Erie feeling seals deal
Chance to play hoops and soccer convices Welland teen to commit to Gannon University
Gannon University had Kayla Bevacqua at “basketball.”
Recruiters from the small Catholic university in northeastern Pennsylvania stopped far short of guaranteeing that the soccer standout could also play hoops, but they didn’t slam the door shut on her aspirations to continuing being as a multi-sport athlete.
That glimmer of hope was enough to convince the 17-yearold from Welland to accept a fouryear scholarship from the school of about 4,400 students in Erie.
“When they gave me the opportunity to play basketball, that kind of sealed the deal,” she said.
The Welland Minor Soccer Association graduate, who went on to compete at the elite level playing on travel teams with Niagara United and the Niagara Regional Soccer Program, was impressed seeing the Gannon women’s team in action. She doesn’t anticipate difficulties adjusting to the style of play.
“They move the ball pretty well,” Bevacqua said. “It’s mostly like the soccer we play now.”
“There is a lot of structure, for sure.”
Her favourite position on the pitch is left wing, but she can play on the right side as well.
“Anywhere up front, I’m really strong with both feet.”
She has been told that Gannon envisions her attacking and setting up plays from the left side of the net.
Bevacqua would “probably” choose soccer if she could only play one sport.
“I don’t know, I just feel I’m a little bit better at that, and I’ve played it the longest,” she said after some thought.
In soccer Bevacqua has always played at the highest level, for the past several years on travel teams. In comparison, most of her club basketball was played closer to home, primarily with the Welland Minor Basketball Association. She played travel hoops with the Blessed Sacrament program in Hamilton and at the elite level with JUEL Niagara.
Until she narrowed her focus to concentrate on basketball and soccer, the fleet-footed Bevacqua also went out for track and field, advancing to the Ontario high school school championships in each of first years in high school.
Her specialities were the 1,500 and 3,000 metres as well as steeplechase. She also went to provincials three times in cross country.
“I regret not sticking with track,” she said. “I went to B.C., I went to Rome, I went so many places in just two years.
“I always miss how I’m not able to run like I did before.”
There’s a “bit” of worry juggling basketball and soccer balls, in addition to a university courseload and living away from home, will be too much, but Bevacqua isn’t overwhelmed by the prospect.
“Maybe, a little. But I think if I want it bad enough, I can make it work.”
She said having everyone on the team following the same schedule should ease the adjustment into life as a university freshman. With everyone doing the same thing, Bevacqua doesn’t have to pick and choose between homework and finding time to spend with friends as she does now.
“Basically, we will all be doing the same thing and that should help.”
She will see a familiar face right off the bat when she steps on to the Gannon campus in downtown Erie. Jocelyn Caldaroni, a graduate of Saint Paul Catholic High School in Niagara Falls and a travel team teammate, will be her roommate.
Having their daughter just an hour and half from the Peace Bridge was more than enough to earn Gannon the highest marks from Paul and Nancy Bevacqua.
“Italians like to have their kids close to home,” said her father, who also has a few relatives living in Pennsylvania.
“I got all kinds of cousins, 50 of them, over there.”
Five of his relatives graduated from Gannon and two will be taking the same program Bevacqua will be taking, sport and exercise science. Her ultimate career goal is become a chiropractor or a physiotherapist.
She averaged 85 in her final year of high school at Notre Dame College School and must maintain a 70-per-cent average to remain in good standing with her teams at the university.
Paul Bevacqua likes the idea that Gannon stresses that student athletes are students first, and athletes only if they achieve certain academic goals.
“That’s the part that we like as parents,” he said. “It’s not just play soccer and ignore everything else.
“First and foremost, she has to get an education out of it.”