Wilfrid Laurier University graduate Alyssa Lagonia has taken her soccer career to another level after graduation.
The former Golden Hawk is currently playing professional soccer overseas for Cyprus club Apollon Ladies F.C., along with playing for the Canadian womenโs national soccer team.
Itโs been a long journey for Lagonia, as after graduating from Laurier, she has gone on to play for several teams including the Toronto Lady Lynx, the Doncaster Rovers Football Club in England, and FC Neunkirch in Switzerland, where she captained a championship winning team.
For Lagonia, her ambition to play professional soccer was something she already had in mind during her time at Laurier.
โIt was definitely my goal [to play professional soccer] when I was competing for Laurier. [Laurier head coach Barry] MacLean has played a big part in me living my dream. He really helped me take all the necessary steps in the right direction and Iโm very thankful for that,โ Lagonia said.
Lagonia has succeeded with all of the six professional teams that she has been a part of in her post-Laurier career, and that doesnโt come as a surprise.
The Kitchener native was the recipient of numerous awards during her playing career with the Hawks. In her four years at Laurier, Lagonia won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008, she was named the Laurier Team MVP in 2012 along with being named the OUA West MVP in 2011, and she was also selected as Canadaโs Most Outstanding womenโs soccer player during her final year at Laurier.
With her brilliant personality and hardworking attitude, you can expect big things from Alyssa Lagonia even after sheโs finished doing what she does best.
If you add on the multiple all-star and all-Canadian awards along with playing for the Canadian Under-20 World Cup team itโs fair to say that Lagoniaโs Laurier soccer career was nothing short of phenomenal.
Lagonia mentioned that her achievements and experience at Laurier have been a big part of her success at the professional level.
โDuring my first year [at Laurier], the team consisted of a lot of rookies. This forced us to really play together and as a team, and thatโs something Iโm never going to forget. That experience has definitely played a huge role in my success after my graduation.โ
Apollon Ladies F.C is Lagoniaโs sixth professional soccer team, and her third pro soccer team in Europe. Lagonia began her European playing career when she signed with the Doncaster Rovers in 2012.
Transitioning from playing soccer in Canada to playing soccer in Europe is a major challenge for anyone, but Lagonia has shown that the higher level of competition is going to slow her down.
โIt was obviously difficult at first adapting to the European style of play and culture here, but the beautiful thing about soccer is that itโs a universal sport. At the end of the day, Iโm just going out there and doing what I love,โ she said.
Lagonia graduated from Laurier with a degree in business administration and she intends to put that degree to use once her playing career is over.
โI have already applied for the FIFA Sport Management Masterโs program. I want to make a change and help promote womenโs soccer and the role that women play in the sport so Iโm going to make sure that soccer is a part of my life even after Iโm done playing,โ Lagonia said.
With her brilliant personality and hardworking attitude, you can expect big things from Alyssa Lagonia even after sheโs finished doing what she does best.
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