Newtown Square’s Alex Geczy providing safety in net for UMass’ NCAA soccer run

Under the lights of Penn’s Rhodes Field, UMass men’s soccer goalkeeper Alex Geczy was having a full-circle moment.

Geczy had just completed an unbelievable performance in net to lead the Minutemen in a 1-0 road win over the Quakers and move on to the third round of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament. UMass sent Penn packing to set up a Saturday showdown with No. 11 Virginia (5 p.m., ESPN+).

The win was surreal, but to do it so close to home in front of friends and family who traveled to Penn for the game made the moment all the more memorable for the Newtown Square native.

While it was not Geczy’s first time at Rhodes Field, it was the first time he stepped onto it as a player. He came to games over a high school career in which he was a first-team All Main Line selection at Episcopal Academy with his dad, Christopher, a professor at Penn’s Wharton School.

“I mean it’s euphoric. I can’t even describe it,” Geczy said following last Sunday’s win over the Quakers. “I’ve been going to these games since I was a kid. So I’m just so happy that I could put in a performance like that on a field I grew up watching.”

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Geczy, who played club ball for FC DELCO, was an all-conference player and had a choice of schools at which to continue his career, even Penn, but he said something about UMass that made him feel like he was making the right choice.

“They treated me like family from the first time I got there,” Geczy said. “Coach [Fran] O’Leary always trusted that I could do the job, and that’s all I wanted was the opportunity to prove myself with full support. I got that here, and I’m happy.”

The feeling is mutual for O’Leary, who noted that Geczy patiently waited his turn to become the last line of defense for UMass. Now in this his senior year, Geczy has had his best year for the Minutemen. He boasts nine shutouts to propel UMass to a 12-3-5 record and a seven-game unbeaten streak since mid-October.

“He came in as a young goalkeeper having to be the backup to a couple of very good goalkeepers,” O’Leary said. “He was patient and all the while continued to grow into a very, very good goalkeeper. The University of Massachusetts has been great for him. I think he’ll be the first to admit he’s grown up before our eyes. His maturity levels are now off the charts. He’s got composure, self-belief, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Geczy noted he spent his summers with West Chester United, a USL League Two club that has competed in several U.S. Open Cup competitions. Being led by United head coach Blaise Santangelo, Geczy said, prepared him for his senior season.

“West Chester is a class organization,” Geczy said. “I mean, Blaise is a crazy guy, but he gets it, and he gets you ready for the upcoming fall season. It’s just a competitive, class team over there.”

Whether or not Saturday is the final time Geczy suits up with the Minutemen, he says, he’s already content with what has transpired this season. The goal? Take this UMass team to the Final Four.

But even if that doesn’t happen, Geczy feels like he’s already won.

“We have to get ready for whoever we play next, but right now I’m going to enjoy this one,” Geczy said. “To have my friends and family over there in the stands watching me play on this field is such a phenomenal feeling. So, yeah, I’m going to definitely soak this in before getting ready for the next round.”

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