OTTAWA, Ontario — Emma Lefebvre, fifth year striker for the women’s soccer team at the University of Ottawa, is no stranger to scoring on the field and in the classroom. This season marked her greatest and final season with the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team. Of over nearly 400 other players in the Ontario University Athletics East Division, she is ranked No. 1. With Lefebvre’s great leadership and the Gee-Gees cohesive teamwork, the team is also ranked No. 1 in the OUA.

Throughout her time with the Gee-Gees, Lefebvre has increasingly been a player to watch out for. Her athletic history has certainly predicted her phenomenal career with the Gee-Gees. A Kingston, Ontario native, her passion for soccer began when she started playing at age 3.

“My parents noticed that I would play in the backyard with a ball at my feet,” Lefebvre said. “They decided to register me in house league that summer. I have been playing the sport ever since.”

Her dedication and commitment to continual growth and improvement in the sport has led to increasing recognition. While playing for Regiopolis Notre Dame Catholic High School, she competed at a showcase tournament in grade 11 where she was discovered and recruited by a Gee-Gees scout. She ultimately decided to play for the Garnet and Grey because she was drawn to the campus and the nursing program.

Lefebvre decided to major in nursing because she is greatly influenced by the example led by her parents, who are healthcare providers. Her parents instilled in her a passion for caring for others. Her mother, Debra Lefebvre, is currently a nurse at the Brockville General Hospital while her father, Paul Lefebvre, is a dentist and partner at Limestone City Dental Centre.

“My parents have always taught me to be kind, compassionate and to care for vulnerable populations,” Lefebvre said. “My mom dedicated her career to working for better health in Canada’s Indigenous populations and in developing nations. These values have been instilled in me and my siblings.”

Her commitment to overall excellence shows in her studying habits, as well.

“It’s not a rare sight to see (Lefebvre) reading Bible-sized textbooks in the bus on the way to road games, or finishing essays,” goalkeeper Margot Shore said.

Such values have led her to earn the U Sports Academic All-Sport every year since her sophomore year in 2017. Shortly before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in nursing in June 2020, she began working as a staff registered nurse at Ottawa Hospital. Having successfully juggled a rigorous nursing program and playing at the top of her game on the field makes her soccer accomplishments ever more impressive. She returned for a fifth year in 2021, having taken a break in 2020 due to the pandemic, to take prerequisite courses for graduate school and to play for the Gee-Gees one last time.

She proved critical during many OUA and U Sports Championships in the past. The Gee-Gees won the gold medal in the 2018 OUA Championship, the gold medal in the 2018 U Sports National Championship, the bronze medal in the 2019 OUA Championship and won the 2019 FISU University World Cup. With her impressive play in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, she was named the OUA second team All-Star for both years.

Her 12 regular season goals this season contributed to her not only being ranked No. 1 in the OUA this year, but also to being the sixth person in OUA history to score over 30 regular season goals. With three assist points, she also ranks No. 1 in U Sports and No. 2 in all of U Sports history. She is tied for No. 2 with 36 regular season OUA goals in Gee-Gees’ history. Due to her outstanding performance this season, she was named OUA East Division Most Valuable Player of the Year and for the first time was named to the All-Star team. She definitely ended her last season with the Gee-Gees with a bang.

Lefebvre does not intend for this last season with the Gee-Gees to be her last competing season. She is looking to compete professionally for a European team, just as other teammates before her have done.

“I have an agent and will be updating my highlight video,” Lefebvre said. “I would love to play in France or Spain.”

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