Men's Soccer: 'Daddy' a patriarch in net

If the men’s soccer team were “mic’ed up” during an average practice session, you might hear this line from senior goalkeeper and team captain Sean Lynch: “Daddy wants some pancakes.”

Say what?

“[Lynch] is the goofiest guy on the whole team,” said Tommy Gasparini, senior goalkeeper and Lynch’s close friend, while chuckling to himself.

Lynch has earned the right to act that way, as he leads Princeton (3-3-1) on and off the field as the squad’s captain.

“It was a very big honor for the team to respect me in that way,” Lynch said of his captaincy.

Indeed, Lynch’s teammates respect him so much that they affectionately call him “Daddy” — hence the first part of his on-field motto. It may be just a nickname, but it is also telling about the career of the honorable mention All-Ivy League player. The name stems from a series of events early in his collegiate career that demonstrate his passion and enthusiasm for the many aspects of the game.

Lynch played sparingly his first two seasons, but he became the permanent starter last year as Princeton advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in several years. He improved from a save percentage of .630 during his first two years to a more impressive .731 in his junior year. For his efforts, the coaches awarded Lynch the Dr. William Trevor Trophy, a team honor in recognition of his continued development over the year.

“The Trevor Award goes to our most improved player,” head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said in an e-mail. “Sean emerged last year, after seeing limited minutes in his first two seasons, as one of the best keepers in our league.”

Lynch’s save percentage — which includes six saves last week in a gem of a shutout victory over Adelphi — has risen to a stellar .780 so far this season. The team awarded him with the captaincy in response to his constant drive to improve.

“We expect him to set the standard for excellence that our team strives for in everything we do,” Barlow explained.

“He’s a great role model,” Gasparini said. “People look up to him on and off field. He’s definitely a multifaceted kid.”

One of those facets is Lynch’s understanding and passion for the sport itself. On the field, the senior understands that one of his strengths is his ability to stay mentally in tune with the game. Barlow lauded Lynch’s on-field demeanor as “focused, calm yet intense, and vocal.” The goalkeeper learns not just from his strengths but from his weaknesses too.

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“I’m playing the best soccer I’ve played because I have been learning from my mistakes in the past,” Lynch said.

Lynch’s passion for soccer expresses itself in many ways. His junior paper was an economic analysis of racial discrimination in the English Premier League, and his face lit up when given the opportunity to discuss his findings.

Last summer, Lynch explored his passion for coaching, as he and a few teammates spent their own time teaching soccer skills at a day camp for girls. Even though Lynch is looking to work in the financial sector after graduation, he said he would like to continue volunteering as a coach.

At the summer camp, Lynch also had the responsibility of picking up some of the kids from daycare. Because of this, senior midfielder Matt Callahan began calling Lynch “Daddy Day Care,” in reference to the 2003 movie. The nickname was shortened to just “Daddy,” and it stuck.

But what about the second part of that quoted motto, about the pancakes? That, unfortunately, has no clear origin.

In practice, Lynch explained, goalies are “usually left on our own and have to motivate ourselves.”

“Warming up, we’re all a little goofy,” Gasparini added.

So he may not be as stoic a father figure as the nickname might suggest. Further evidence seems to confirm this: Lynch lives in independent housing with senior defender Ben Burton and two other students, yet he rarely cooks his own food. So how does he eat?

“My mom brings me food usually,” he said sheepishly.

If that works for the Tigers’ team captain and star player, the rest of the league might want to have what he’s having.