ERIE — Jake Gamble can’t seem to separate himself from soccer.

Then again, why should he?

The Butler graduate and the sport seem to get along just fine.

Gamble scored 22 goals and 48 points last fall, leading Penn State Behrend in both categories his senior season. He scored five game-winning goals during the Lions’ 17-5 season.

Gamble was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year in the process and was recently selected to play for the Erie Admirals of the National Premier Soccer League for a third straight summer.

“My first year with them, I didn’t play very much,” Gamble said. “Last summer, I played in eight games and saw a lot more time, scoring a goal and an assist.

“My college eligibility is up, but I want to keep trying to play. I want to drag out my playing career as long as I can.”

Gamble has a semester to go before graduating with a degree in business management. He broke the school record for most goals in a season last fall and will leave the Behrend program with school records of 59 goals and 133 points, respectively.

Behrend’s previous records in those categories were 34 goals and 72 points.

“I only scored five goals my freshman year, so setting records here was the farthest thing from my mind,” Gamble said. “My class stayed together the entire way and that really helped me.

“Playing together helped us know each other’s games and we played to each other’s strengths.”

Behrend posted men’s soccer records of 14-3-4, 13-7-1 and 17-5 over Gamble’s final three seasons.

“Jake is one of those players with an innate understanding of the game,” Lions coach Dan Perritano said. “He always knew the areas on the field he could score from and he got to those areas.

“He’s a great athlete with a competitive nature.”

Perritano is not surprised Gamble is extending his soccer career this summer.

“He knows how difficult it is to play soccer and make money,” the coach said. “He just wants to enjoy the game as long as he can.”

That includes coaching.

Gamble has assisted in summer soccer clinics in the Erie area and helps Perritano coach an under-16 girls travel team as well.

“I plan to get my coaching license and get after that side of it as soon as possible,” he said.

In the meantime, he has his collegiate career to fondly look back on.

“My best memory here is easy,” Gamble said. “We scored with one second left in overtime to beat Medaille, our big rival, and they were nationally ranked at the time.

“We were playing at home, in front of a big crowd ... That was a tremendous feeling.”

Gamble assisted on that winning tally.

Despite his bountiful statistics, he was surprised to win the AMCC Offensive Player of the Year honor.

“Totally shocked,” he said. “There were a ton of good forwards in our league. Bit it was a greatfeeling being able to represent my school and my teammates that way. They’re the ones who got it for me.”

Perritano has coached numerous winning seasons and has seen plenty of high-caliber players move through his program over the years.

Where does Gamble rank among them?

“He’s the only All-American player I’ve ever coached here,” Perritano said. “I’ll leave it at that.”