LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield High soccer standout and rising senior Rocco Scenna has made it official. The two-time Pioneer captain will be heading north to Brunswick, Maine following next year’s graduation to play soccer at Bowdoin College.
“Bowdoin is such a great program, so I am super excited to have a chance to compete in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference),” Scenna said. “NESCAC is the strongest conference there is in Division 3 and it is an incredible academic school, so I am really pumped. I know I still have to get in and will be applying early decision based on what the coaches have advised me to do, but I am committed to Bowdoin’s admissions process.”
Scenna also considered Connecticut College, Trinity College, Stonehill College, Brandeis University, Haverford College, and Gettysburg College, but once he visited the Bowdoin campus and got to meet the team, he knew Bowdoin was the right place for him.
“I had two visits and met a bunch of the team and incoming first-year players, and loved the coaching staff right away,” Scenna said. “It was the one school that checked all my boxes. I know it’s the right fit for me. I am so grateful for all the support I have had from all my family, friends and coaches, especially Coach (Brent) Munroe. They have all pushed and challenged me to become a better player and person.”
In 2023, as a sophomore, Scenna was a key defensive midfielder during the Pioneers’ run to their first state championship in program history. (Lynnfield defeated Monomoy in a 1-0 thriller.)
The following year, Scenna was forced to step up to an offensive role after leading scorer Dillon Reilly was lost with an injury.
The results speak for themselves. Scenna scored 14 goals and notched 12 assists, helping to lead the No. 2 Pioneers to their second consecutive Division 4 championship game, losing to top-seeded Cohasset, 3-2, in a game that went down to the wire before a goal with less than 30 seconds to play won it for the Skippers.
Scenna’s efforts were recognized with selections to the Cape Ann League first team and Daily Item All-Star team.
“I had wanted that opportunity to play more of an offensive role for a while,” he said. “I loved feeding Dillon, but it became an opportunity, not just for me, but for the rest of the team when he went down. We became more of a super power because all of our roles were expanded out of necessity. And it wasn’t just the offensive component; the defense also had to step up because we weren’t scoring as many goals as we had in the past.”
Scenna is joining a Polar Bears’ team that competes in the NESCAC league, one of the most competitive conferences in the country when it comes to men’s soccer. In 2024, a record eight NESCAC teams qualified for the NCAA Division 3 championship, won by Bowdoin’s NESCAC rival Amherst College. The Polar Bears advanced to the second round before losing to undefeated Trinity University (Texas), 3-0.
Scenna said he knows he will have to earn his minutes.
“The team lost a ton of midfielders off last year’s roster and I am getting recruited as a holding mid, but I hope to get some minutes at the end of games when we’re up a lot,” Scenna said. “I know I have to work really hard to get playing time.”
A member of the National Honor Society, Scenna has earned high honors across his three years at Lynnfield High. He carries a challenging course load with four AP courses this year. He said junior year was a game-changer.
“With the schools I was looking at, I knew I needed to keep my grades up to be accepted, so I really focused on studying more and putting more time into it,” Scenna said.
For Scenna, however, the fall is about more than just playing soccer. For a second straight year, he will serve as the primary organizer for the Breast Friends Walk at Devereux Beach in Marblehead, a fundraising event held every October in memory of his aunt, Elizabeth Lucien, to increase awareness of breast cancer. Lucien died from the disease in 2019.
“We raised $35,000 last year, so the goal this year is $35,000 and up, Scenna said. “Last year was my first year, so to be able to raise that much money was great and we hope to exceed that amount this year. I had a really strong connection with my aunt and really enjoyed my time with her, so I feel it’s so important to support this for her. It’s always been a huge thing and it affects so many families. Everyone knows somebody who’s battling some type of cancer and I just think it’s a huge thing to help raise awareness.”
Scenna is undecided about what he will study at Bowdoin, but is leaning toward majoring in economics with a minor in finance.
But for now, Scenna’s efforts are focused on making sure the pieces are in place for the Pioneers to make a deep run in the 2025 state tournament.
“It’s going to be different as we are losing eight starters – which is a big loss – but we’ve been working hard all summer,” he said. “I know the team is capable of winning the CAL and competing again. That’s the goal – that, and to be able to have as many home playoff games as possible. The one thing I do know is we will get better as the season goes on once we figure it all out. We have an incredible group of seniors who all know how to lead.
“We might not be the favorite, but we could be a dark horse in the long run.”
