Jamen Amato, a star on and off the soccer field

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Boston College pays tribute on its website to a former student-athlete from Pasadena whose life was cut short by lymphoma.

Jamen Amato died Wednesday at City of Hope after a two-year fight. He was 24.

‘I had the pleasure of coaching Jamen for four years,’ men’s soccer coach Ed Kelly said. ‘He was a fierce competitor as well as a fun-loving person. He pursued excellence on and off the field.’

Amato was a four-year letterman and one of three team captains during his senior season. A history major, he also was twice a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference all-academic team and once a member of the Big East Conference all-academic team (Boston College changed conferences during his career). A paid obit in Sunday’s Times said he was preparing for law school when he received the diagnosis.

The family has requested that, instead of flowers, donations be made in his memory to the ThinkCure Foundation.

-- Keith Thursby