KENNEBUNK — Pat Gassman was used to winning while playing youth travel soccer prior to entering Kennebunk High School. He had always played big roles on those successful teams, so he figured that would continue to happen when he joined the Kennebunk High team in the fall of 2012. But freshman rarely get to take the field in varsity sports, especially for a school as big as Kennebunk, which regularly has 40 players come out for try-outs.

Gassman was that rare freshman, however, as he forced his way onto the varsity team as a first-year player.

“I remember the exact play. I had one play where I passed it to one of our stronger forwards, and he scored. That was my first assist ever. My coach told me after that I was impressing him and I was going to stay with him,” Gassman recalled of his youmade it moment.

That Rams team was successful, as Gassman is used to, advancing all the way to the Western Maine Class A semifinals.

Much has changed for Kennebunk in the three years since Gassman made it onto the varsity squad as a freshman – including a change in coach, from Nate Bean to second-year head coach Bruce Peloquin. But two things haven’t changed: Gassman has a role on the team, and the Rams keep winning.

“I expected either my freshman or sophomore year to be on varsity,” said Gassman. “I’m a big competitor with myself. And that was one of my goals, was to be on varsity.”

Gassman started many of those games as a freshman, and has been an easy selection for Peloquin to be part of the starting 11 over the past season-plus.

“Pat’s a guy that from day one, game one I expect him to know exactly what to do and how to do it. Pat’s a kid who’s going to bring it right from day one,” said Peloquin.

Peloquin said there were some growing pains for Gassman – and the rest of the players – in making the small transition from Bean’s style to his own. But Peloquin said Gassman has totally bought into the system – which he calls more “open” than Bean’s – and that it suits his style.

There was no delay in putting Gassman in charge of the team on the field, however, according to Peloquin.

“The first move I made coming in last year as head coach is I had Pat, as a junior, become a captain,” said Peloquin. “I could see it then that he had the skills of a leader.”

As a now four-year player Gassman had plenty of mentors to take from in taking over as a team captain.

“It’s been good playing with older kids. You learn a lot being on the team. It’s just nice how you can share it with the younger kids as they come up, keep it going,” said Gassman. “Each captain for every sport, all (three) of them, I take bits and pieces from each, and I just feel like what’s best for the team, I’ll put it together and try to be like that person. ”

What else Gassman has taken from three years of experience in soccer, hockey and lacrosse is a winning mentality. Playoffs have become for the norm for those three sports with Gassman on the roster.

“A winning attitude and a winning culture, it’s contagious,” said Peloquin.

The Rams finished the season 7-7 last year in Peloquin’s first season at the helm, and was knocked out in the preliminary round for the second straight year. Peloquin is hoping that with Gassman and a large senior class, and lots of depth to fill in the rest of the roster, that there will be an improvement on last year’s results.

“Hopefully we all come together and we’re able to do it,” said Gassman. “We also got some new players back. They didn’t play since like the fourth grade. But we’ve got some new players on the team, some new seniors, who are just athletes. With them, they’re going to help the team a lot too. I think we’ll be able to make it further than we did last year.”

Gassman said team success is his only goal as he enters his fourth and final season with the Rams. His final act will likely see him in his most visible role.

“He definitely isn’t (afraid to use his body). He is a pretty strong force out there,” Peloquin said of Gassman. “He’s surprisingly agile, he’s very good in the air, and he controls his space really well.”

Peloquin said Gassman’s size can be intimidating for incoming players, but his “fairly happy-go-lucky” personality makes him approachable.

Gassman said he’s always available for younger players to seek his guidance. But with that comes some weight as well.

“I put a lot (of pressure on me). It’s not just about on the field, off the field that’s important. With school and everything, I make sure – or I’m trying to make sure – that everyone maintains good grades and stuff, and everyone’s doing okay in school,” said Gassman. “It’s important, on and off the field, just to be a team and just be with each other.”

Gassman has come full-circle in his Kennebunk soccer career. Three years ago he was a fledgling varsity player who was taken under the wing of a team that made it to the semifinals. Now he’s the player taking others under his wing, as the Rams hope to get past the prelims for the first time since he was a wide-eyed freshman.

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.