Perhaps it only seems like the “Cloé Lacasse watch” has been going on forever. First rising to prominence as a national competitor in taekwondo, the ultra-athletic Macdonald-Cartier senior has enjoyed soccer stardom since her early teens.
Having led her school team to an OFSAA championship and the Sudbury Canadians to more victories than she could remember, Lacasse is preparing to take the next step in her journey.
Come the fall, the speedy striker will suit up with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, accepting a soccer scholarship to the midwestern U.S. school and ending a stretch of endless observation that seem to date back beyond the past six years.
“It was always something I was conscious of, because I’ve always wanted to continue my soccer career,” Lacasse said. “I didn’t want it to stop after high school. But the pressure was positive, because it pushed me to become a better player.”
By the age of 12 or 13, she had caught the eye of provincial level coaches, most notably with her quickness and uncanny ability to contribute offensively.
“Cloé is a goal scorer, pure and simple,” noted Iowa head coach Ron Rainey in a university-issued media release. “She has that mentality to put the ball in the back of the net and she does some of the little things that help create attacking chances in games.”
Lacasse owes much of her ongoing development to a variety of sources. “The core of the Sudbury Canadians team helped me improve ... we have some talented players that pushed me to get better.”
Built around a group that often featured Lacasse, along with other local soccer talents Serena San Cartier and Karolyne Blain, the Canadians offered the young ladies the opportunity to showcase their skills. “(Coach) Frank (Malvaso) has done so much for me, and really helped me along,” Lacasse said.
Still, Lacasse was keenly aware of the need to obtain input from different coaches, ranging from her experience with the provincial teams to joining Brams United last summer in Brampton for additional Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) competition.
“The Brams played more of a passing game, and in Sudbury, we used our biggest asset, which was our speed,” Lacasse said. “(Brams) played three up front, Sudbury always played two up front, so I had to change my style a little bit.”
As well-known as she is for her soccer skills, Lacasse has earned a very deserving reputation as one of the most well-rounded athletes the SDSSAA system has ever produced — a definite plus in her books.
“Every other sport has its assets that can help you with soccer,” she said. “Cross-country helps your cardio, badminton helps you pivot, volleyball helps your vertical. Every sport has something to gain.”
It’s no surprise that an athlete who combines so many of these assets should garner considerable attention. But Lacasse admitted she favoured the University of Iowa almost from the start.
“Iowa has always had a very strong program and past (Ontario) provincial players have gone there as well,” Lacasse said. “Ron (Rainey), the coach from Iowa, was always persuasive in a nice way. He wouldn’t push it, but I knew he wanted me to play there.”
During a mid-winter trip to Sudbury, Rainey noted the similarity within the general personality of folks in Iowa and Ontario, something he said should help the transition as he scouted in the hopes of finding a key component to help his team.
“You want to have players that battle, that are very comfortable on top of the ball, very technical players who think the game tactically, who can read the play well ahead of time,” Rainey said. “And then you look for athleticism.”
And as those who have spent years vigilantly following the “Cloé watch” know, this girl certainly fits the bill.
Randy Pascal is the founder of SudburySports.com and a contributing sports editor for Northern Life.
