“I know what I want, I know where I want to go and I know how I’m going to get there. »
These are the words of Quebec goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx. And what is this popular destination? The World Cup, perhaps? Not exactly, because the 24-year-old Bouchervilloise will take part in it in just a few days.
Already, she knows exactly what her goals will be for the years to come. Here they are :
“I want to be number 1 goalkeeper [du Canada] At a certain point. So slowly but surely, I hope to get there. I also want to earn as much as possible. Whether at the World Cup, the Olympics or the Champions League. I want to win, ”says Proulx, just as assured as posed in a videoconference with The Press.
For this presentation of the World Cup, the jailer will be confined to the role of third guardian, unless there is a considerable turnaround. She will support the two veterans Kailen Sheridan, the starter, and Sabrina D’Angelo.
It’s an occasion made possible by the retirements of Erin McLeod and Olympics heroine Stephanie Labbé. In this quest to be part of this long tradition of outstanding goalkeepers, Proulx will try to get the most out of this World Cup.
The Oceanian Springboard
Australia and New Zealand’s World Cup kicks off on July 20. However, the adventure for Proulx began well before the first meeting of Canada. In fact, it started as soon as the selection camp was launched, at the end of June.
I want to learn as much as possible during this World Cup. At the same time, I have to support and help Kailen and Sabrina so that both are ready. On a more selfish side, I want to get the most out of these two and gain experience.
Lysianne Proulx
The good news for the native of the South Shore is that she will be able to focus on learning, because she will evolve in a known environment.
First, the one who participated in two editions of the World Cup for the under-17s and one for the under-20s has already acted as the third goalkeeper for a World Cup. Well, it was when she was 14, but she still remembers the scenario.
“My first year with the U17s, I was the third goalkeeper. I expect the same role this year. I think a third goalkeeper is younger and comes for the experience, because it’s rare that she sees ground. In my case, I have to try to build some kind of baggage,” she says.
PHOTO FROM LYSIANNE PROULX’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
Lysianne Proulx in training with the Canadian team
On the other hand, she knows Canada’s head coach, Bev Priestman quite well. Since the age of 13, to be precise. However, even though Priestman has “seen her growing up”, Proulx is convinced that the English driver “is always going to make the decision that is best for the group”.
“So the fact that I’ve known her for so long isn’t necessarily going to give me an advantage. »
Nevertheless, these will be aspects that will be invaluable to him for his first steps. Bathing in this environment where everything is “larger” and with “the cream of the crop”. The perfect kind of teaching for a sitter with big ambitions.
A niche to find among the pros
After completing her university internship in Syracuse, Lysianne Proulx played her first professional season this year with SCU Torreense in Portugal.
The club finished seventh in the Premier League league standings, and the Canadian played in 18 of the club’s 22 games. She conceded 35 goals during the campaign.
“The season is really longer than at the university level. But I would tell you that my last semester of college, I was just acting, so I was ready to take the leap,” she notes.
That said, even if it was “a great experience”, especially for a first professional club, the goalkeeper has decided not to re-sign with the club and she will start the next season elsewhere. She already specifies that she has reached an agreement with a team whose identity will be revealed shortly.
However, before embarking on this adventure, Proulx will have to try to steal a few pages from the game books of his counterparts and take advantage of this World Cup to take another step towards his sole objective: to triumph.