Calvert Hall Lacrosse Standout Gabe Goicochea Commits to Sewanee

The 2026 attackman found his perfect fit in Sewanee: The University of the South, where he’ll play for fellow Calvert Hall alum Nick DiBernardo.

Calvert Hall's Gabe Goicochea is headed south for his college lacrosse career, to Sewanee, known as the University of the South. / The Goicochea Family

Multiple times, we have had write-ups regarding MIAA lacrosse players making commitments to college programs led by head coaches who are at the point in their tenures where most of the talent is now theirs.

Another MIAA Standout Heads South

That said, in this case, we take a look at an MIAA student-athlete who recently chose such a program. Calvert Hall 2026 attackman Gabe Goicochea will take his talents to Sewanee, Tennessee, for his college playing days, and attend Sewanee: The University of the South. 

Sewanee’s Rise Under Coach Nick DiBernardo

The Sewanee Tigers, who compete in the Southern Athletic Association(SAA), are led by Coach Nick DiBernardo. Coach DiBernardo has been the leader of the Tigers since 2021. And, starting with day one, Sewanee has had quite a bit of success under him.

DiBernardo's overall record, including an 11-7 record this past spring, is 43-28. Each full season, starting in 2022, the Tigers have made at least the SAA Tournament Championship. The highlights so far are winning the 2022 SAA Tournament, appearing in that year's postseason, and coming out on top in their first 2022 NCAA Tournament game. No less, that marked the first ever postseason victory for the program.

As alluded to above, DiBernardo now has most of his own recruits. That includes at least a couple from the MIAA, which he most likely knows very well and has a soft side for due to having played at Calvert Hall. Also, DiBernardo both attended and coached for McDaniel before coming to Sewanee. 

Why Goicochea Chose Sewanee

Goicochea says that the main reason he chose the Tigers is because the program and the college just checked off all the boxes for him. He likes how Sewanee is a smaller school in a rural setting with very solid academics. The campus is beautiful, and the feeling Gabe gets there is unlike that at any other institution he has been to.

Whether it was meeting the guys on the team, watching practice, touring the facilities (which DiBernardo is the assistant director of), or being there for a game, it all made him realize that Sewanee was where he was meant to be for his next academic and athletic stop. In addition, DiBernardo, as well as assistant coaches Mason Hoehn and Joe Orem, were all extremely helpful and supportive throughout the commitment process. That helped make Goicochea's decision pretty easy. All together, there is nothing else he could ask for in a college lacrosse program, and he is really looking forward to being on campus next fall.

The Next Step for Sewanee Lacrosse

Many congratulations and best of luck to Gabe Goicochea! For sure, he will be a part of a program whose best days under their current coach may well be yet to come. It is no secret that the next solid step for Sewanee with DiBernardo running the show is to go deeper in the NCAA Tournament. With the players pretty much his now, might we see that in the near future? And including when Gabe is there?