Bennett Goller is a midfielder on the ADVNC SF/NDP ‘21 team committed to play lacrosse at Colby College.
Goller is following in his older brother Jack’s (Goller, ADVNC SF ‘19 currently playing at Bucknell University) footsteps, going from his hometown in Napa, CA to play college lacrosse on the East Coast.
“When I was six years old, my brother’s soccer coach sent out an email saying lacrosse would be good cross-training for us in the offseason,” Bennett said. “My dad had barely heard of lacrosse, but he spoke to his partner at work who had played lacrosse in college.”
Bennett (left) & Jack (right) started playing lacrosse at a young age.
“It was amazing to see that in such a short amount of time, both my boys fell in love with lacrosse,” Bennett and Jack’s dad, David Goller said. “They both quit playing soccer shortly after that.”
“Lacrosse has a great mix of soccer and basketball, which were the first 2 sports I played,” Bennett said. “Both Jack and I were fast in soccer, that’s always been our strength, so that helped us a ton in lacrosse. And playing basketball is similar to playing middie in lacrosse. You have to play both sides of the ball, there are settled offensive sets, you have pick n rolls, and there are fast breaks.”
Both Goller boys started playing with Golden State Lacrosse, founded by ADVNC Founder & CEO Chris Rotelli. When Golden State became ADVNC, the Goller’s started making the nearly 2 hour drive from their home in Napa to practices in Silicon Valley.
“It can be a lot of work as a parent to drive your kids that far to weekly practices. With 2 sons, they’d each have a 3 hour practice combined with a 2 hour drive, each way,” David said. “Those were long days, but I loved it. When one boy practiced I’d have 3 hours alone with the other. At one point, we bought a sprinter van with a TV in it so we could watch football together.”
A young Bennett Goller in the early days of the ADVNC SF ‘21 team.
Bennett has been a member of the ADVNC SF ‘21 team since its inception. That team has more than a dozen players committed to play major college lacrosse. “I got lucky with having a great group of teammates,” Bennett said. “I always thought we were good when we just played other teams on the West Coast, but I never knew how good we were compared to the big East Coast teams you would hear about. But when we started going to the big East Coast tournaments we were competitive right away. It was validation to see we were as good as we thought. It’s great playing with a group like that. It makes the game easier for me. I’ve played on other teams, but there’s never been anything like ADVNC. It’s been a ton of fun.”
Bennett has mainly been coached by Chris Rotelli and Jack Huber with ADVNC. “Coach Huber and I have developed a great relationship. We joke around but he pushes me to be better but also asks for my input,” Bennett said.
“ADVNC has given Bennett superb coaching along with the opportunity to attend elite events where his skills and abilities could be seen by many different lacrosse coaches, allowing him to find the college program with the best fit,” said Jack and Bennett’s mom, Kristin. “I think most importantly, by playing for ADVNC, he has developed wonderful friendships with both coaches and players, many of which will probably last a lifetime.”
“We were at the Denver Shootout when Bennett was in 6th grade,” David Goller said. “In between games, a group of parents were hanging out and Coach Rotelli and Bennett were there too. Chris said to Bennett, ‘do you want to come with me and go watch your brother’s game?’ He then took off with Bennett. I’ve always felt that Chris loved my boys and cared about my boys and always wanted what’s best for them. He cares about them more than me, and that’s the way it should be.”
The Goller’s credited Rotelli with his assistance in the college recruitment process. “As a parent, it’s extremely stressful,” said David. “Your kid wants something so badly but it’s out of your control. Chris was there to talk to me when I was stressed out. And he was also there for Jack and Bennett. He helped me understand early in the process, it’s really about finding the right fit for each player. Every player is different and it’s about the player figuring out what’s best for them.”
“Over the years, Coach Rotelli and I have been close,” said Bennett. “We texted and emailed about college recruiting a lot. He was great reaching out to coaches on my behalf and helping me find a spot that was good for me.”
“Recruiting was a long process for me,” said Bennett. “I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I met Coach Van Arsdale (Head Coach at Colby College) at a prospect camp in Florida. He took me aside and asked what I saw in certain plays. He then asked me where I’m from and I said: Northern California. He said .. oh, that’s why I’ve never heard of you. He knew Coach Rotelli and asked him about me, and soon made me an offer.”
“I think it’s a perfect fit for Bennett,” said David. “I am extremely excited for him. Personally, I am excited to visit Maine. I’ve never been and everyone tells me how wonderful it is.”
“I’ve always gone to a small private school (Marin Catholic) and that’s where I am most comfortable,” said Bennett. “I have learned all about Colby and what a good academic school it is. They have a great alumni network, they let you study abroad, and I am excited about all of that.”
This is the picture both Jack & David Goller have as their phone screensaver.
Jack and Bennett have grown up playing lacrosse together, and helping each other along the way. “I was a freshman at Marin Catholic, it was one of the first games of the season,” said Bennett. “We were behind the whole game and slowly came back. With a minute left, we went man up and I scored a goal to tie it with just 30 seconds. Jack happened to be right next to me and we hugged. We have a great picture that we all still love.”
“That picture is the screensaver on my phone,” said David. “I see it 100 times a day. Just seeing them in pure joy together, and seeing Jack be the first one to congratulate Bennett is awesome.”
“That pic is the background on my phone as well, and has been for over two years now,” said Jack Goller. “I think that game was Bennett telling everyone that he wasn't a typical freshman, that he was special. I started playing with Bennett when he was 6 years old and then never played with him again until high school. We are extremely close and I would call us best friends, so getting to play together at Marin Catholic was the best experience of my life. We won a lot together, we had heartbreak together, and we worked extremely hard the two of us, when no one was watching. That created a special bond, and I'm very blessed that I got to experience so many great memories with my brother. I'm so proud of Bennett and what he has accomplished in his career so far.”
Jack (right) helping out with Bennett’s hydration during a youth lacrosse game.
“As a parent, it has been so special to see them grow up together playing a sport that they both truly love,” said Kristin. “They have always been very supportive of each other, building each other up even when things weren’t necessarily going their team’s way during a season.”
“There’s never been any jealousy or rivalry between them whatsoever,” said David. “They’ve both just wanted to win and help each other win … and that as a parent has been the greatest thing, ever.”