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When Lysianne Proulx’s agent contacted her earlier this year about a possible transfer to Bay FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, she was skeptical. Proulx established herself as a starter for Melbourne FC in the A-League — Australia’s top division for women’s soccer — and was unsure about the transition.

But after meeting with Bay FC Goalkeeping coach Diego Restrepo and thinking further about playing in the NWSL, she realized she couldn’t pass it up.

“An opportunity like Bay FC was something (I’d) been waiting for since I finished college, so I had to take it,” Proulx said about the move. “It was an obvious choice.”

Proulx excelled at Syracuse from 2017-21 and has since made a name for herself across multiple professional leagues. Following her college career, Proulx played for Torreense in Portugal before settling in Australia with Melbourne City FC. Proulx also began participating in Canadian National Team training camps in June 2022 before making its 2023 World Cup roster. Her performances culminated on Feb. 9 when Bay FC of the NWSL acquired Proulx for a record transfer fee for an outgoing A-League player.

Entering international soccer wasn’t foreign to Proulx. Before attending Syracuse in 2017, Proulx represented Canada in 2014 and 2016 in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and in the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She also earned two Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football youth medals — gold at the U-15 level in 2014 and silver at the U-20 level in 2015.

Though it took Proulx until her junior season to earn a starting spot at SU. Once given a consistent role, Proulx shined. The goalkeeper totaled the fourth-most saves (281), second-most saves per game (5.30) and seventh-most shutouts (eight) in program history. During her junior campaign, Proulx led the Atlantic Coast Conference in saves (96) before returning to the team for a fifth season.

“She was usually one of the last people to leave and would be working after practice too,” said SU women’s soccer assistant coach Brandon DeNoyer. “(Lysianne) was a leader by example. I don’t think anyone worked harder than her.”

DeNoyer stressed keeping his goalkeepers as sharp as possible on the field. Whenever he gave Proulx a pointer, she asked questions for clarification. If she saw something differently, they went over what made her most comfortable. Throughout their tenure together, DeNoyer molded Proulx into an elite shot-stopper.

After graduating from SU in 2021, Proulx returned home to recover from wrist surgery. Then, she earned a roster spot on Canada’s Women’s National Team after she was invited to its training camp in June 2022 ahead of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

The next month, Proulx signed with Portuguese club Torrense in the Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino league. Proulx played 18 games with Torrense before joining Melbourne City FC in August 2023. Canada’s National Team later added her to its 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster.

After returning from the World Cup, Melbourne City FC head coach Aurelio Vidmar implemented a possession-heavy system for Proulx. She described the style as “the perfect fit” for her, which helped her deal with pressure from opposing attackers. With Melbourne, Proulx started in 14 games and registered 50 saves, propelling it to the top of the league. Then her agent informed her of Bay FC’s interest.

“When I first got the call from my agent, I wasn’t too sure how to react to it,” Proulx said. “…It’s difficult for me (to) start something, drop it and move on to something different.”

During Bay FC’s recruiting process, Restrepo said Proulx’s quick feet and explosiveness stood out. Bay FC’s three other goalies offered different skill sets than Proulx, but Restrepo needed a faster and more experienced goalie. Proulx fit the mold.

After joining Bay FC in February, Proulx became the 16th goalkeeper in league history to record a shutout in her debut, defeating Angel City FC 1-0 on March 17. Proulx’s eight saves also tied the league record for stops in an NWSL regular-season debut, matching Adrianna Franch’s eight saves in her NWSL debut for the Western New York Flash in 2013.

“If you see (Proulx) play, she has this swagger that not many people have,” Restrepo said. “That’s something you can’t teach.”

Restrepo believes keeping Proulx level-headed is the key to her success with Bay FC. The 25-year-old’s breakout debut game had many highs, so Restrepo said it’s essential to control her emotions and block out outside noise.

Bay FC is 2-0-4 and ranks 10th in the NWSL. Proulx, now the starting goalkeeper, has recorded 24 saves through five games thus far.

“This is the best collective team I’ve been on,” Proulx said. “(Bay FC) was the kind of opportunity that I was waiting for.”

As she continues capitalizing on her opportunity with Bay FC, Proulx has her eyes set on the 2027 World Cup. Though she didn’t play in the 2023 World Cup, DeNoyer believes it’s only a matter of time before Proulx reaches the field with Canada.

“It’s tough in the goalkeeper position because only one goalkeeper plays,” DeNoyer said. “I know how hard she works in training and what she gives in training … The opportunity will come.”

Published on May 1, 2024 at 11:36 pm

Contact Emma: ecstark@syr.edu