INUVIK - Lance Gray didn't walk away from his Canada Summer Games experience with a gold medal, or any medal for that matter, nor did he break any scoring records.

The 17-year-old was among 17 talented athletes to suit up for the NWT men's soccer team at the Canada Summer Games held in Prince Edward Island from Aug. 15 to 29.

Lance Gray poses in his Team NWT soccer jersey, a day after arriving home from competing in the Canada Summer Games in Prince Edward Island. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

He played in each of the squad's four games against British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Yukon, playing every minute of each game apart from one in which he suffered a leg cramp and was taken out prematurely.

Looking back on his experience of being the only player from the Delta to play on the squad, he said he holds an overwhelming sense of pride.

"I had to work really hard to get there," he said. "I got a lot of support from my friends, family and coaches. But I know I worked hard and it all paid off. It feels really great."

Competing in one of the world's biggest multi-sport and cultural festivals, Gray said it all hit home at the closing ceremonies on Aug. 29, when he joined his teammates and more than 4,000 athletes from across NWT and the rest of Canada.

"It was great," he said. "Marching out representing the territory, it was special to hear our group getting called out. And after we sat down there's all these speakers and bands playing. It was really nice."

Before setting off for the games he said he was worried about being homesick and nervous about the competition.

But those worries, he said, quickly subsided upon arrival when he was thrown into a rigorous schedule of practice, preparation and tournament games. He said he didn't even have enough time to really socialize at the athletes' residence on the University of Prince Edward Island campus.

"As we were getting closer and closer to the games, I was starting to get pumped," he said. "There were a lot of things running through my mind. It's not that I missed home, I was just excited about coming back.

"But there was so much going on that I didn't have much time to think about being worried about coming back. I just focused on the games."

He said he soon realized that the competition was pretty tight, and even though the squad lost each of its games, he said he was proud of the fight he and teammates put forth, especially in the second half of each match.

Quebec ended up winning the gold with a 2-0 win over Alberta.

As far as his own performance, he's more than satisfied.

"I'm usually kind of down on myself but I was feeling pretty good about the way I played. There were a couple fumbles here and there, but overall I think I played pretty consistent."

For now, he said he would like to take a break from high level competition. He'll be too old to compete at the Canada Games in two years. He said he's going to play more co-ed and recreational soccer, with the focus on just having fun.

But he added he'd like to harness some of the up-and-coming talent in Inuvik, especially those players arriving at Samuel Hearne Secondary School from Sir Alexander Mackenzie School.

"Last year I was watching the Delta soccer tournament and I was impressed with the talent they had without really knowing exactly the tactics of the game," he said. "There's a lot of raw talent. I can't wait to see what happens to that."

He said he'd like to see an Inuvik-based team established to compete in Southern Canada.

While he takes some time to savour his experience, he knows none of it would have happened without his coaches and parents who fundraised to cover the costs associated with Gray and his teammates competing in the games.

"My mom and dad for sure deserve a lot of thanks, they have been really supportive," he said. "It was just a really good experience. I would recommend it to anyone to go to that level. It was just so fulfilling."