The Shepherd: Cal Pac Offensive POY Jordan Di Lonardo Led the Flock in 2024

By Brandon Petersen

As he sat at the California Pacific Conference men's soccer banquet Wednesday night at UC Merced, Jordan Di Lonardo and his teammates listened to a speech from commissioner Don Ott that retold the Biblical tale of David vs. Goliath.

Ott spoke eloquently about what can happen when people – and teams – are overlooked and undervalued and used the parable to encourage the eventual Cal Pac champion to make some serious noise at the national level.

As a member of Westcliff's SID team, I already knew that Di Lonardo was about be named to the Cal Pac All First Team yet again and would later be claiming the league's Offensive Player of the Year award, not to mention the league championship trophy alongside his teammates to conclude the event.

Throughout the season, Di Lonardo and I had shared informal conversations about the differences between last year's team, and this year's, and I already knew how Di Lonardo felt about his new, and predominantly younger teammates.

Especially from the midfield forward, Westcliff underwent a massive transformation in the offseason.

Out went the all-world talent that led the nation in scoring a season ago.

In came a talented, but inexperienced crop of youngsters eager to make a name for themselves.

So, as I sat there and watched Di Lonardo smile and laugh alongside his new teammates, another Biblical parable struck me was perhaps a bit for fitting for the captain.

The role of the Shepherd in the Bible was one of sacrifice and leadership. The Shepherd was responsible for the safety of the sheep, he protected them against enemies, cared for them when they fell ill, and led them to greener pastures, providing food and water along the way.

Ultimately, what the Shepherd provided the flock was guidance and trust.

That has been Di Lonardo's new role for the Warriors in 2024, as he stands on the precipice of earning his bachelor's degree in the spring.

Last year, he was the lightning rod, setting up his electrifying strikers more than any other player in the NAIA.

This year, he has been the leader. Not only setting up his teammates, who shared in the individual success Wednesday – both forwards Jose Urdiano Morales (first team) and Lucas Rosell (second team) made all conference – but taking on the load of scoring himself.

Di Lonardo scored 10 goals this season, four of which were game-winners, to complement his eight assists.

The result was another bountiful banquet.

"(Winning awards) is not really related (to winning soccer matches)," Di Lonardo said. "It's not like I think, 'OK, this year, I want to win this personal award.' The goal is always to win as a team. I did my best to help bring the team to the position we are at, and (the awards) just come as a consequence. I'm not out there thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to take every free kick, every kick, every corner because I want to get stats.'

"I play to help the team win and be successful."

Di Lonardo is a three-time champion, having won the Cal Pac regular season crown twice and the tournament last year with the Warriors.

He helped lead Westcliff to the NAIA Round of 16 a year ago, and No. 16 is where the Warriors sit in the national rankings.

Di Lonardo played in his third-straight Cal Pac tournament and has been named to the conference's first team each of the last two years. He was the Cal Pac Player of the Week three times and his place in the Westcliff men's soccer record book is in a word, prolific.

Currently, Di Lonardo is third all-time with 24 goals scored, second all-time with 78 points, and holds Westcliff all-time records in shots (140), shots on goal (81), game-winners (8), and, of course, assists (30).

"Yeah, it's been good, it's been very good so far," Di Lonardo said. "I started not very well the first year, I got injured straight away. And then, from the second year on, I got going. And, hopefully, it's not going to stop now."

As with Janis Hinterleitner, a fellow Westcliff captain who came to America from Europe to play soccer at the college level, the transition was difficult.

Di Lonardo hails from Gordola, Switzerland, a picturesque village on the shore of Lake Como, and like most Europeans faced a period of adjustment, not only to American soccer, but also to the culture, and the language.

It took time, but eventually Di Lonardo found his way.

"That first year, coming to America and playing at the college level, of course it's different," he said. "I had to adapt a little bit. In the offseason, I played with club teams, and when I went home for the summer, I worked out pretty hard. I wanted to be ready, physically especially, for the team. That's what I did, and it paid off."

Di Lonardo comes from a soccer-rich family, his father is a huge fan, and both of his brothers play.

Part of Di Lonardo's journey has been learning to change his game, from the slow burn of European tactics to the instantly intense American game fueled by open substitutions.

"European (soccer) is way more organized," he said. "You're running less, but you play more. Here, it's way more direct. And with the fact that we can (substitute) as much as we want, there is never a stop on (the team's) performance, because if you are tired, you come out, and you are replaced by someone who is fresh. That's the main difference."

It wasn't until Westcliff head coach Randy Dodge took over the Warriors that Di Lonardo realized he was still playing the European game in America, and would have to adjust if he wanted to get the touches he needed for the team to be successful.

"For me personally, (Dodge) changed the way I was playing a little bit," Di Lonardo said. "Coming from Europe, as I said, you don't get the chance to sub in and out. So, if you start slow, you have time to get into the game and then perform. What I learned from (Coach Dodge) is, there is no time. You have to be on point straight away. When he first got here in the spring, I was taking my time to get into the game and get my touches – and he was subbing me out after 20 minutes.

"And so I asked him, 'Why are you taking me off?' And he said, 'You were in the game. You need to be into the game straight away.' He taught me that, and I think I've learned it pretty well. The other thing is, I've never been this fit (in my life).

"He is a great coach for this team."

Both Dodge and Di Lonardo have been guiding forces for the Westcliff offense this season. The Warriors welcomed in 17 new players, and most have contributed on the offensive end.

And while there have been some challenges, with the younger guys learning to adapt to the college game, the Warriors are ranked No. 16 in the nation because the team's leaders established early on that last year is long gone.

"It's a way younger team compared to last year," Di Lonardo said. "So, this year we have had to address some stuff, and I think just for the new guys, taking away the success we had last year. Because, you know, it's maybe easy for them to come in a ride the wave of us going to nationals and being a Top 25 team, being the best team in the country for scoring and assists.

"It was good, because (the new players) never said, 'Hey, I was a part of that.' They came here with an attitude like, 'OK, I want to earn myself what they were able to do last year.'

"And they've done that."

While the Warriors were on the pitch Thursday night, back home in Switzerland, Di Lonardo's father was watching the livestream.

On the pitch, Di Lonardo thought of him, and his two brothers, and played his heart out for each of them.

"I am really a family guy," Di Lonardo said. "Everything I do, is related to them. When I play back home, I always like when my family comes to watch. My dad is a huge follower, so he comes to every game. He has to split is time now because my brothers play, so he has to decide who he's going to watch. But, when I'm home now – he's coming to see me – because he hasn't seen me all year.

"I have a middle brother, he's 19, and I tried to convince him to come here. And I have a smaller brother, he's seven years old, so when he comes to the field, it's always special. Every time I score, every time I do something, the first person I go to – it's him."

Di Lonardo says that, for now, the plan after graduation is to return to the Warriors to play one more year as a graduate while he earns his master's degree.

He has yet to sign, however, and plans could change.

No matter what happens, Di Lonardo has already cemented his legacy at Westcliff.

He is a Warrior legend.