere you can play any sport,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚n Thailand, you could only play soccer and volleyball.

鈥淗ere you can play hockey, football, anything you want.鈥�