After turning heads at the University of Memphis, Canadian forward Clarissa Larisey is jumping straight into the professional game.

When the NCAA season came to a close, the Ottawa, Ontario native wanted to start playing professionally “sooner rather than later,” and with the Úrvalsdeild kvenna (the top women’s soccer league in Iceland) season beginning this month, she packed her bags and headed to Reykjavík.

She announced on May 5 that she had signed with the country’s top club, Valur, where she made her debut on Wednesday. After a seven-day quarantine period in Iceland, and a few weeks of training, she started for the reigning title-holders, playing the first 64 minutes in a 4-2 win over ÍBV.

“It was kind of a big deal,” Larisey told CanPL.ca about getting onto the pitch for the first time. “I haven’t been in a professional environment, and the stadium and all that was overwhelming. It was so nice.”

so grateful and blessed for this new adventure with my first professional team in Iceland. @Valurfotbolti pic.twitter.com/j9GZI2zRCA

— Clarissa (@LariseyClarissa) May 5, 2021

Just before heading to Iceland, there was a slight mix-up at the end of her time with the University of Memphis — after losing in the final of their conference tournament, the Tigers didn’t think they’d qualify for the NCAA championship tournament. By a slim margin, they did, meaning Larisey — who had already signed the professional contract — was ineligible to join them.

“The odds of us making it were very, very slim,” Larisey explained. “Especially with COVID, there were even less teams going into the NCAA tournament.

“My coaches and I both agreed we probably won’t [qualify], so I signed my contract and then it was too late for me to go back and have one last ride together. It was unfortunate, but it is what it is.”

Statistically, Larisey is among the best forwards the University of Memphis has ever seen.

In four years with the Tigers, she found the back of the net 34 times, and added 10 assists across 73 matches. She’s near the top of the all-time leaderboard for goals, finishing behind fellow Canadian Valerie Sanderson, who scored a school-record 53 goals between 2013 and 2016.

In 2019 she was among the players honoured with a selection to the NCAA Division I Women’s All-America Teams, earning a spot on the second team alongside a couple of compatriots: Evelyne Viens and Sarah Stratigakis.

“I couldn’t have done it without my team – my coaches were always pushing me,” Larisey said. “I just put my head down, put the work in as much as I can, so that I can be my best self. Everyone there helped me all the time so I couldn’t have done it without them.”

She says that the highlight during her four years in the NCAA was winning the American Athletic Conference tournament in 2018. She scored two goals in the final — a 3-0 win over the University of South Florida and the aforementioned Viens. Her two goals were tied atop the leaderboard, and she won the tournament’s MVP award.

“It was a great learning experience,” Larisey said of her four years at Memphis. “I grew a lot as a person on and off the field. I got to become better, and I met a lot of people that I’ll probably be friends with forever.”

She entered the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft, but wasn’t selected, something that she said was tough, but is pushing her forward and gave her the chance to go overseas. With a limited number of international players allowed on each NWSL roster, she knew the chances of getting drafted may be slim, “unless you’re on the national team or very well-known.”

“I put my name in there just to see if I had the opportunity to [get drafted],” she said. “It was tough watching it and not getting chosen, but in the end it did fuel my fire.

“I get to experience playing in Europe and it’s been amazing so far, so I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.”

The limited opportunities for international players in the NWSL is why Larisey believes Canada needs either an NWSL team, or possibly even an entire league.

“If we had Canadian teams that play in the NWSL, there wouldn’t be as much international blockage for other players around the world,” she said. “It is such a good league, a lot of the best athletes play there. It would be nice to have a team in Canada and be closer to home.”

She’s played close to home before, with a pair of clubs in League 1 Ontario. In 2018 she scored three goals in four games for West Ottawa S.C., before an incredible nine goals in two games for OSU Force a year later. Overall in League 1 Ontario, she averaged a goal every 41 minutes.

“It was so nice,” she said of playing in Ottawa. “I love being home and the environment there. Great coaches, great people — and it was just nice to be close to home and have my family come watch me and not have to drive so many hours.”

The chance to play for an Ottawa-based professional team, or in a Canadian league, would be even more special.

“If I get to play pro at home, close to the family and with them coming to watch me, that would just be amazing.”

For now though, her focus is very much on her time with Valur. She signed a contract for six months with the club, after which she’ll consider her options.

“I seem to really like it here, so I wouldn’t mind extending my contract for another year,” she said.

Both her team, and personal, expectations there are high for the 2021 season.

“It was predicted that we’re going to win the league, so that’s our number one goal — winning every game so that we can get first and play for the Champions League,” she stated. “For myself, [the goal is] getting as much playing time as I can, plus as many assists and goals as I can.

“[I want to] do the best that I can for my first year as a professional. These girls are very, very good here, and it’s definitely going to push me to get better.”

After looking up to Kaylyn Kyle and Melissa Tancredi when she was younger, Larisey also hopes to catch the eye of Canada head coach Bev Priestman and get herself into the national team conversation.

“Hopefully Canada’s radar is going to be wide enough to come over to Iceland,” she said. “Being able to play and have good minutes and good statistics can hopefully get the Canadian national team to look my way.”