Hall of Fame
Gregg A Goettel ’79 – Class of 1999
Knowing when to take charge…
The most effective leaders often shun the spotlight. Their contributions show on the scoreboard and not personal statistics. Teammates and coaches perceive in them maturity, common sense and a balanced perspective that is admirable and worthy of emulation. Such leaders carve their mark deeply on those who work and play with them.
In more than 50 contests, this four-year starter at sweeper back provided such leadership to the Dolphin Soccer Team. A two-time all-state selection, he led the squad to the best record in school history in 1975 and to the NCAA tournament in 1977. In his senior year he was selected team captain and Most Valuable Player.Soccer is a game of ebb and flow; of balancing parry and thrust; of sensing the moment when advantage can be gained by aggressive play.This leader quietly anchored a stingy Dolphin defense. But his greatest skill was sensing the tactical situation and taking advantage of the opportunities it presented. He knew when to take charge. And when that time came, he would flawlessly lead the Dolphin attack. He was deadly in transition, capable of exploiting every weakness in the opponent’s situation and every Le Moyne advantage. His leadership extended well beyond his sense of the subtleties of the game and his athletic skill, as typified in the final match of the 1977 season. An NCAA bid hung in the balance and the Dolphins scored the go-ahead goal with less than five minutes remaining. When play resumed, their dispirited opponents brought down the player who had scored the goal with a flagrant foul. As tempers flared, a hard-won victory was threatened by the specter of forfeiture for retaliation. But here too, he knew when to take charge. His quiet counsel, “We won on the field; it’s time to go home,” prevailed among his angry teammates and coaches.
By leading the Le Moyne soccer team in some of its best campaigns; as a partner at Pasquale & Bowers, LLP; as an executive committee member and officer of the Gold Wave; as a volunteer Youth League soccer coach, and in many other endeavors, he is consistently demonstrated a quality of leadership that brings honor to his alma mater. And therefore,
Gregg A. Goettel ’79 is inducted into the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
February 6, 1999
