University of Memphis Athletics
Third women's soccer senior signs professional deal
Apr 09, 2019 | Women's Soccer
Catherine Levasseur joins Finland's Oulu Nice
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Joining classmates Olivia Gauthier and Marie Levasseur, Catherine Levasseur became the third 2018 Memphis women's soccer alumna to sign a professional contract.
The Stoneham, Quebec native inked a deal with Finland's Oulu Nice of the Naisten Liiga, the organization announced. Marie, Catherine's twin sister, signed with the same organization in mid-March, while Gauthier signed with Sweden's Lidkopings FK in January.
"I couldn't be happier for her. She'll be joining her sister, which is special. Those are two kids who came to Memphis and had great careers. Now they're moving on to the next level together," Head Coach Brooks Monaghan said. "This couldn't happen to a better person. The minute she first stepped on campus, Cat always had a professional attitude, and I'm delighted she's chosen this path."
Catherine Levasseur started all 21 matches for the Tigers in 2018, anchoring the Memphis midfield. In her senior season, she capped her Blue and Gray career with Google Cloud Academic All-America accolades and was selected Second Team All-Conference.
The standout sought to continue her career professionally after getting her degree. Down the stretch of her senior year, her passion to continue playing grew.
"I started this semester practicing with the girls and had a plan in mind that I was going to find a team after graduation," Catherine Levasseur said. "I took a break from the team to focus on school, but recently, I started missing the game a lot."
Marie, who mentioned Catherine's talents to the coaching staff, assisted Catherine's path to a professional deal. The team caught a glimpse of Catherine's highlight reel and made their offer.
With Marie already competing for Oulu Nice, Catherine will join the team upon graduation in early May and fulfill a dream of competing alongside her sister professionally.
"It's amazing. We weren't a package deal. We weren't set on going to the same school," Catherine added. "Looking back, there's no way we could have gone to different colleges. To be able to continue my professional career with Marie feels very rewarding. She's been a big part of my success here at the University of Memphis."
