Pictured above: Evelyne Viens holding her Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Courtesy of Getty Images
Former USF soccer player Evelyne Viens has done nothing but succeed after her time as a Bull.
Her passion for soccer started in her hometown of Quebec City, Canada.
“I started playing soccer because my brother did. So, I started playing for fun and after I got pretty decent, I just kept going,” Viens said.
As she started competing in the sport, her ultimate dream was always the Olympics.
“I always dreamed of going to the Olympics. You dream about it, but to which point can it be real? That was the difference. And I think that my mindset changed when I got to USF,” Viens said.
Though she had no intention of attending college in the U.S., Viens decided to give it a try.
“I was like, why not? I’m just going to do my stuff and check it out. I don’t have any regrets,” Viens said.
When she arrived to the Tampa campus, she understood the value of USF’s community. The warm Florida weather was also a plus.
“It felt special, like a family. It was such a welcoming environment. And after all, it’s Florida. The weather is great, and I could play soccer every day outside,” said Viens. “For me it was a big change. I was trying to do something new and try something different, because you never know what can happen.”
Her career sky-rocketed from freshman year: she started all 19 games as a forward, finished first on the team with a leading record of 16 goals and was named American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
By her sophomore year, Viens knew she was going pro.
“Then I made the national team,” Viens said. “I think adding two good seasons at USF changed my mentality about what was possible, and USF really helped me to get there.”
After her time with USF’s women’s soccer team and graduating with an accounting degree, Viens was drafted by New Jersey team Sky Blue FC – now called NY/NJ Gotham FC. She debuted in June 2020 and scored her first goal for the club against the Chicago Red Stars in July of the same year.
In March, she was recruited to join the Canadian national team, which led her to earn a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Viens’ national team debut happened quickly, with a six-month turnaround, participating in her first team training camp in February.
“I think my mentality at the time was good because I was just able to enjoy the moment. I’ve worked so hard my whole life to get that call and I knew I was ready,” Viens said.
Despite turmoil surrounding the 2020 Olympic Games, Viens said it was an unforgettable experience.
“Overall, the team made the most out of it and just enjoyed. We had way more time to spend with our teammates since it was just us. We actually bonded way more,” Viens said.
She explained that getting to know her teammates outside of the field as well as on the field helped build the team relationship that powered them through the final, gold-winning game.
“During the game, we had mixed emotions. The first half was not good. We really wondered if we were going to beat Sweden,” Viens said. “But that mentality changed so fast. We always find motivation to turn a game around. And that’s what we did.”
After the game ended in a 1-1 tie, Canada beat Sweden 2-3 on penalties.
Viens said she’s still processing the team’s achievement but, naturally, she considers winning Olympic gold one of the biggest accomplishments in her professional career.
She is working on becoming a better striker to help her team win and to further prove herself.
Still in season with NY/NJ Gotham FC, she plans to win the National Women’s Soccer League championship. In two years, she hopes to make the World Cup and return to the Olympics with Canada’s national team.
Viens told The Crow’s Nest how grateful she is to represent USF in high-level competitions.
“I can truly say that USF gave me the opportunity to change my life for the better. I’m really proud of being a Bull and I’m excited to go back to a soccer game soon and just be able to cheer for the program that gave me so much,” Viens said. “USF, I just want to say thank you.”
