When it comes to cold, real cold, there is a point at which even the temperature scales that divide the United States and Canada appear to throw up their hands and surrender. When the mercury reaches minus-40 degrees, Fahrenheit and Celsius converge. It's the same by either measure at that moment, no conversion necessary. Miserably cold is miserably cold.

For most people, that's nothing more than a random bit of trivia. In Winnipeg it can be, well, Tuesday. Situated a little more than 200 miles due north of Fargo, N.D., the capital of Manitoba has been known to hit minus-40 from time to time. Not with the aid of wind chill, mind you. Just the temperature.

"I have lived there all my life, and I absolutely hate the winters there," lamented FC Kansas City midfielder and Canadian international Desiree Scott.

It didn't mean she was in any hurry to leave the city behind. Winter eventually ends, even in Manitoba. And as much as Scott might loathe the layers necessary to leave the house in certain months, not to mention the block heater necessary to keep the engine warm enough to start in the morning, Winnipeg in all its seasons is where she is from and part of who she is.

Desiree Scott played at the University of Manitoba and helped Canada win a bronze medal at last year's Olympics. FC Kansas City/John Rieger

For soccer to take her to places as memorable as an Olympic semifinal at Old Trafford, she needed to begin the journey in Winnipeg. Even if it meant the road was a little more difficult to navigate and lot more sparsely traveled.

Until the year Scott graduated from high school, the University of Manitoba didn't even have a women's soccer team, at least not beyond the club variety. Eight years later, the school in Winnipeg claims among its soccer alumni one of the rising stars in both NWSL and the international game, a 5-foot-2 midfielder who earns every bit of her nickname. Forget inch for inch or pound for pound, the "Destroyer" is one of the new league's toughest players, period.

"It's so funny to me watching her play because she fits every part of that name," FC Kansas City teammate Courtney Jones said. "Honestly, there are times when I'm just completely mesmerized by her. She can get into any single tackle. She is strong as hell. Any tackle she goes into, she will win. ... It's been a blessing, and I'm so happy and thankful that I got to play with her because watching people like that makes me want to be better."

That's high praise for a former Manitoba Bison from someone like Jones, who was part of two national championships at the University of North Carolina. When the United States played Canada earlier this summer in a friendly, there were six former Tar Heels on the American roster, not to mention one on the Canadian roster. In that same game, there were just two players on the Canadian roster who had played at Canadian colleges: Scott and Kaylyn Kyle. And Kyle, now a member of the NWSL's Seattle Reign, played only one season at the University of Saskatchewan before pursuing professional and national team opportunities in more familiar soccer settings.

Soccer pipeline leads south

Schools across the United States have emerged as the southern termini of talent pipelines from north of the border. Perhaps most famously, Christine Sinclair led the University of Portland to a pair of NCAA championships on her way to earning a place as one of the best players in the world. Just a season ago, Calgary's Ranee Premji slipped a goal past Winnipeg's Erin McNulty when North Carolina played Penn State in the College Cup final.

To go anywhere in soccer, young Canadians generally start by going south for college.

University of Manitoba women's soccer coach Hadyn Sloane-Seale is a Winnipeg native who played and coached college soccer in the United States. He didn't coach Scott when she played at Manitoba but coached with her when she returned as an assistant the past two seasons.

"I think the Canadian system is to a great extent quite far behind the American system with regards to university or college athletics," Sloane-Seale said. "If I'm being honest, a kid like Des, she's pretty unique and special in her own way. She didn't have that great desire to want to go away from home. She always felt like she was more comfortable here. She's a bit of a different breed."