Evan Gaccione

A senior soccer player from Westerly, R.I., Evan Gaccione has been making the most out of his time at Lasell College. The History major, with a Communications minor carries a 3.42 grade point average as well as being a starting midfielder on the Lasell men's soccer team. A multiple time member of the Lasell College Dean's List, Evan was named to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Academic team in the 2011-12 academic year.

The summer after his sixteenth birthday, Gaccione took a job at a local summer camp and has been hooked ever since.

"I love working with kids, and although the pay isn't great I find myself going back every summer because I enjoy it so much."

Off the pitch he is a young man with excellent people's skills who isn't afraid of hard work, and when you see him in his Lasell kit those qualities come to life immediately as well. Gaccione is a tri-captain for the 2012 squad, and his unparalled work rate in the midfield combined with his high level of technicality on the ball make him a nightmare for opposing teams.

Six Questions with Evan Gaccione

What attracted you to Lasell College?

1. I had never heard of Lasell College until my junior year of high school.  I was playing in a soccer tournament at the University of Rhode Island when I was approached by former Assistant Coach Ryan Michelangelo.  He explained to me that the school would be interested in having me as a member of their soccer program.  I also had never thought I would be able to play soccer in college, until this amazing opportunity arrived.  I felt the need to look into this further, and that's how I arrived here.

2. With graduation only a few months away, I truly wish I had a better idea of what I wanted to do in regards to a career.  I very much enjoy working with people, so hopefully I can take advantage of my people skills somehow.  History interests me because I like seeing how different cultures and people intepret different things and situations.  With history, we can take a look back and witness how parts of the world have reacted to struggle and success, and we can only learn from it.  This will help to make the world a better place, something I certainly hope to contribute to.

3. Playing for this soccer team has been a huge surprise for me, from day one.  Being a part of such an amazing program is an absolute gift that I will cherish for the remainder of my life and never, ever forget.  Here, through this team, I have not only become a better athlete, but also a better student and person.  From not only Coach Pacini, but also my teammates, I have learned valuable life lessons that continue to guide me forward in my every day life.  I never thought for a second that I would gain so much about life overall through something as simple as a soccer team. 

4.  Like I previously mentioned, I think that I have learned a great deal of things that will undoubtedly help me after I graduate from Lasell.  Specifically, I think the last three years of failure and disappointment, leading up to this year's unbelievable success, is a lesson to be learned.  One cannot always initially succeed.  It takes hard work, focus, and the right mentality to succeed.  This is something that will be definitely be helpful in "the real world". 

How have your experiences as an athlete added to the learning that has occurred during your time at Lasell?

 5. Again, my experiences on the Lasell soccer team have only taught me positive lessons about hard work, dedication, and motivation to succeed.  I just hope that I have engrained some of these lessons into the minds of my young teammates, giving them the opportunity to enjoy this program as much as I have over the last 4 years. 

What was your best experience as a student-athlete at Lasell?

6. My best experience as a Lasell athlete is currently in the making.  No previous game, goal, or assist has given me as much satisfaction as this season as a whole.  15 games into our season, we have come away with 14 wins and 1 loss to a nationally ranked opponent in Brandeis University.  I couldn't ask for much more from this season so far, and I hope we continue in our good form through the regular season and into the GNAC playoffs.