BAYEUX, France --- Sometimes only a snapshot is necessary to confirm that a player is adept at their sport, and that is certainly the case for midfielder Théo Le Calvé.

An accomplished player in France before making a major impact at Iowa Western CC, Le Calvé was part of a French National Futsal team that finished third at the 2017 World Championships in addition to his play on the traditional football pitch. Le Calvé also spent 12 years with the well-regarded club SM Caen in Normandy and has played with the amateur Bayeux FC team in recent months as he prepared to return to the United States and enroll at a four-year college.

Lé Calvé needed an alternative in light of the COVID-19 pandemic after spending a semester at University of Tulsa and is now excited that his new opportunity with the Eagles avails him to all Head Coach Torrey Stricklin's program has to offer.

"Biola was an obvious choice for me. Coach Stricklin and I get along well, and the facilities and the program that Biola offers are amazing," said Le Calvé. "I can't wait to start and meet my teammates."

The midfielder was a sought-after addition for NCAA programs because of his stint at Iowa Western that included a National Player of the Week honor, a ICCAC/Region XI First Team Academic award and a team captain role on a 2019 team that won all its conference matches while going 11-0-1 at home. 

Even with an injury sidelining him for part of the 2019 season, Le Calvé recorded seven goals and seven assists for the Reivers, including two goals and an assist in Iowa Western's first match of the NJCAA tournament. He had previously earned NJCAA National Player of the Week honors in early September of that year, helping the Reivers go 2-0 and earn a No. 8 national ranking with two goals and three assists during the week. 

Overall, Iowa Western finished with a 16-1-1 record and averaged a victory margin of five goals in its season with Le Calvé as a captain.

"Théo and I have known each other for a while now and I am very excited we are connecting here at Biola. He is a top attacking player that at any point can capture a moment and change a game in our favor," said Coach Stricklin. "He has a very high soccer IQ and will be able to come in and immediately raise the level of our program on and off the field."
 
Le Calvé plans to major in business administration at Biola and hopes to play soccer professionally and/or have a career as a marketing manager. He and the rest of the student-athletes who sign with Biola during the 2020-21 signing period will be listed on the Committed Athletes page.