LYNNFIELD — Over the past year, Lynnfield’s Dante Gesamondo has seen his future on the soccer field thrown for a loop.
“COVID really ruined my summer of soccer, which was a huge recruiting time,” Gesamondo said. “Between ID camps getting canceled, there was a dead period. Schools just didn’t want to go out.”
And for the Lynnfield senior, that dead period meant losing the opportunity to pursue a spot on a Division I program.
“I had been talking to schools like Northeastern and Bryant, but I missed out,” Gesamondo said.
But if you know anything about the Pioneers goalkeeper, you can bet he wasn’t going to let that stop him from moving forward for too long. After some time finding the right fit, Gesamondo has committed to Division III Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y.
“I committed pretty late,” Gesamondo said. “I had been following (Medaille’s) Instagram. They have a new coach building a team and there are a lot of incoming freshmen — 15 including myself.”
The difference in background of those fellow freshmen, along with the rest of the team, is really what put Medaille over the top for Gesamondo.
“I love the diversity,” Gesamondo said. “In my freshmen class, only four of us are from the U.S. There are players from England, Spain and Scotland. That’s one of the big reasons I decided on it. I saw a lot of really talented players. Knowing I was going Division III, I wanted to have that and also wanted to win.”
That desire to win is something Gesamondo has had since finding himself in the net at a young age.
“Once I put on that crazy colored jersey as a kid, I loved it,” Gesamondo said. “When you’re that young, no one wants to be a goalie and get hit with the ball. But I loved diving around.”
That love for the position continued through high school.
Gesamondo, who also plays basketball and baseball, had to overcome a broken foot his sophomore year before earning the starting spot in net his junior season. That year was more than worth the wait.
After slipping into the state tournament with a 9-8-1 record, the Pioneers made quite the splash in Division 3 North — and a lot of it was thanks to Gesamondo.
The pinnacle of the run came in the North semifinals, where No. 10 Lynnfield upset No. 3 Watertown behind a 17-save performance by Gesamondo. A few days later, the run came to an end in the North final.
“That Watertown team had a lot of talent,” Gesamondo said. “I didn’t get a break all game. It was a real challenge, but getting that win was a top moment of high school for me.”
Without a tournament this past season, Lynnfield finished 7-1-2, good enough for a share of the Cape Ann League title. Gesamondo was named a first team CAL all-star after allowing just four goals with six shutouts on the year.
After so many highs, Gesamondo — who will study business at Medaille — is looking forward to the competitiveness that comes from fighting for the starting spot again with the Mavericks.
“I’m really just ready to compete,” Gesamondo said. “I haven’t competed for a starting spot since early sophomore year. I’ve been on top and now it’s back to the bottom again. I want to show them I deserve to play. I’ve met the coach and he said there is no seniority, the best kids play. If you show up to camp and you’re better, you’ll start. I like that and I want to compete there right away.”
