Darren Gomez, Suny Oneonta Athlete

Darren Gomez is a senior for the SUNY Oneonta men’s soccer team. He’s played defense for the Red Dragons ever since he joined the team in 2012.

His soccer career really took off in high school, where he played for John Jay Senior High School in Hopewell Junction, NY. He played at the varsity level all 4 years at John Jay. He was even named player of the year in the Poughkeepsie Journal his senior year. His top-notch play in high school earned him his spot on the Red Dragon roster.

“Playing high school soccer was a fun time,” Gomez said. “The talent level isn’t as high as it is in college so I really felt like I had the chance to stand out and showcase my talent.”  

“Winning player of the year was an honor. There are a lot of impressive players in our area so for them to have picked me for the award was special.”

Gomez is now enjoying his final year in Oneonta as he is set to graduate in the fall of 2016. He’s logged 32 starts over his 4 year span with the team, including 3 when he was just a freshman.

His life doesn’t just revolve around soccer. He also spends a lot of time working on his studies. Gomez is a business economic major with hopes to graduate this coming spring.

“Yeah sometimes you have to remind yourself that you’re also here to do schoolwork,” Gomez said jokingly.

“School is very important to me. I have to create a path for my future somehow. I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do about soccer when I graduate so focusing on school and my grades are very important.”

But of course soccer is always on his mind and unfortunately, it can’t seem to leave his mind after their heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Final Four this year. He had high hopes for the team despite a few loses early on. It’s hard to do much better than the Red Dragons did this year, putting up a 19-3-2 record. But all their success led to a devastating defeat via penalty kicks in Kansas City, MO against Amherst College.

“That was rough,” Gomez said. “We we’re confident going into the tournament and to be honest, I expected to the win the whole thing. It is horrible though, being a senior and going out like that but there’s not much more we could have done. We took them to 2 overtimes and unfortunately lost in penalty kicks. Sometimes things just don’t go your way but I have faith in our team for next season even though I won’t be there.”

Gomez has always been a leader, ever since he was in high school as a captain for John Jay. He certainly considered himself a leader for this team as well.

\“Well as a senior, I feel like it’s almost your job to lead. You have to set an example for the young guys on the team. Leading has always come natural for me. I’m very vocal and I can definitely get the team fired up. But I’m also the kind of player that likes to lead with my play on the field. I feel like that’s the most important thing.”

Gomez has had his last hurrah as a Red Dragon but still hopes his impact will be remembered and his team can make another push for a Final Four appearance in the 2016 season.