LOVELAND, Colo. — Elk crashed a team's practice at the Loveland United Soccer Club on Thursday night, perhaps feeling the same hype as much of the Denver metro as the Denver Summit FC prepares for their first home game Saturday.
Daniel Leaming sent Denver7 a video of an elk pushing a soccer ball around the field with its nose. The kids are heard in the video nicknaming the elk Messi, after world famous Inter Miami CF player Lionel Messi.
"Everyone maintained a safe distance and retreated to safety when (the animals) took the field," Leaming told us.
Watch the full video of the encounter in the video below.
Experts say that is exactly what you should do if you come across these wild animals. They say you should always keep your pets on a leash, and never block traffic or feed or harass them. As with all wildlife, remember to give elk plenty of space.
This neat experience comes just a couple days before Denver Summit FC, the state's first professional women's soccer team, plays in their home opener at Empower Field on Saturday.
The game is set to break records, with more than 60,000 tickets sold, the team confirmed on Friday. The women faced a hard loss in their first game ever, but bounced back to beat Gotham FC 2-0 on Wednesday.
And now, the team is ready for their first home game. And Colorado is buzzing with excitement.
Even the elk.
"It was such a cool moment," Leaming told us. "I feel it can bring joy to others."
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** game played at DICK's Sporting Goods Park
other home matches scheduled to be played at Centennial Stadium