Eva Dufresne is targeting promotion and 40 goals this season after making the move from the US to the UK to continue her football career.
The 19-year-old forward has been playing football since the age of three and was offered the opportunity to come to the UK after being spotted at a tournament in Florida shortly after Christmas.
Dufresne said the decision to make the move was an easy one once the opportunity arose.
“I played all through high school. I’ve been playing since I was three, played competitively, played club and then went to a tournament in Florida right after Christmas actually, and got scouted to come over here,” she said.
“And I was like, you only live once, so you may as well.”
Dufresne is now preparing for the new BUCS season and believes her team can go one better after narrowly missing out on promotion last year.
She said the squad has a strong group of players and is confident they have the ability to challenge for promotion.
“I’m really excited,” Dufresne said. “We have a good group of girls this year.”
“I think we have a chance of promotion this year because we were so close last year. We could really do it this year.”
As well as helping her team achieve its goals, Dufresne has set herself an ambitious personal target of 40 goals this season.
She acknowledged that the figure is a significant challenge but said she is determined to give herself the best possible chance of reaching it.
“I’m trying for forty goals this season, which is a little much, but we’re going to try,” she said.
“Because you can only miss as many shots as you don’t take.”
Football is not the only sport Dufresne is continuing since arriving in the UK. She is also playing lacrosse, a sport she has been involved in since she was five.
“I love it,” she said. “I’ve played since I was five. So, I was like, why not play another sport?”
Dufresne is also part of the UDA Cheltenham team, which has started its season with a mixture of results while adapting to a new manager and several new players.
Although the team has yet to meet its new manager, Dufresne said the squad is already beginning to develop as a team.
“It’s just started and we’re still trying to figure everything out,” she said.
“So, we have a mix of results, but the team is really coming together surprisingly.”
“And we have a bunch of new UDA players this year and they’re blending really well with us as we are all playing really well.”
“So, I think this season’s going to be really good too.”
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