SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former LIU Brooklyn midfielder and member of the 2004 NEC men's soccer championship team Norman LeVesque signed his first professional contract with the Sacramento Surge indoor team last week.
The Surge, based in Sacramento, Calif., is part of the Pacific Division of the Professional Arena Soccer League. The team was founded in 2012.
"I am thrilled to hear that Norman LeVesque has achieved his personal goal to play professional soccer," said LIU Brooklyn head coach T.J. Kostecky. "Norman was an integral part of our NCAA tournament team. As both a winger and forward, he was a hard working, reliable player with a powerful shot. I expect him to bring the same level of intensity and determination to the Sacramento Surge. We're all looking forward to following his success."
After moving to northern California six months ago, LeVesque was looking for a way to play soccer on weekends. He was able to start training with the Surge, and three months in, the team decided to sign him. Though he just started, LeVesque has already made an impact, scoring two goals in his first game against Las Vegas on Nov. 3.
"Although I am a bit older then most of the guys in this league, I feel that my work ethic, size and my soccer knowledge has helped me to play at a top level," said LeVesque.
While at LIU, LeVesque was part of a Blackbirds squad that went 9-7-4 and 6-2-1 in the NEC under Kostecky. The team earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1986 after defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 1-0 in the NEC championship. The win was the Blackbirds' fourth NEC crown and the first since 1997.
This was not the only NEC champion and NCAA-bound squad LeVesque was a member of, however. In fact, he originally came to LIU Brooklyn to play golf under then head coach Lonnie Barton. LeVesque played on a 2004 team that won the program's first conference championship and secured a trip the NCAA East Regional.
After he exhausted his golf eligibility, LeVesque tried out for the men's soccer team, a sport he had played his whole life. He earned a spot on the squad and ended up being an important part of a team that cemented its place in the record books.
In 2004, LeVesque played in all 20 matches while starting 12 for the Blackbirds and scored two goals during the season, including the game-winner against Quinnipiac with 44 seconds left on the clock in the first overtime period. LeVesque was tied for third on the squad in goals, and also tied for fifth with 25 shots.
LIU Brooklyn men's soccer has a rich tradition of Blackbirds in the professional leagues, with 34 to date. This includes LIU Hall of Famers Roger Chavez, Dov Markus and Giovanni Savarese.
LeVesque attributes his current success to his playing days as a Blackbird.
"LIU was and always will be a large part in making me the player I am today," he said. "It just goes to show you that hard work does pay off."