Leah Maryann Pais is a Canadian soccer player who plays for AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League.

Leah Pais
Personal information
Full name Leah Maryann Pais
Place of birth Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Position(s) Midfielder, Forward
Team information
Current team
AFC Toronto
Youth career
0000–2015 Brampton Brams United
2016–2018 Vaughan Azzurri
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Albany Great Danes 14 (5)
2020–2022 Pittsburgh Panthers 56 (17)
2023 Florida State Seminoles 17 (2)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Vaughan Azzurri 21 (13)
2022–2023 Vaughan Azzurri 24 (21)
2024 Þróttur 15 (2)
2025– AFC Toronto 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 20, 2024

Early life

edit

Pais began playing youth soccer at age five or six and played with the Ontario provincial team form age 14 to 16.[1] She played youth soccer with Brampton Brams United,[2] before later joining Vaughan Azzurri, winning the 2018 U18 Ontario Cup.[3]

College career

edit

In 2019, Pais began attending the University at Albany, SUNY, where she played for the women's soccer team.[4] She made her collegiate debut on August 22 against the Oklahoma Sooners.[5] She scored her first career goal on September 25 in a 1-1 draw against the Siena Saints.[6] In late October 2019, she was named the America East Conference Rookie of the Week.[7] At the end of the season, she was named the America East Rookie of the Year and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team.[8][9]

In 2020, she transferred to the University of Pittsburgh to play for the women's soccer team.[10][11] She made her debut on September 10 in the season opener against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 4-0 victory.[12] After scoring another goal in the next match, she was named the school's Student-Athlete of the Week.[13] In September 2022, she was again earned the school's top performer of the week honour.[14] In 2020 and 2022, she was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and was named to the ACC All-Academic Team in 2022.[15]

In 2023, she transferred to Florida State University for her graduate year and played with the women's soccer team.[16][17] She scored her first goal on September 3 against the South Florida Bulls.[18] She won the 2023 National Title with the team.[19]

Club career

edit

From 2017 to 2019, she played with Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario. In 2019, she was named the league's Young Player of the Season and a First Team All-Star.[20][21] She returned to the side in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she was named a Second Team All-Star and in 2023, she was named a First Team All-Star.[22][23]

In 2024, she signed with Icelandic club Þróttur (Thróttur Reykjavík) in the top tier Besta deild kvenna.[24]

In November 2024, she signed with AFC Toronto of the Northern Super League for the 2025 season.[25][26][27]

Career statistics

edit
As of August 25, 2024
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Vaughan Azzurri 2017[28] League1 Ontario 8 4 ? ? 8 4
2018[29] 3 0 0 0 ? ? 3 0
2019[30] 10 9 0 0 10 9
2022[31] 10 10 1 0 11 10
2023[32] 14 11 0 0 14 11
Total 45 34 1 0 0 0 0 0 47 34
Þróttur 2024[33] Besta deild kvenna 15 2 3 4 2 0 20 6
Career total 60 36 1 0 3 4 2 0 66 40

Honours

edit

Individual

  • L1O Young Player of the Year: 2019
  • L1O All-Star:

References

edit
  1. ^ Davidson, Neil (November 20, 2024). "After stints in U.S. and Iceland, Leah Pais stoked to be back home with AFC Toronto". Toronto Star.
  2. ^ Inscoe, Robin (September 16, 2015). "Rebels fall short in bid for Ontario Cup crown". Brampton Guardian.
  3. ^ "Vaughan Azzurri capture U-18 Girls Ontario Cup title". Ontario Soccer Association. July 20, 2018.
  4. ^ "Women's Soccer Announces 2019 Recruits". Albany Great Danes. July 29, 2019.
  5. ^ "Leah Pais Albany profile". Albany Great Danes.
  6. ^ "Women's Soccer Ties Siena 1-1". Albany Great Danes. September 25, 2019.
  7. ^ "Harbinger, Pais Named Players of the Week". Albany Great Danes. October 28, 2019.
  8. ^ "Pais Named Rookie of the Year". Albany Great Danes. November 4, 2019.
  9. ^ "Women's Soccer Draws Eight All-Conference Selections". Albany Great Danes. November 1, 2019.
  10. ^ Krysinsky, John (February 13, 2020). "College SoccerPitt women add transfer Leah Pais". Pittsburgh Soccer Now.
  11. ^ "Women's Soccer Signs Transfer Leah Pais". Pittsburgh Panthers. February 13, 2020.
  12. ^ "Pitt Shuts Out App State 4-0 in Season Opener". Pittsburgh Panthers. September 10, 2020.
  13. ^ "Pais, Sibley Jr. Named Office Depot/Supra Student-Athletes of the Week". Pittsburgh Panthers. September 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Gilman, Pais Named PNC Achievers of the Week". Pittsburgh Panthers. September 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "Leah Pais Pittsburgh profile". Pittsburgh Panthers.
  16. ^ "Soccer Adds Graduate Transfer Leah Pais". Florida State Seminoles. July 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Ferrante, Bob. "FSU soccer adds Pitt transfer Leah Pais". The Osceola.
  18. ^ "Four Noles Score in No. 2 FSU's 5-1 Win Over USF". Florida State Seminoles. September 3, 2023.
  19. ^ "Leah Pais FSU profile". Florida State Seminoles.
  20. ^ "Vaughan's Raposo, Pais named League1 young players of the year". Canadian Premier League. October 4, 2019.
  21. ^ "Men's And Women's 2019 First, Second And Third Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. September 30, 2019.
  22. ^ "Simcoe skipper Cloey Uddenberg at the heart of the 2022 Women's Premier Division All-Star team". League1 Ontario. November 17, 2022.
  23. ^ "Triple award-winning goalkeeper Gurleen Toor selected in talented XI". League1 Ontario. November 28, 2023.
  24. ^ Þór Sæmundsson, Ingvi (April 19, 2024). "Besta-spáin 2024: Brakar í heila prófessorsins" [The best prediction of 2024: Cracks in the professor's brain]. Vísir (in Icelandic).
  25. ^ "AFC Toronto announce ex-Vaughan Azzurri forward Leah Pais as NSL club's second player signing". Waking the Red. November 20, 2024.
  26. ^ "AFC Toronto Adds Leah Pais". Northern Tribune. November 20, 2024.
  27. ^ "AFC Toronto Welcomes Leah Pais as the Club's Second Official Signing". Northern Super League. November 20, 2024.
  28. ^ "Leah Pais 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  29. ^ "Leah Pais 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  30. ^ "Leah Pais 2019 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  31. ^ "Leah Pais 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  32. ^ "Leah Pais 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  33. ^ Leah Pais at the Football Association of Iceland (in Icelandic)