RALEIGH— International sportsmanship was on display at a North Carolina High School Athletic Association school’s men’s soccer match earlier this week.

Cardinal Gibbons High School played host to the Warriors of Halifax West High School of Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, who are on a tour with several games in North Carolina, and did a lot to make its Canadian visitors feel welcome.

The school ordered and displayed a Nova Scotian flag, and the Cardinal Gibbons choral ensemble learned and then recorded “O Canada,” the Canadian national anthem. It was played prior to the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” just as sports fans have seen done when a United States-based National Hockey League team is hosting a team from Canada.

After the match, then Gibbons hosted a North Carolina-style barbecue meal which the two teams shared.

Halifax West is touring the Triangle area, including visits to area colleges and universities and additional soccer matches against Panther Creek, Lee County and Cary.

Cary athletic director Mike Dunphy is a native of Nova Scotia and grew up with Halifax West soccer coach George Latrou, giving the Canadian team a great local contact.

We are grateful to Alex Bass of Cardinal Gibbons for sharing this information, and he noted “that in the evening’s least significant news, Cardinal Gibbons won the match 3-0.” Certainly both teams now have a great memory that far transcends any sort of final score.