By Jim Hague
Alex Gastulo’s collegiate soccer career comes to an end on Wednesday night, when Rutgers-Newark’s women’s soccer hosts Richard Stockton on Alumni Field.
“There’s a little sense of sadness,” Gastulo said. “It’s been four years and I’ve been through a lot here, both on and off the field. There were new coaches and new girls along the way, but I’m leaving with a lot of good memories.”
The senior from Little Falls, N.J. had a fine four-year career with the Scarlet Raiders, showing her versatility and dependability every step of the way.
Gastulo was a key performer for the Scarlet Raiders from the minute she stepped on the field, never missing a single game and seeing action in every single game over a 71-game career.
Gastulo also played two positions with the Scarlet Raiders, beginning her career as a defender, where she played as a standout at Passaic Valley High School, and ending her stint at R-N as a solid midfielder.
“I didn’t play midfield until I got to college,” Gastulo said. “I thought I was more comfortable at defender, but now I enjoy playing midfield a lot. I know how to play defense, so that helped me as a midfielder. I think it helped me to go back and forth to both positions.”
“Alex has been a great asset to us, because she knows the game well and she’s been able to play both positions,” Rutgers-Newark coach Adrian Ruiz said. “Since she knows the game so well, we don’t have to concentrate on teaching her many things. It’s very important to have that versatility. It’s a great help.”
Gastulo’s great knowledge of the game began when she was a youngster and she played for a Passaic County club team that was coached by her father, also named Alex. The program was first known as the Hornets, but now plays under the name of the Pasco Stallions.
“He was my coach from when I started playing, so of course, he was a huge influence on me growing up,” Gastulo said. “I basically grew up with the sport of soccer.”
Gastulo credited her older sister, Katya, for providing inspiration as well. Katya played soccer at Felician College for four seasons.
“I definitely looked up to her a lot,” Gastulo said. “I would go to her games and watch her play. She’s one of the reasons why I wanted to play soccer in college.”
Although Gastulo was also a track and field standout at Passaic Valley, she decided to concentrate on soccer when she enrolled at Rutgers-Newark.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Gastulo said. “I knew I had to come here and fight for a spot. But everything turned out so well.”
Gastulo saw action in every game right away, starting 14 matches as a freshman and collecting two goals and five assists. She scored a goal in her first-ever college match in a 1-1 tie against Philadelphia Biblical on Sept. 2, 2004.
“It was a good feeling to play right away, especially when I didn’t expect it,” Gastulo said.
It was just the start. Gastulo started all 18 matches as a sophomore, all in the midfield. She had three goals that season and added an assist, scoring two of her goals against New Jersey Athletic Conference foes Ramapo and New Jersey City.
Gastulo credits her dependability to an aggressive off-field workout regimen.
“When we don’t have practice, I’m working out on my own,” Gastulo said. “I have to. I do a lot on my own. I’ve been very lucky for that, staying away from injury.”
Gastulo had a goal and four assists last season and finished her fine stay at R-N with two goals and three assists this season, as the Scarlet Raiders posted a 5-11-1 record.
“It’s a good feeling to be able to score some goals,” Gastulo said. “It is fun.”
Gastulo will earn her degree in criminal justice this spring and hopes to head to law school upon graduation. She doesn’t know for sure what kind of law she will pursue in law school.
“I’m torn between three fields,” Gastulo said. “I think it will be criminal, immigration or divorce.”
Ever since she was younger, Gastulo said that she fluctuated with what she wanted to do for a professional career.
“When I was fourth or fifth grade, I wanted to become a marine biologist,” Gastulo said. “Then I wanted to become an astronaut for a moment. But being a lawyer interested me the most. I’ll try that now.”
Gastulo said that she has a lot of pride in the way the Scarlet Raiders’ women’s soccer program evolved over her four years as the most dependable and versatile member.
“It’s been a great four years,” Gastulo said. “We came in with 14 freshmen and we saw the program develop.”
Gastulo was asked if she fully realized that her college soccer career was now over.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet,” Gastulo said. “Maybe it may hit me tomorrow. There is some sadness, but I’ll probably still play in a women’s league or a summer league somewhere. But I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out. I’ve made a lot of friends and a ton of memories.”
