Joel Waterman makes history, 1st CPL player to be sold to another league in move to Impact
23-year-old defender joins Montreal squad led by former Arsenal star Thierry Henry
The 14th pick in the inaugural CPL—U Sports Draft, Joel Waterman arrived in the Canadian Premier League with little fanfare to most.
But Cavalry FC coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. knew what he was getting, having coached Waterman with the Calgary Foothills PDL team.
Waterman did not disappoint as a first-year pro in the Canadian Premier League in 2019. And while Waterman was injured for Cavalry's Canadian Championship semifinal series with Montreal, Wheeldon made sure to talk up some of his talent — including Waterman — to Impact coach Remi Garde.
He hopes his story will inspire other players to keep chasing their dream.
Waterman had two practice sessions in Montreal this week before heading to Florida on Thursday for some MLS warm-weather training. He admitted to pinching himself a few times after taking the field with the likes of Argentine star Ignacio Piatti, not to mention former Arsenal and Barcelona star Thierry Henry calling the shots as coach.
"I'm just trying to enjoy every moment," said Waterman.
The 23-year-old from Aldergrove, B.C., played 1,900 minutes last season in 25 games in all competitions with Cavalry FC.
Waterman spent five years playing at Trinity Western University, helping the school in Langley, B.C., to a fourth-place finish in the U-Sports championship tournament in 2018.
He had nine goals and five assists in 57 career games (48 starts) with the Spartans.
The six-foot-two 165-pounder grew up playing in central midfield but was shifted to centre back by Wheeldon in 2018.
"I've enjoyed both positions," said Waterman. "I think that's one of the reasons why Montreal decided to acquire me, because I can play different positions."
Waterman also played three seasons in the USL Premier Development League, with the Kitsap Pumas in 2016, TSS FC Rovers in 2017 and the champion Calgary Foothills in 2018.
"Looking back I'm glad I went through everything I did," he said. "Obviously I went through a lot of no's before I got this one yes. But it was all worth it in the end."
His calls his time under coach Mike Shearon at Trinity Western "life-changing."
"Obviously my first couple of years I came to play football and that was my No. 1 goal," he said. "But in my third year, I became a Christian and I started to look at football in a different light. I started to look at it more as a community, what could I do with this platform to reach more people.
"It's definitely helped me as a person both on and off the field, in coming to the realization that this is all God-given."
'Prolific sniper' gets taken early in NWSL draft
Canadian forward Evelyne Viens went fifth overall to Sky Blue FC in Thursday's National Women's Soccer League draft.
A prolific sniper at the University of South Florida, the native of L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que., scored 73 goals in 77 career games to set school and American Athletic Conference all-time records. Her 25 goals as a senior also set school and conference single-season marks.
Viens, who finished her collegiate career with 169 points, is a three-time All-American and 2019 Scholar All-American.
"I was just so happy to go to New Jersey [with Sky Blue] and just get back closer to home and just have a chance to play in this amazing league," Viens said in an interview at the draft.
Viens, who spoke almost no English when she started school in Florida, has been selected for Canada's provisional roster for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament that starts later this month in Texas and California.
Defender-midfielder Rebecca Quinn is the highest Canadian ever taken in the NWSL draft, taken third overall in 2018 from Duke by the Washington Spirit.
The Orlando Pride traded up to get the third pick, selecting University of Colorado midfielder Taylor Kornieck. Another trade netted the Washington Spirit UCLA forward Ashley Sanchez with the fourth pick.
Canadian international Jessie Fleming did not make herself eligible for the draft. A UCLA spokeswoman said the 21-year-old senior from London, Ont., had opted to forgo the draft to focus on the Canadian national team and finishing her degree.
Fleming, a star midfielder, has already won 70 caps for Canada. A club in Europe remains an option with the Canadian likely in demand, if willing.