Biography
Angelo Panzetta recently concluded his 13th season as head coach of the Allegheny men’s soccer program. A two-time North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year, Panzetta ranks second on the school’s all-time wins list, and is one of only two coaches in program history with 100 or more wins, posting an 128-89-27 overall record during his 12 seasons on the sidelines.
Allegheny finished the 2013 campaign with a pair of All-NCAC selections in senior goalkeeper John Lichina and junior midfielder Axel Monzon. In addition, junior defender Stefano Wach was named to the NSCAA All-East Region Scholar squad at the conclusion of the season. Panzetta helped Lichina earn his fourth consecutive All-NCAC honor, as Lichina also closed his career as the program leader in shutouts with 21.0 clean sheets.
In 2012, Panzetta ushered the Gators to their best start in 18 years and second best record under his tenure as the squad used a 13-1-1 start to earn a No. 20 on the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) national poll on Oct. 16. Allegheny ranked as high as No. 3 in the Division III Great Lakes Region poll, also sponsored by the NSCAA, and upended two ranked opponents in six days. The Gators defeated No. 21 Baldwin Wallace, 3-1, at Frank B. Fuhrer Field on Sept. 17 before handing No. 17 Berry College a 3-1 loss in Washington, Pa. on Sept. 23.
The Gator defense stood firm during the 2012 campaign, combining for eight shutouts, the most since the 2007 season. Then-junior John Lichina posted four consecutive shutouts from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12, finishing the season with an All-NCAC Honorable Mention selection.
In total, Panzetta has coached 64 All-NCAC selections and 14 All-Region honorees. In addition, five Gators earned NSCAA All-East Regional Scholar Honors.
Allegheny has made nine NCAC Tournament appearances under the tenure of Panzetta, earning an NCAA Tournament bid in 2004 by using the momentum from the first NCAC Championship in program history over Denison in penalty kicks to advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Once in the NCAA tournament, Allegheny earned the first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history by defeating Transylvania and Carnegie Mellon in penalty kicks before falling to eventual National Champion Messiah.
The Gators made back-to-back NCAC tournament appearances in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, marking the first time since 2006 and 2007 that the Gators made the post-season in consecutive campaigns.
Panzetta earned his first NCAC Coach of the Year honor in the 2002 season, as the Gators posted a 14-6-0 record, tying the school record for wins, while earning the a team a spot in the conference championship game. Allegheny’s magical run in 2004 earned Panzetta his second NCAC Coach of the Year accolade.
A native of Irondequoit, N.Y., Panzetta is a 1989 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he turned in a standout collegiate career, becoming the school’s first three-time NCAA Division III All-American First Team selection. While at RIT he led the Tigers to four NCAA playoff appearances, four Empire Athletic Association (EAA) titles, and a 55-7-7 record. Panzetta was also a two-time EAA Player of the Year, and was inducted into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Following his career at RIT, Panzetta was selected in the first round of the 1989 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) draft by the Baltimore Blast. He helped Baltimore to a berth in the MISL championship series in 1990, and finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. After two seasons with the Blast, he went on to play three seasons for the National Professional Soccer League’s Harrisburg Heat where he helped the team to three playoff appearances. Panzetta is a member of the Harrisburg Heat Hall of Fame, and was recently named to the Heat’s All-Decade team for the 1990s.
Before coming to Allegheny, Panzetta served as the top assistant to Dean Foti at Division I Syracuse University. During his seven years as an assistant with the Orangemen, Panzetta coached 18 All-Big East Conference selections, and helped the team advance to the Big East Tournament Semifinals in 1999, and a quarterfinals appearance in 2000. Panzetta earned a master’s degree in Exercise Science from Syracuse in May of 2000.
Panzetta’s other coaching experience includes one season at his alma mater RIT, and two seasons as an assistant coach at Gillman High School in Baltimore, Md. He has also coached the New York West Olympic Developmental Program’s (ODP) Under-17 team, and was an evaluator for the Region 1 ODP staff. He is licensed with the United States Soccer Federation, holding an A License.
Panzetta and his wife Gina currently reside in Meadville with their daughter Marissa.
