Somers’ D’Ippolito Named NYS Gatorade Soccer Player of Year

In the United Kingdom and Ireland they call the Big Dipper the Plough, the large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major.

In Section 1 soccer we call Fordham-bound Somers soccer star Daniel D’Ippolito the Big Dipper on account of the way he plowed through New York State opponents en route to Somers’ second state title last November, leading the Tuskers on a remarkable 17-2 scoring spree throughout the NYSPHSAA Class A tournament.

The field was thoroughly plowed and the Big Dipper did the digging, scoring 14 goals and dishing 10 assists throughout a postseason that saw D’Ippolito hit a gear the folks at Gatorade could not ignore when they named him New York State Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year late last week.

“It feels amazing, it’s hard to describe the feeling,” said the All-American D’Ippolito, who finished an amazing senior season with 36 goals and 38 assists while maintaining a 94 average in the classroom. “It’s truly just rewarding to see all my hard work pay off and to be able to receive awards like these.”

D’Ippolito’s impact was vast, a canyon-like effect that resonated with teammates and foes alike on account of his competitive yet likable disposition.

“Love me some Dip,” Lakeland Coach Tim Hourahan admitted. “He is one of those kids that is just as respectful away from the game as he is during the game. Class act, great kid who is just getting ready for his prime. I expect him to fare very well at the next level playing at Fordham.”

What Dip did during his senior year at Somers was the stuff of legend. What he did in the sectional finals, scoring four goals, including the equalizer and the game-winner in a span of two minutes – erasing a late two-goal deficit and willing his team past Eastchester in a 6-5 title tilt – is the stuff of Somers folklore. Awesome is a word we throw around like LOL these days, but D’Ippolito’s performance in the sectional finals was the very definition of awesome.

“What he did during his senior year has not been matched in a long time and I would put his senior season up against anyone in the last decade,” Hourahan added. “That sectional finals performance, down by a couple of goals in the second half, was legendary and then he followed it up with a state title.”

Opposing coaches, starting in Section 1, and those going forward in the state tournament, had no way to contain his combination of guile, speed and strength. The kid was a thoroughbred in a field of stallions.

“You can’t game-plan against him,” Byram Hills Coach Matty Allen said. “He’s too universal and smart of a player. His defense is underrated and he can play any position. Just as tough as they come, too.”

Is he an all-time Section 1 great? Is D’Ippolito of that ilk? Section 1 has had some great ones and he’s certainly in the conversation after beginning his career as a four-year-old on Fireman’s Field in Somers.

“It’s very fair to put him up there with all-time greats,” said Allen, who has seen his fair share of great ones come through Byram Hills while forging Section 1 into a soccer hotbed in recent years. “Dip is one of the most complete players I’ve ever witnessed and most clutch player I’ve seen. Think the game against Eastchester is the perfect example. His team was down and he never panicked. He and (Bennet) Leitner could be the best 1-2 punch I’ve ever seen in Section 1.”

Folks got their first look at the future and a sample of his varsity career in the fall of 2019 when the budding sophomore scored two goals, including the game-winner in a sectional title triumph over Pearl River. From there, D’Ippolito ignited a stampede of Tusker triumphs, including three sectional titles in the last six years under Coach Brian Lanzetta.

“Being part of Somers soccer has meant so much to me,” D’Ippolito said. “Even without soccer, the lifelong friends and memories I’ve made over the years are priceless and Somers soccer will forever be a part of me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Gatorade has a longstanding history of serving student athletes and understands how sports instill valuable lifelong skills on and off the field. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward platform, D’Ippolito has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national organization of their choosing that helps young athletes realize the benefits of playing sports.

D’Ippolito is also eligible to submit a short video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of 12 $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. D’Ippolito stands in line with a chance to do so, too.

“Dip is one of the most special players I’ve ever coached,” Lanzetta said. “I love that kid. One day I believe he will be drafted into the MLS. I got to spend a weekend with him in Kansas at the All-American weekend and found out what a good, responsible kid he is. He’s a professional.”

As we mention on page 1 of sports, we could use some help this summer while describing the exploits of our youth sportsmen/women. If you shutterbugs are out there snapping pictures of our youngsters, please send your top-notch shots to rgallagher@theexaminernews.com with the names of the participants and a brief description of the event. You might even make the front page of sports like some sharpshooter did this week.

If the MLB season ended today, the Yankees and Mets would be playoff-bound with both teams having MVP candidates in Yankee slugger Aaron Judge and Mets 1B Pete Alonso, plus the favorites for Manager of the Year in Aaron Boone and Buck Showalter. If this keeps up, we may get that coveted Subway Series again. That said, the Mets still have a couple of weeks to go to avoid that June Swoon we’ve seen all too many times. This team seems different, though.