Kevin Killeen
Editor and Chief
Senior Tomas Gomez plans to attend Georgetown University on a soccer scholarship. Gomez is the starting goal keeper for varsity soccer and has been a four-year varsity player.
“He’s always keeping us in games, and he’s really good,” said senior Josh Kohring about his teammate.
Gomez starting playing soccer for the Kicksters, when he was in Kindergarten. His father played soccer in Columbia and played a huge role in helping him get into soccer.
“I learned the game from him and got a passion for it,” said Gomez about his father.
When Gomez was in second grade, he got asked to play for a select team, the Gateway Strikers. Then in seventh grade he got asked to play for Scott Galliger.
“When I got asked to play for Scott Galliger, that’s when things really took off for me,” said Gomez. “Seventh grade I started playing goalie for real, and the pressure started to get to me, but what really tests your character is how you react to those things.”
Still when the going got tough, it was ultimately Gomez’s hunger for the game and work ethic that helped him become such a great player.
“I love it (soccer), and I find it a good way to be free,” said Gomez.
“Two things that really stand out in him are his work ethic and his self confidence,” said head soccer coach Tim Cashel.
As of press time Gomez has contributed in four shut outs, has saved 62 shots and only allows on average 0.81 percent goals a game as goalie and has scored one goal on the field.
“He’s a goal keeper, but he’s also one of our best field players too. His foot skills are so good that when he comes on the field, he’s one of our best players,” said Cashel.
Still it’s not only his foot skills that helped him land a full ride scholarship to Georgetown University. Gomez also works hard off the field to keep 4.0 GPA.
“I do all my work and keep all my grades up. I just want a good job in the end,” said Gomez. “I’m going there (Georgetown) to play soccer, but it’s a really good academic school too, so it will help even if soccer doesn’t work out.”
Cashel said, “He works so hard at what he does, that he believes he can do anything, and at this point he’s really accomplished what he’s wanted to accomplish, and for long term goals if he wants to even play professional soccer, there’s no saying he can’t as long as he keeps working hard and believing in himself.”
