Nicolas Lesage (born January 3, 1980) is a Gabonese retired footballer who played as a striker. He played at international level with the
Quebec national soccer team.
Club career
Early career
Lesage played college soccer with the
UQTR Patriotes
The UQTR Patriotes are the athletic teams that represent the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. The university features teams in swimming, golf, hockey, soccer, cross-country, volleyball and cheerleading ...
for five years.
During his university career, his achievements were being named a member of the CIS all-star team for three years.
In his final season with the Patriotes, he finished fourth in the overall CIS scoring charts with 13 goals.
After the completion of his college career, he was invited along with
Jean-Louis Bessé to the Toledo Slayers preseason training camp in 2004.
He would ultimately play with the team in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
.
In his debut season in the PDL, he appeared in 14 matches and recorded 8 goals.
Montreal Impact
In early 2005, before the commencement of the regular season, he played in several preseason matches for the
Montreal Impact of the
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system b ...
. On April 23, 2005, Montreal signed Lesage along with
Kevin Wilson to a contract. The primary reason behind his signing was to fill the void left by striker
Frederick Commodore who received a career-ending injury.
Two months later he was loaned to play in the
Canadian Professional Soccer League with
Laval Dynamites
Laval Dynamites (french: Dynamites de Laval) were a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1997. The men's team (founded in 2001) was a member of the Canadian Professional Soccer League/Canadian Soccer League, the highest professional soccer league i ...
. He recorded his first two goals on July 24, 2005, against
Hamilton Thunder
The Hamilton Thunder were a soccer team located in Hamilton, Ontario, playing in the Western Conference of the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The team played its home fixtures at Brian Timmis Stadium until a rent dispute with the city cau ...
. He helped Laval secure a playoff berth by finishing third in the Eastern Conference.
Trois-Rivières
In 2006, he played in the
Ligue de Soccer Elite Quebec
The Catholic League of France (french: Ligue catholique), sometimes referred to by contemporary (and modern) Catholics as the Holy League (), was a major participant in the French Wars of Religion. The League, founded and led by Henry I, Duke o ...
the province's regional circuit with his hometown club Trois-Rivières Sélect.
He finished the season as the league's top goalscorer with 23 goals and assisted in securing the regular-season title.
He returned to the interprovincial CPSL (later renamed
Canadian Soccer League
The Canadian Soccer League (CSL; french: Ligue canadienne de soccer — LCS) is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (C ...
) the following season but remained in his hometown as Laval Dynamites were relocated and renamed
Trois-Rivières Attak
Trois-Rivières Attak was a Canadian soccer team that played three seasons in the Canadian Soccer League. They formally served as a reserve and academy team for the USL First Division side Montreal Impact. The club was an instant success withi ...
. He made his Attak debut against
Toronto Croatia
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...
in a 0–0 tie on May 13, 2007. He helped the team record their first victory on May 20, 2007, when he scored a goal against the
Canadian Lions. Lesage contributed significantly to Trois-Rivières' successful debut in the
Open Canada Cup
The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League (formerly the Canadian Professional So ...
tournament where he recorded a goal in the finals against
Columbus Clan F.C. which marked the first time a team from Quebec captured the title.
Throughout the regular season, he helped Trois-Rivières achieve an 18-game undefeated streak and clinched a postseason berth by finishing second in the National Division. As the Attak entered the playoffs, Lesage scored the first goal in a 3–0 victory which eliminated defending champions
Italia Shooters
York Region Shooters is a Canadian soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue and white, mirroring t ...
in the quarterfinal round. Their playoff run ended on October 21, 2007, against the
Serbian White Eagles
Serbian White Eagles Football Club ( sr, Фудбалски клуб Српски бели орлови / ''Fudbalski klub Srpski beli orlovi'') is a Canadian soccer team. The team is a member of the Canadian Soccer League, an unsanctioned socce ...
with two first-half goals coincided he scored in the 84 minute to bring life to the Attak, but Serbia hung on and advanced to the finals. Individually he also had a successful season as he finished as the league's leading scorer in all competitions.
On February 12, 2008, Lesage extended his contract with the Attak for the
2008 season. For the second consecutive season, he finished as the club's top goalscorer with 8 goals along with
Pierre-Rudolph Mayard
Pierre-Rudolph Mayard (born February 21, 1988), commonly known as Papouche, is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a forward for AS Blainville in the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec.
Club career Early career
Mayard began his career in ...
.
He also helped the Attak claim their first divisional title the National Division title.
In the opening round of the playoffs, he scored the winning goal against
St. Catharines Wolves
St. Catharines Roma Wolves (also known as St. Catharines Wolves or simply Roma Wolves), are a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1967. The team currently plays in the semi-professional League1 Ontario in both the men's and women's divisions. The ...
in a 2–0 victory. In the semi-final match, Lesage contributed a goal in the 75' minute in a 7–0 victory over
Portugal FC
SC Toronto was a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1994. The team was a member of the Canadian Soccer League, and played its final home games at Lamport Stadium in the city of Toronto, Ontario. The club found success early on since its incepti ...
, and for the first time, the Attak advanced into the
CSL Championship
The Canadian Soccer League championship final or CSL Championship is the post-season match of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) and is the successor to the CNSL Championship. The winner is crowned champion in the same manner as in other North A ...
to face the Serbs. In the finals, he came off the bench to score in the 70' minute and tie the game 1–1, after both teams equalized in extra time the game went into penalties where the White Eagles won the match 2–1.
In 2009, the club began to change its philosophical approach and begin to transition into a developmental system for its parent club the Montreal Impact.
The result of these changes saw less recruitment of players from the Trois-Rivières region and more from Montreal.
Lesage was welcomed to continue with the club but declined to sign on.
Return to Montreal
In 2008, the Montreal Impact was experiencing a shortage of players due to injuries and suspensions, and as a result, Lesage was called up to fill in. He would make his debut for Montreal on June 4, 2008, against
Miami FC
The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The club began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 2016 se ...
.
In 2012, he played in the newly formed
Première Ligue de soccer du Québec
The Première ligue de soccer du Québec (PLSQ) is a semi-professional soccer league created in 2012. The Quebec Soccer Federation operates both men's and women's divisions at the pro-am tier of the Canadian soccer league system. The league is pa ...
with
FC L'Assomption
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
.
International career
When the
Quebec national soccer team was formed in 2013 head coach
Patrick Leduc
Patrick Leduc (born December 26, 1977 in Saint-Lambert, Quebec) is a Canadian soccer player who formerly played for Montreal Impact in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.
Career
Youth and amateur
Before turning pro Leduc played amateur so ...
invited Lesage to the team camp in hopes of participating in the 2013 International Peoples, Cultures, and Tribes Tournament.
He was selected for the tournament and helped Quebec make the semifinal but was eliminated by
Kurdistan Region
Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, ...
.
He appeared in two matches throughout the tournament.
Managerial career
Lesage became a senior coach in the
Mauricie
Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km² (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...
Regional Soccer Association in 2010.
Honours
Club
;Trois-Rivières Attak
*
Open Canada Cup
The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League (formerly the Canadian Professional So ...
:
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
* National Division Champions:
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Individual
*
Canadian Soccer League MVP Award:
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
*
CSL Golden Boot
The Canadian Soccer League Golden Boot is an annual Canadian soccer award given to the top goalscorer for each season in the Canadian Soccer League. The Golden Boot has been awarded since 1998 when the league debuted as the Canadian Professional S ...
:
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesage, Nicolas
1980 births
Living people
Footballers from Libreville
Canadian men's soccer players
Gabonese men's footballers
Gabonese emigrants to Canada
Canadian Soccer League (1998–present) players
Canadian expatriate men's soccer players
Gabonese expatriate men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Laval Dynamites players
Trois-Rivières Attak players
Montreal Impact (1992–2011) players
Toledo Slayers players
USL League Two players
Ligue1 Québec players
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
CS Lanaudière-Nord players