Karina LeBlanc facts for kids
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LeBlanc in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Karina Chenelle LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | March 30, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 80 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Boston Breakers | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Montreal Xtreme | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | New Jersey Wildcats | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Los Angeles Sol | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Philadelphia Independence | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | magicJack | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Sky Blue FC | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Portland Thorns FC | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Chicago Red Stars | 29 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2015 | Canada | 110 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 6, 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of May 31, 2015 |
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Karina Chenelle LeBlanc (born March 30, 1980) is a Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper. She also served as the general manager for the Portland Thorns FC. Karina played for the Canadian national team and many professional women's teams in the United States during her 14-year career.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Start
Karina LeBlanc was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Her parents, Vans and Winsome LeBlanc, were from Dominica and Jamaica. They had moved to Atlanta to stay safe from Hurricane David.
Karina grew up in Dominica until she was eight years old. Then, her family moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia, in Canada. She started playing soccer when she was 12. Even though her high school didn't have a girls' soccer team, she was named one of the top 20 college recruits in 1997. She was also a talented basketball player.
Playing for the University of Nebraska
Karina went to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She studied business administration there. From 1997 to 2000, she played as a goalkeeper for the Nebraska Cornhuskers team.
She became one of the best goalkeepers in the school's history. In 2000, she was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, which is a big award in college soccer. She was also named an All-American and chosen for the All-Big 12 team twice.
Professional Soccer Career
Karina LeBlanc played for several professional soccer teams in the United States. She was known for her strong goalkeeping skills.
Playing for Early Teams
Karina started her professional career with the Boston Breakers. This was in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the U.S.
After the WUSA, she played for the Montreal Xtreme in 2004. Then, she joined the New Jersey Wildcats from 2005 to 2006.
Time with Los Angeles Sol and Philadelphia Independence
In 2009, Karina was chosen by the Los Angeles Sol in the WPS Draft. She played in 19 games for the team and was named to the 2009 WPS All-Star Team.
In 2010, she moved to the Philadelphia Independence. She was picked early in the draft after the Los Angeles Sol team closed.
Later Club Teams
In 2011, Karina played for magicJack. She stepped in as goalkeeper when another player was injured.
She was set to play for Sky Blue FC in 2012. However, the WPS league stopped operating before the season began.
Winning with Portland Thorns FC
In 2013, Karina joined the Portland Thorns FC. She helped the team win the NWSL Championship that year, which is a major league title.
Finishing Career with Chicago Red Stars
In 2014, Karina was traded to the Chicago Red Stars. She had a great 2014 season, making 76 saves.
In 2015, she played eight games for the Red Stars. At the end of the 2015 season, Karina LeBlanc decided to retire from professional soccer. In her very last professional match, she was named the NWSL Player of the Week.
International Career for Canada
Karina LeBlanc played for the Canadian national team for many years. She represented Canada in five FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments.
She also played in the 2008 Olympics. Karina won a gold medal with the national team at the 2011 Pan American Games. She helped her team win by stopping two penalty shots in the final game.
In March 2012, she played her 100th game for Canada. Later that year, she was part of the Canadian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Before the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Karina announced she would retire from international soccer after the tournament.
After Playing: Coaching and Management
After her playing career, Karina LeBlanc continued to be involved in soccer.
Coaching Roles
From 2005 to 2009, she worked as an assistant coach at Rutgers University. She also coached goalkeepers for the Canadian under-15 national team. Karina also created special training programs for goalkeepers across the United States and Canada.
Becoming a General Manager
In July 2018, CONCACAF hired Karina LeBlanc to lead women's soccer for their organization. She left that job in 2021 to become the general manager of the Portland Thorns FC. She took on this important role to help lead the team.
Awards and Recognition
Karina LeBlanc has received many honors for her contributions to soccer.
Team Awards
- NWSL Championship: 2013 (with Portland Thorns FC)
Individual Awards
- Canada Soccer Hall of Fame (2022)
- She received the Order of Canada (2022). This award recognized her work in soccer around the world and how she used the sport to help make positive changes in society.
Personal Life
Karina LeBlanc married Jason Mathot in October 2016. On March 24, 2020, they welcomed their daughter, Paris.
See also
- List of Olympic medalists in football
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of players who have appeared in multiple FIFA Women's World Cups
- List of 2012 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
- List of Canadian sports personalities
- List of Canada women's international soccer players
- List of 2011 Pan American Games medalists
- List of Los Angeles Sol players
- List of Chicago Red Stars players
- List of Philadelphia Independence players
- List of Portland Thorns FC players
