Pacific FC Defender Eric Lajeunesse Returns to UBC
Tridents Retain Rights for 2025 CPL-U SPORTS Contract
Pacific FC today announced Eric Lajeunesse is returning to the University of British Columbia following the culmination of his 2024 CPL-U SPORTS contract.
Pacific FC will retain Lajeunesse’s U SPORTS rights for the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season. Pacific will be able to sign Lajeunesse to a CPL-U SPORTS contract next season without the player needing to enter the 2025 CPL-U SPORTS draft.
Lajeunesse, 21, has contributed to Pacific FC leading the CPL in U-21 minutes this season playing 1,198 minutes on the Tridents’ backline. Pacific has a total of 3,004 U-21 minutes so far this season thanks to talented young players such as Lajeunesse, Gazdov and Greco-Taylor.
“Eric has been very solid and consistent in his second year in the CPL and he’s shown a lot of potential and quality,” said James Merriman, Head Coach, Pacific FC. “He’s been an excellent U SPORTS and U-21 player for us.”
Lajeunesse first joined Pacific on a U-SPORTS contract in the 2023 season when he was selected sixth overall in the first round. He appeared for the Tridents seven times that season, including his professional debut in a Canadian Championship match against Cavalry FC.
Pacific retained Lajeunesse’s rights for the 2024 season, where he has become a mainstay on the backline for the Tridents with 18 appearances and 1,558 minutes of play across CPL and TELUS Canadian Championship matches.
Lajeunesse returns to his third year at UBC where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology. He has been a force on the Thunderbird’s defence, in his rookie season he was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year and the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year.
In the 2024 season, Lajeunesse played 19 matches for UBC, scoring one goal with one assist. The team’s stats of 18-3-2 led them to the Canada West final where they were defeated by Mount Royal University 1-0.
Pacific FC has a history of finding first team players through the CPL-U SPORTS Draft, signing midfielder Zach Verhoven in 2019, defender Chris Lee in 2021, and midfielder Luca Ricci in 2022 draft in addition to Lajeunesse.
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ABOUT U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 15,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides high performance international opportunities at FISU Winter and Summer World University Games, World University Championships, University World Cups and various educational initiatives.
U SPORTS works in collaboration with 57 members and four conferences as well as the Canadian sport system and Corporate Canada on the growth and delivery of university sport to student-athletes across the country.
ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB
Founded in 2018, Pacific Football Club brings professional football to Vancouver Island. Playing out of Starlight Stadium in Langford, the club provides an outlet for Canadian soccer players to compete at the professional level of the sport on home soil through the Canadian Premier League.