Men's soccer's Tripicchio talks sports, life, nicknames

Recently 'Prince' senior writer Sarah Kiernan sat down with men's soccer's Gianfranco Tripicchio, a senior midfielder, and teammate Doug Hare (who acted as his consultant) for a session of questions and answers.

'Prince': So how do you pronounce your name?

Tripicchio: Jon-franco Tri-pi-kio. Most people call me Franco.

Doug Hare: With an Italian accent.

GT: I hope it's all right that I brought a consultant.

P: I think it will be fine. Are you Italian? Are your parents from Italy?

GT: Yeah, my parents are Italian, I'm fluent in Italian. My mom was actually born here and then moved to Italy, my dad was born in Italy and then moved here, both when they were about 13.

P: When did you start playing soccer?

GT: I've been playing soccer forever. Italy won the World Cup a couple of months after I was born and that was a bigger event for my dad, let's put it that way. I don't know, I've been playing soccer since early on in the mean streets of New Jersey and my summers in Italy . . . on the beach . . . with Italian children.

P: How did you decide to come to Princeton?

GT: I don't know. The coach here, [Jim] Barlow ['91], had been a coach of mine since I was 13 on very select teams, and I went to France with him for a tournament and Brazil for another tournament, so we knew each other pretty well. I always kind of had an idea that I wanted to come here, because I knew that I wanted to play for him; he was one of the main reasons I chose Princeton. Trevor Ellis, the assistant coach, was also a major influence. I looked at a whole bunch of other schools, a lot of other Ivies and Duke and Maryland, but Princeton was just right for me.

P: Why do you wear number nine?

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GT: Well, I tore my ACL my sophomore year, and I was wearing number eight up to that point, so I changed it then.

DH: Usually nine is typically worn by the best striker on the team.

GT: Which is pathetic to say about me, because I haven't scored a goal at Princeton.

P: You haven't?

GT: No, I haven't, can you leave that out? It's awful, I've led our team in assists twice, but I haven't scored a goal. It's a joke on the team at this point, considering I play a very offensive position. I'm more of a passer. I'm a giver, not a taker.

P: Do you have any superstitions?

GT: Well, actually, it's kind of a team thing, but we all rub Jeff Hare's head before games for good luck, he hates that. It's the short hair, it's fun.

P: So you tore your ACL your sophomore year, and last year you had another injury . . .

GT: No, I just had a hard time dealing with the ACL tear. What happened was I broke my toe my sophomore year, and I came back and I played a bunch of games and I tore my ACL. It was just rough coming back because I had complications with the surgery, so last year I couldn't really practice because of swelling in the leg between games. So that was more of an injury lingering, which luckily this year doesn't exist as much, it's not as big a deal.

P: How hard is it to come back from that?

GT: It's badly demoralizing, especially because my sophomore year we had such a great team, it was a lot of fun to be playing on. But you know, you just go in the training room every day, start the rehab, it's not always fun, it's not always easy, but eventually you make your way back and I like to think that I'm approaching where I was before I had the surgery.

P: What are some things you want to work on this season and some bright spots on the team?

GT: (Laughing) I think that the biggest worry for the team this year is the gaping hole in the middle of our defense, where we have the Hare brothers who are, I don't know, inconsistent at best.

Seriously, I actually think our defense is one of our strong points. We've got a lot of experience in goal with Erik [White '05], and some young guys that are playing up top but they're pretty talented and they're pretty fit. So, I think we've been going very well so far.

P: Do you have any nicknames?

GT: [Turns] Do I have any nicknames? 'Insatiable Passion?'

DH: We call him the general because of his Napoleon complex. He's short, he likes to be in charge and he yells a lot. Also the Centaur just cause of his horselike legs and small upper body, plus his fear of the water.

P: Some quick questions. Britney or Christina?

GT: Oh, that's a great question. Britney . . . I feel like once Britney meets me, that's all it will take, really.

P: Beirut or robo?

GT: Oh, Beirut, definitely. I dominate.

P: Any outlandish claims you'd like to make?

GT: If there was a bocce challenge on campus, I would definitely win. There's actually a rumor that my ancestors invented the game, but I definitely have some talent there that's pretty much unparalleled on campus. If the soccer thing doesn't work out for me, I have a future in bocce ball that I'm pretty excited about.