LSU soccer coach Brian Lee said he received the best Christmas present ever in December 2011.
It didn’t come down the chimney to find a home under the tree. It wasn’t wrapped in gaudy paper and a bow. Instead, it came in the form of commitments from Canadian superstars Emma Fletcher and Summer Clarke.
Fletcher and Clarke committed on back-to-back days in the final month of 2011, securing a bright future for the Tigers. Clarke is one of the most feared forwards in her class, and she’s already netted two goals on a team-leading 23 shots this season. Fletcher, a prolific distributor in the midfield, is tied for the most assists on the squad with four.
The duo’s relationship has its roots in the British Columbia Provincial U-13 team, where Clarke and Fletcher dominated the pitch for four years. Playing together for that long has made the freshmen a formidable one-two punch.
“They’re the best of friends, and I think that relationship carries over onto the field,” Lee said. “They’re very comfortable and familiar with each other in attack, and they’ve got a relationship that’s built on years of playing together. In terms of on the field, they’re really comfortable with each other’s movements; there’s a little bit of a sixth sense between them that certainly is helpful to us.”
Lee said he identified Clarke and Fletcher from a young age because of how their skill sets fit with his coaching style, and that style was exactly what lured Fletcher to Baton Rouge. Because Fletcher, who hails from Victoria, British Columbia, planned to attend college far from home, she focused on the programs that would appreciate her playing skills.
“I don’t really think either of us can play or would like to play kick-and-chase or on-ball, direct soccer,” Fletcher said. “I couldn’t be effective because I wouldn’t get the ball. That was one of the main things I was looking for in a school: a team that would play the ball on the ground.”
Lee and his staff also made the pendulum swing in LSU’s favor during their recruitment of Clarke, a native of Richmond, British Columbia.
“When they came and visited to have dinner with my family, that’s when I got to know them,” Clarke said. “I just got a really good feeling from them. And right away, they were talking to my family like they’d known them for years.”
During their youth careers, Clarke and Fletcher starred on the Vancouver Whitecaps, a team so well formed the duo struggled to recall losing a game between the world cup and LSU’s 4-2 loss to BYU on Sept. 2. They nonchalantly reeled off the long list
of championships they have acquired, including the Gothia Cup, a renowned international youth soccer tournament.
In addition to their stints for the Whitecaps, Clarke suited up for the Canadian team while Fletcher played for New Zealand at the 2012 U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Coming to Baton Rouge together has eased the adjustment process for the Canadians, as they both mentioned the comfort of having a friend in a new place. Clarke and Fletcher requested to be roommates, and the bond they share at home is just as strong as the one they exhibit on the field.
The twosome has had little trouble getting acclimated to the college game. In fact, the years of chemistry allow the mental aspect of the sport to be essentially nonexistent.
“When you play with someone that you’re comfortable with and that you’ve known for a while, it makes [playing] easier,” Clarke said. “College soccer is a lot more fast-paced and physical, so I guess when you have someone and you know where to go beforehand, it makes the game easier for both of us.”
The pair showed off their skills a mere 37 minutes into the season when Clarke scored her first collegiate goal on a precise through ball from Fletcher. It turned out to be the decisive goal in LSU’s season-opening 1-0 win against Louisiana Tech.
“She always makes the run that I’m seeing,” Fletcher said. “It’s actually kind of weird when I think about it, because in the moment it’s just whatever. When I look up and see any other player, I think about what they’re going to do. But I look up and see Summer, and I see where I think she should go, and she goes there every time.”
Fletcher and Clarke have the potential to be a gift that keeps on giving. If LSU can advance to the Women’s College Cup on Dec. 6-8, Lee has a chance to obtain a Christmas present to trump them all: a national championship.
“They’re the best of friends, and I think that relationship carries over onto the field.”

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