Notre Dame keeper signs with Gannon

Anthony Di Gioia loves a challenge.

That character trait played a big role in why the Grade 12 student at Notre Dame committed to a partial scholarship at NCAA Division 2 Gannon University in Erie. Pa.

“Gannon has a big roster and they have two teams. As a goalie, it is a big thing for me to have four guys in front of me and who are going to start over me. I think that will push me to work hard and get better,” the 18-year-old Welland resident said Wednesday, prior to a signing ceremony at Notre Dame. “I know a lot of people don’t like the fact that Gannon has two teams and such a big roster but for me it was one of the factors why I went there. The atmosphere seems so competitive but everyone likes each other and no one has it out for each other. Whether you are on the first team or the second team, everyone is friends and everyone likes each other. That is an environment that I like.”

Di Gioia is heading to Gannon with his eyes wide open and knows he will have to bide his time with the program.

“In my first year, I understand that I am going to start on the development team as a freshman. One of my biggest goals is to work really hard and show the coaches that I deserve to be there.”

In the long term, his expectations are much higher.

“My goal is hopefully to be on the first team by my junior year, getting some minutes and maybe starting. Until then I am going to keep my head down and work hard. I want to show the coaches in my first year that I deserve to be there that I can play with those guys and that I can help them win.”

To prepare for his first season at Gannon, he is going to continue to train and play with the New York Flash. He is going to stay in the gym, train and eat right. When the Flash season is over, he will do some training with the Roma League1 under-19 reserve squad.

He is looking forward to the next step in his soccer career.

“I am excited to meet new guys and hopefully get better. The past few years, it hasn’t been too competitive and I haven’t been pushed.”

Di Gioia started to talking to Gannon back in December after one of his best friends on the Western New York Flash committed to the Erie, Pa., school.

“He was pretty excited about it and he told us how good of a program it was.”

Di Gioia researched the school’s business program and quickly became interested as well. He contacted the coach, sent him game and highlight film and visited the school in person in April.

“After going back and forth with the coach we were both mutually interested.”

Di Gioia was offered a partial scholarship and he jumped at the chance to play with Gannon.

He started soccer when he was two and a half in Timbits house league in Welland before moving on to a travel career with Roma, Niagara Regional, Niagara FC OPDL, Roma League1 under-19 reserve and this past year he joined the Western New York Flash under-19 team which came within one game of making the playoffs.

Di Gioia will be missed at Notre Dame.

“He is leader and he works hard in practice. In games, he is vocal, he has great distribution of the ball and is a good shot stopper,” coach Dan Carter said. “One of the great qualities about Anthony is that he is coachable. He wants to learn the game at a high level, he wants to be critiqued, he wants to improve and not only is he a good athlete but he is a good student and teammate. We were fortunate to have him at Notre Dame.”