Noémi Paquin (Social Science Psychology, 2021) is a professional soccer player in the Northern Super League for Montreal’s own Les Roses.

Paquin kicked her first soccer ball at age four, but never really considered a career in pro sports until Cegep.

“It wasn’t really a dream of mine until I went to Champlain College and fell back in love with the sport,” she said. Playing with the Cavaliers reignited her passion and led her to consider just how far she could go.

In her first year, the women’s soccer team brought home their very first National Gold Medal. The 2018 win in Vancouver marked the first National Championship title for any women’s team in Champlain Saint-Lambert history.

“That was awesome,” she recalled. “It was really fun to win a national championship.”

Paquin was named RSEQ Rookie of the Year and the following year, she was crowned RSEQ Women’s Soccer Player of the Year.

At the time, she didn’t know much about professional soccer opportunities for women, but after graduating from Champlain and considering her options, Paquin headed south to play soccer at Florida International University in Miami in 2021.

Her outstanding performance at FIU earned her the title of C-USA Player of the Year, C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and C-USA Tournament Offensive MVP.

While earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Paquin helped her team secure both a regular season championship and the top spot in a conference tournament. It was the perfect way to cap off her time in university: “After four years of being there, we won,” she said.”

Paquin pursued her natural interest in psychology, considering it a valuable knowledge set for life, sports and beyond. She figured if she didn’t continue in soccer, she could opt for a career in sports psychology, but the offers to play kept coming in.

In 2024, she played with Miami AC in the USL W League and in 2025, she signed her first professional contract with the Montreal Roses.

The chance to return home to Montreal and play professionally in front of a crowd buzzing with excitement about the new league proved too good to pass up.

“For women’s sports, the conditions here are awesome,” she said. “I’m coming back home, the team looks good, I had to take this opportunity.”

The first game Les Roses played was in Toronto and a whopping 15.000 fans showed up.

“I was surprised. It was a really fun atmosphere,” she said. With Montreal being a city of sports fans, Paquin says everyone has been really enthusiastic about the new league.

“It’s just awesome, the community. There’s a lot of young girls coming to the game. Sometimes I meet people and they say they’re a fan of me. I didn’t expect that.”

Paquin’s family are also thrilled to see her succeed on home turf.

“My dad and my brother played soccer. They supported me so much. I’m still surprised how much they supported me,” she said.

In September, 2025, Paquin scored her first goal for Les Roses in a 5-0 victory over Calgary Wild FC. Her performance won her the accolade of Rookie of the Week from the league.

“I was really happy because I was working really hard and obviously not every player gets to have this recognition,” she said. “It gives me a boost of confidence.”

It was an encouraging start for Paquin with Les Roses, even though the road wasn’t always smooth.

“I had a super good game. The next week I got Rookie of the Week and then I was injured for a month. So that kind of killed the vibe,” she joked. Paquin recovered from her injury and was able to return for the playoffs, banking a total of 1,500 minutes played, one goal and two assists her first season.

Having been renewed for a second season with Les Roses, Paquin is looking forward to another chance at winning the top title in the league.

Paquin’s advice for current students and recent grads: “I would say, don’t worry too much about the future. If you do things well, it’s going to happen for you. Be serious in your studies and don’t neglect your schoolwork.”