Molloy works wonders for Penn State soccer

Aaron Molloy. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS

College Roundup / By John Manley

Aaron Molloy had quite a week, looming large in Penn State’s soccer victories over Pitt, 3-1, at home on Tuesday and Wisconsin, 2-1, in a Saturday road match. The Dublin senior converted a penalty kick for the first point of the Pitt skirmish. Ten minutes later, he set up what turned out to be the winning goal. Then, in Wisconsin, he had first dibs on a rebound off a corner kick and booted the ball home for what turned out to be the winning goal of that match. The Nittany Lions are now 8-2-2.

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Aodhan O’Hara scored his first two goals of the season to push Alabama-Birmingham past Gardner-Webb, 4-3, at home on Saturday. He whittled the score to 3-2, Gardner-Webb, when he drove the ball up the pitch and finished the play off with the ball in the net. He then scored the winning goal when a teammate found him open in front of the cage, which ended with him burying the ball deep in the net. O’Hara, a junior from Barrie, Ontario, has experience in Ireland’s U-17 program. The Blazers improved to 3-9-1.

Joel McIlroy’s goal in the 16th minute of overtime lifted Quincy (Ill.) to a 2-1 victory over Missouri S&T in Rolla, Missouri on Sunday. The Belfast junior headed in a cross for his first goal of the season. The Hawks are flying a little higher at 7-6-0.

Sean Tunney of DeSales University notched his first goal of the season in the 80th minute to send the Bulldogs’ match with FDU-Florham into overtime on Saturday. The junior from Clondalkin, Co. Dublin headed in the ball after his initial shot was rejected by the keeper. George Crampton’s DeSales unit then pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory to improve to 5-9-1.

Daire O’Riordan, a junior from Cork, converted a penalty kick to knot the score at 2 in a match that his Davenport Panthers would go on to win, 3-2, over Saginaw Valley in Caledonia, Michigan on Sunday. That was his third tally of the season. Teammate Matt Whelan, a Cork sophomore, assisted on Davenport’s first goal. The Panthers are now 6-6-0.

Ryan Goldsmith scored the first Bakersfield State goal in a 3-2 loss at home to Seattle on Saturday. He is a senior from Cork. Richie Grant’s Roadrunners dropped to 3-9-0.

Martin Walsh, a County Mayo freshman, scored an insurance goal as Cumberland University of Tennessee defeated the University of the Cumberlands of Kentucky, 3-1, in Lebanon, Tennessee on Sunday. The Phoenix, coached by Adam Grant, are 8-6.

James Dempsey, a junior from Galway, assisted on both Belhaven goals in a 3-2 loss to Mary Hardin Baylor in Jackson, Mississippi last Wednesday. Belhaven is 9-4-1.

Val Feeney, a junior from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, assisted on Young Harris’ second goal in a 3-2 takedown of Lander at home on Saturday. The Mountain Lions are 8-3-0.

Hannah Doherty in action for Elon. PHOTO BY TIM COWIE

SOCCER (WOMEN)

Hannah Doherty had a lot to do with Elon’s wins over the College of Charleston, 2-1, on the road on Thursday, and James Madison, 3-1, at home on Sunday. The junior from Crumlin, Co. Antrim salted the Charleston win with a successful free kick from the top of the box in the 84th minute. Then, she orchestrated the final two goals of the win over JMU, earning an assist on both. The Phoenix are sailing along at 11-3-2.

Mick D’Arcy’s Central Connecticut State Blue Devils ran their streak of shutout victories to four by defeating LIU, 3-0, at home on Friday and Merrimack, 5-0, on the road on Sunday. Amanda McQuillan started both contests in goal for CCSU and recorded three saves against LIU. Merrimack managed no shots on goal in that match. Roma McLaughlin was responsible for two Blue Devils goals and one assist in the Merrimack romp. She’s the team leader in goals with nine. Both McQuillan, who hails from Johnstown, Co. Meath, and McLaughlin, from Greencastle, Co. Donegal, are sophomores. D’Arcy has CCSU humming at 7-4-4.

Jane McKevitt scored Clayton State’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss to UNC-Pembroke in Morrow, Georgia on Sunday. That was the first goal of the season for the senior from Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Coach Fergal Forde’s Lakers took on water with the loss, falling to 5-4-1.

Heather Payne scored the second goal of the match (and her second of the season) as Florida State quelled Miami (Fla.), 3-0, in Tallahassee on Saturday. She is a freshman from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. The Seminoles are 12-3-0.

Danielle Murray earned an assist on Limestone’s first goal in a 2-0 win over Lees McRae at home on Wednesday. On Saturday, the Dublin senior accounted for the winning goal as well as an insurance tally in a 3-1 victory on the road over Emmanuel. Limestone is 5-5-0.

FIELD HOCKEY

A tap in by Katie Larmour at 9:45 of the first period held up as Rutgers defeated Ohio State, 1-0, in Columbus on Friday. The Belfast junior leads the Scarlet Knights with six goals this season. On Sunday, Rutgers defeated Michigan State, 3-2, in East Lansing. The Spartans’ Jade Arundell, a Kildare sophomore, stopped seven Rutgers shots. Rutgers ticked up to 8-6, while Michigan State fell to 6-9.

Yasmin Pratt, a freshman from County Wicklow, set up the winning goal 25 seconds into the second overtime period to provide Monmouth with a 1-0 victory over Albany on Friday in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Pratt, outside the circle, took a pass, drove to the endline and then found Josephine van der Hoop in the center of the circle, where the latter knocked in the winning goal. Kate O’Hogan, a Dublin sophomore, had three saves in goal for Monmouth. The Hawks then improved to 10-4 on Sunday with a 2-1 overtime win against Columbia. O’Hogan stopped five Columbia shots.

Niamh Gowing got credit for an assist in Providence College’s 3-2 triumph over Quinnipiac at home on Friday. She is a sophomore from Dublin. The Friars are 10-5.

CROSS COUNTRY

Iona’s Jack O’Leary finished 35th of the 257 finishers in the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturday. The senior from Killucan, Co. Westmeath finished the 8,000-meter course in 24:18.0. Belfast’s Ryan Sharkey, a Miami (Ohio) senior, was 123rd in, with a 25:04.1 clocking, while Villanova sophomore Charlie O’Donovan, a Corkman, was 186th to finish, timed in 25:44.2.

 

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