Star continuing to rise for northern Ont. soccer player; named to national World Cup team

Team Canada will have some northern Ontario representation when the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup gets underway in Australia/New Zealand.

Cloe Lacasse poses as she signs for Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on June 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Sudbury's own Cloé Lacasse was one of 23 named to the team to represent her country on Sunday by head coach Bev Priestman.

"When Cloé's confident, she's unstoppable and I think I've seen that confidence rise and rise, with every camp the tactics are sinking in," Priestman told TSN, commenting she's seen some massive growth from Lacasse.

"Cloé hasn't had a rich youth system with us so it takes a little bit longer but she's done incredible things for country and for club and I think she's going to have a great summer."

Lacasse has had a banner year so far, signing with Arsenal in England. She'll be leaving Portugal to play with the London club once the season resumes.

"It's definitely been really a surreal moment, it's something that every soccer player dreams of," Lacasse said in an interview with CTV News.

"There are points in your career where you start to think maybe this isn't going to happen right but yeah you have to stay resilient and now that it's happened, once I spoke with Bev and she told me that I'll be on the 23 man roster it was definitely an unexplainable feeling. Just unreal, getting to share that with this group, getting to share that with my family and friends back home, it's been an incredible few days."

It's her first major international tournament and one that she's not taking for granted.

"I definitely think women's soccer is exploding, especially out in Europe, in the states and it's finally starting to grow and pick up traction in Canada as well. I'm not surprised in some aspects because I know Sudbury is not exactly a soccer city quite yet, it is growing but it's definitely out there with it being a hockey city, we'll change it eventually," she said laughing.

The 30-year-old has moved from Iceland to Portugal and now to the U.K. She was named Portugal's female player of the year.

Catarina Amado, Lucia Alves, Cloe Lacasse and Ana Seica of SL Benfica pose for a photo during the SL Benfica UEFA Women's Champions League Portrait session at Benfica Campus Seixal on October 14, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)With all of the moving, she still hasn’t forgotten her roots.

"There was only one team when I was growing up and that was the Sudbury Canadians. Of course, there was also the high school scene but that was a little different because it's almost a blend from recreational and professional soccer but that was for fun and with friends,” Lacasse said.

“Growing up my parents were a massive influence, they were driving me to Toronto every weekend. That was something unreal right, cause I reflect on that and I'm like 'Oh my gosh,’ I can't believe they did that for four or five or six years that we would go every weekend. It was absolutely mind-blowing."

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HER FORMER MENTOR REACTS

Brian Ashton, a former professional soccer player himself, coached Lacasse during her stint with Ontario Regional. Ashton said he is incredibly proud of how she's fared – and in this case has done everything right.

"She played somewhere where she was going to play and made her opportunities, she did fantastic, player of the year in Portugal, that's no easy achievement,” he said.

“I mean this is a kid from Sudbury doing that."

Ashton added it is an incredible opportunity to play in a World Cup.

“Cloé's had a great career – to play in the World Cup, that's just every kids dream come true,” he said.

“We had Jenna Hellstrom play in the World Cup in France, to have girls coming from the north and a small community. It's unbelievable."

Ashton said Cloé came out of Sudbury at a time where it was not as organized and was able to excel.

Benfica's Cloe Lacasse celebrates scoring during the UEFA Women's Champions League group D football match between FC Rosengard and SL Benfica in Malmo, Sweden, on December 7, 2022. (Photo by ANDREAS HILLERGREN/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

Kiara Levac has been playing soccer for years and led her high school to a couple of provincial titles.

"It was really exciting to see whose on the team and that someone from Sudbury was able to make it there and not just people from Toronto," said Levac.

"I've always wanted to get one of their jerseys. They're role models because you see them play and you want to play like them and it gives them a chance to try."

Levac said and her entire family will be getting up early or staying up late to watch the broadcasts from the other side of the world.

The fact that many see her as a role model is not lost on Lacasse herself. She shared this message to her hometown and all of northern Ontario.

"I guess my biggest message is that even though you're from a small town and people stop betting on you and they kind of think it hinders your career, I think it's the opposite. My career was built on hard work, resilience and just never giving up so I think for all those kids, those little girls, little boys that come from small towns, don't think that's going to hinder you, if anything that's going to be your extra super power, just keep believing and yeah make things happen. Dream big."

Trinity Rodman #5 of the United States battles for the ball against Cloé Lacasse #20 of Canada during the SheBelieves Cup game between Canada and USWNT at Exploria Stadium on February 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Jeremy Reper/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

THE WORK AHEAD

For now, she remains focused on the job ahead of her and getting that cup home.

"I'm going to be here to enjoy the moment but I also know that I can be impactful in this group and I want to help Team Canada to victory," she said. 

 

 

 

 

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