Lehigh University Athletics
Men's Soccer Seniors Reflect On Careers
11/4/2016 12:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2016 Lehigh men's soccer senior class will leave a legacy of success on the field, in addition to outstanding achievement off the field. This group of four seniors has helped deliver a Patriot League Championship and has compiled multiple All-Patriot League selections. These young men will also be remembered by their coaches and teammates for their outstanding leadership and dedication to the team above any individual goal or achievement. This senior class has also been a model to follow in the classroom, boasting a combined cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to go along with 10 selections to the Patriot League Academic Honor roll.
With Senior Day set for Saturday, here are the 2016 Lehigh men's soccer seniors and their thoughts as they take a look back at their time spent in the Brown and White.
#8 Danny Gonzalez – Midfielder – Berwyn, Pa. – Finance
The four-year varsity letter winner has been a three-year team captain and a full-time starter since his freshman season. Gonzalez was an All-Patriot League selection as a junior and has been a member Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The senior midfielder has also dedicated his time off the field and outside of the classroom by acting as a Student Athlete Mentor and working as a student-intern in the Sports Communications department at Lehigh.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
DG: My favorite soccer memory would easily be celebrating the Patriot League Championship win in 2015. The team went especially crazy following the game when Afrojack's "Sovereign Light Cafe" played on the speaker in the locker room.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
DG: I know that when the season ends and we do not have soccer anymore, we will still see each other every day because we are best friends and genuinely enjoy each other's company.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
DG: Saturday is much more than recognizing the seniors' work over the years. It's a must-win game in order to make playoffs and keep not only the seniors' seasons alive, but the whole team's season alive. So, really I am feeling excited to play and thankful that we are in a position to make the playoffs with a win.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
DG: I am going to miss playing soccer at a high level. The more talented and competitive the players are around me, the more I personally enjoy playing soccer, and I do not think I will ever play alongside as talented and competitive of a group again (except alumni games of course).
What are your postgraduate plans?
DG: I will be working for Deutsche Bank in New York City.
#10 Gianfranco Giammatteo – Defender – Summit, N.J. – Civil Engineering
The four-year varsity letter winner has appeared in 70 for the Mountain Hawks, drawing 45 starts at six different positions throughout his career. The multiple-time Dean's List honoree, Giammatteo has been recognized for his success in the classroom as he has been a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection in his career. The senior will be remembered as one of the most versatile players to wear the Brown and White with a "team first" attitude.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
GG: My favorite Lehigh men's soccer memory up until now would definitely have to be winning the Patriot League Championship. We achieved the goal we set out and it was an amazing feeling winning something that only one other team in Lehigh men's soccer history has done. When the championship game ended it was a relief that all our hard work, starting freshman year, had paid off. There's no greater feeling than grinding and working with your best friends in order to achieve a common goal and get a really cool ring at the end of it.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
GG: My relationship with Jake, Danny and Justin is amazing. They are definitely some of, if not, the people I'm the closest with here at school. It's been a rollercoaster of four years especially with soccer. Going from a two win season, to then winning a championship, we've been to all ends of the spectrum and there are no other guys I would want to go through it with. I also know that they always have my back in anything and everything, the same way I do theirs. On and off the field I know our relationships won't end even when we all graduate.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
GG: It's a mixed feeling. Sad knowing that my competitive career is coming to an end, but rewarding knowing that I survived four grueling years of Division 1 soccer. Playing soccer since I was four years old, I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself, but it's been an amazing experience and there's nothing I wouldn't do to get another year of fitness tests and hanging out almost every day with the guys.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
GG: I will most definitely miss being with the guys every day and knowing that they have your back regardless of the situation. There are so many different characters on the team from our coaches to the players and the managers as well. No matter the day, we did it for the boys and they will all hold a special place in my heart.
What are your postgraduate plans?
GG: Hopefully find a job close to home and then when I feel the time is right, get my masters in either civil engineering or business administration.
#12 Justin Worley – Defender – Reading, Pa. – Psychology
The four-year varsity letter winner has been a 2-year team captain and has started every game he has appeared in for the Mountain Hawks. Worley has been recognized for his stellar play on the field as he has been a two-time All-Patriot League selection and an NSCAA All-Northeast Region selection. The senior defender has also received recognition for his success off the field as he has been named a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and named an Academic All-Patriot League selection as he boasts a 3.68 grade point average as a psychology major. Worley was also recently named a men's soccer finalist for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award which recognizes the most well-rounded student-athletes in NCAA Division I athletics.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
JW: My favorite memory was the moment in the Patriot League final when the referee blew the final whistle signaling the end of the game. Looking around at the faces of my teammates, for a fraction of a second, it seemed liked people were in disbelief. We were a team that two years ago was 2-14-1. We were a team that started Patriot League play that year 1-3 and lacking a team identity. When the whistle blew, it was like letting go a breath that our team had been holding for the entire season.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
JW: There are very few people that I know more about than my fellow seniors because we've been there for each other through the major transitions in our lives. We were the first friends to each other coming into college, we leased our first houses as a group, we've visited each other's homes outside of school and have met everyone's families. If I had to choose any group of guys to spend the rest of my life with on an island, it would be my fellow seniors.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JW: Almost my whole life, I've been able to identify myself as a student-athlete and that has been a central piece of my identity. It's been hard wrapping my mind around the fact that now I will be a former student-athlete. I won't be the senior Lehigh men's soccer captain, I will be the former Lehigh men's soccer captain. While that's given me a bit of anxiety, it's also met with excitement because I have the opportunity to use everything I have learned and experienced as a student-athlete to pursue my passions and interests in the real world.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
JW: The thing I will miss most is the feeling of being a part of the team. There's nothing quite like the bond between college athletes. You have class together, practice together, live together, travel and stay in hotels together, experience the highs and thrills of winning together, and inevitably, cope with the lows of losing together. The closeness and brotherhood aspect of our team isn't something that you find every day.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JW: I will be applying to graduate school for programs related to leadership development, team building, and sports psychology.
#26 Jacob Gottwald – Goalkeeper – Schnecksville, Pa. – Mechanical Engineering
The two-year varsity letter winner who has started all 22 games he has played in for the Mountain Hawks and has totaled 94 saves for his career. Gottwald has also dedicated is time off the field as a leader in the Student Athletes Leading Social Change program at Lehigh. A three-time selection to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, the senior goalkeeper has excelled in the classroom as he boasts a 3.60 grade point average and has been a four-time member of the Dean's List as a mechanical engineering major.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
JG: Winning the PLC last year. It is not only my favorite Lehigh soccer memory, but also my favorite college memory.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
JG: They are my brothers and definitely my closest friends at Lehigh.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JG: I'm extremely grateful to have had four years with this team. It has been an honor to represent the Brown and White.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
JG: The competitive environment and more importantly, the banter with the lads.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JG: Either go to graduate school or start working as a mechanical engineer here in the Northeast.
With Senior Day set for Saturday, here are the 2016 Lehigh men's soccer seniors and their thoughts as they take a look back at their time spent in the Brown and White.
#8 Danny Gonzalez – Midfielder – Berwyn, Pa. – Finance
The four-year varsity letter winner has been a three-year team captain and a full-time starter since his freshman season. Gonzalez was an All-Patriot League selection as a junior and has been a member Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The senior midfielder has also dedicated his time off the field and outside of the classroom by acting as a Student Athlete Mentor and working as a student-intern in the Sports Communications department at Lehigh.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
DG: My favorite soccer memory would easily be celebrating the Patriot League Championship win in 2015. The team went especially crazy following the game when Afrojack's "Sovereign Light Cafe" played on the speaker in the locker room.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
DG: I know that when the season ends and we do not have soccer anymore, we will still see each other every day because we are best friends and genuinely enjoy each other's company.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
DG: Saturday is much more than recognizing the seniors' work over the years. It's a must-win game in order to make playoffs and keep not only the seniors' seasons alive, but the whole team's season alive. So, really I am feeling excited to play and thankful that we are in a position to make the playoffs with a win.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
DG: I am going to miss playing soccer at a high level. The more talented and competitive the players are around me, the more I personally enjoy playing soccer, and I do not think I will ever play alongside as talented and competitive of a group again (except alumni games of course).
What are your postgraduate plans?
DG: I will be working for Deutsche Bank in New York City.
#10 Gianfranco Giammatteo – Defender – Summit, N.J. – Civil Engineering
The four-year varsity letter winner has appeared in 70 for the Mountain Hawks, drawing 45 starts at six different positions throughout his career. The multiple-time Dean's List honoree, Giammatteo has been recognized for his success in the classroom as he has been a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection in his career. The senior will be remembered as one of the most versatile players to wear the Brown and White with a "team first" attitude.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
GG: My favorite Lehigh men's soccer memory up until now would definitely have to be winning the Patriot League Championship. We achieved the goal we set out and it was an amazing feeling winning something that only one other team in Lehigh men's soccer history has done. When the championship game ended it was a relief that all our hard work, starting freshman year, had paid off. There's no greater feeling than grinding and working with your best friends in order to achieve a common goal and get a really cool ring at the end of it.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
GG: My relationship with Jake, Danny and Justin is amazing. They are definitely some of, if not, the people I'm the closest with here at school. It's been a rollercoaster of four years especially with soccer. Going from a two win season, to then winning a championship, we've been to all ends of the spectrum and there are no other guys I would want to go through it with. I also know that they always have my back in anything and everything, the same way I do theirs. On and off the field I know our relationships won't end even when we all graduate.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
GG: It's a mixed feeling. Sad knowing that my competitive career is coming to an end, but rewarding knowing that I survived four grueling years of Division 1 soccer. Playing soccer since I was four years old, I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself, but it's been an amazing experience and there's nothing I wouldn't do to get another year of fitness tests and hanging out almost every day with the guys.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
GG: I will most definitely miss being with the guys every day and knowing that they have your back regardless of the situation. There are so many different characters on the team from our coaches to the players and the managers as well. No matter the day, we did it for the boys and they will all hold a special place in my heart.
What are your postgraduate plans?
GG: Hopefully find a job close to home and then when I feel the time is right, get my masters in either civil engineering or business administration.
#12 Justin Worley – Defender – Reading, Pa. – Psychology
The four-year varsity letter winner has been a 2-year team captain and has started every game he has appeared in for the Mountain Hawks. Worley has been recognized for his stellar play on the field as he has been a two-time All-Patriot League selection and an NSCAA All-Northeast Region selection. The senior defender has also received recognition for his success off the field as he has been named a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and named an Academic All-Patriot League selection as he boasts a 3.68 grade point average as a psychology major. Worley was also recently named a men's soccer finalist for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award which recognizes the most well-rounded student-athletes in NCAA Division I athletics.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
JW: My favorite memory was the moment in the Patriot League final when the referee blew the final whistle signaling the end of the game. Looking around at the faces of my teammates, for a fraction of a second, it seemed liked people were in disbelief. We were a team that two years ago was 2-14-1. We were a team that started Patriot League play that year 1-3 and lacking a team identity. When the whistle blew, it was like letting go a breath that our team had been holding for the entire season.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
JW: There are very few people that I know more about than my fellow seniors because we've been there for each other through the major transitions in our lives. We were the first friends to each other coming into college, we leased our first houses as a group, we've visited each other's homes outside of school and have met everyone's families. If I had to choose any group of guys to spend the rest of my life with on an island, it would be my fellow seniors.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JW: Almost my whole life, I've been able to identify myself as a student-athlete and that has been a central piece of my identity. It's been hard wrapping my mind around the fact that now I will be a former student-athlete. I won't be the senior Lehigh men's soccer captain, I will be the former Lehigh men's soccer captain. While that's given me a bit of anxiety, it's also met with excitement because I have the opportunity to use everything I have learned and experienced as a student-athlete to pursue my passions and interests in the real world.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
JW: The thing I will miss most is the feeling of being a part of the team. There's nothing quite like the bond between college athletes. You have class together, practice together, live together, travel and stay in hotels together, experience the highs and thrills of winning together, and inevitably, cope with the lows of losing together. The closeness and brotherhood aspect of our team isn't something that you find every day.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JW: I will be applying to graduate school for programs related to leadership development, team building, and sports psychology.
#26 Jacob Gottwald – Goalkeeper – Schnecksville, Pa. – Mechanical Engineering
The two-year varsity letter winner who has started all 22 games he has played in for the Mountain Hawks and has totaled 94 saves for his career. Gottwald has also dedicated is time off the field as a leader in the Student Athletes Leading Social Change program at Lehigh. A three-time selection to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, the senior goalkeeper has excelled in the classroom as he boasts a 3.60 grade point average and has been a four-time member of the Dean's List as a mechanical engineering major.
What's your favorite Lehigh Men's Soccer memory up until this point? Why?
JG: Winning the PLC last year. It is not only my favorite Lehigh soccer memory, but also my favorite college memory.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
JG: They are my brothers and definitely my closest friends at Lehigh.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JG: I'm extremely grateful to have had four years with this team. It has been an honor to represent the Brown and White.
What will you miss most about Lehigh Men's Soccer?
JG: The competitive environment and more importantly, the banter with the lads.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JG: Either go to graduate school or start working as a mechanical engineer here in the Northeast.
Players Mentioned
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