Down the Line to the 2018 Season: The Youngsters

With all the offseason rumblings that were brought to light, let’s take a glance at the Impact’s prospects who will look to prove their worth under the helm of Remi Garde. Prized prospects like Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Ballou Tabla aren’t on this list as they’ll be on the Midfielders and Forwards list.

David Choiniere: Last season, David Choiniere had 3 appearances under his belt with the Impact. This season, Choniere will be itching for some first team play under newly appointed manager, Remi Garde. The homegrown player has all the tools and attributes necessary to become a solid midfielder for the Montreal Impact down the road. In his first professional season, he accumulated a lone goal and an assist in 16 USL games for FC Montreal. He was the first player to be promoted from FC Montreal to the 1st team with an appearance against New England in 2016. This season, he’ll have the opportunity to prove his worth on the pitch.

Louis Beland-Goyette: Louis Beland-Goyette is another intriguing homegrown prospect. The Montreal native has been in the Impact’s academy since 2011, playing with at the U18, U21 & at the U23 level. This season was the step in the right direction for Beland-Goyette as he saw extended playing time on the pitch. He appeared in 6 matches in 2017, 4 of which he started. In 41 USL games between 2015-2016, Goyette accumulated 3 goals and an assist for FC Montreal. In 2016, he was the captain of FC Montreal. Louis Beland-Goyette will be on the prowl to get more playing time under the tutelage of Remi Garde.

Nick DePuy: Nick DePuy was selected by the Montreal Impact in the first round (19th overall) of the 2017 SuperDraft. The American native was drafted due to his knack for goals, scoring on 31 occasions in 83 games with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. In 2017 he played 5 matches for the Impact, starting in 1 match. The Irvine, California native was a semi-finalist for the MAC-Hermann Trophy for the top college player.

Shamit Shome: Shamit Shome as plenty of accolades to his name at such a tender age. After playing with the University of Alberta in 2015, he was awarded as the best West Rookie of The Year and chosen to be on the Canada West Second team All-Stars. He has represented Canada at the U18 and U20 level and was a finalist as Canadian U20 player of the year in 2016. He signed his first professional contract with FC Edmonton of the NASL in 2016 before being drafted by the Montreal Impact in 2017 (2nd round, 41st overall). The Edmonton native appeared in 1 match for the Impact last season

Stay tuned for the analysis of the defensive line, the midfield and the forwards.