February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
Iona’s Vinny Mulvey, a junior from Ashbourne, Co. Meath, was first home in MAAC Championship last weekend at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. He was timed in 25 minutes, 36.2 seconds. Mick Byrne’s Gaels swept the first four spots, winning their 14th MAAC title in 19 years. Coach Byrne is a Dubliner.
John McDonnell won another SEC title when Arkansas outscored Tennessee, 17-59 at Nashville, Tenn. The Hogs’ Michael Power was fastest in 24:10.6. Teammate Alan Dunleavy, a junior from Dublin, was 16th despite falling during the race. He finished the course in 25:51.6. Coach McDonnell came out of Crossmolina, Co. Mayo.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s Aidan Walsh, a sophomore from Dublin, placed eighth in the Northeast Conference title meet. He came in with a clocking of 26:08.26. FDU’s Stephen Ondieki was first across in 25:28.94.
Western Kentucky’s Valerie Lynch won the Sun Belt Conference women’s title in Jonesboro, Ark. Lynch, a junior, reported home in 17:59.10. Behind her came freshman Olga Cronin in 18:23.70. Farther along were WKU sophomore Terri Hennessy (sixth, 18:51.30), junior Lisa Cronin (seventh, 18:52.40) and freshman Caroline Daly (13th, 19:24.10). They are all from Cork. South Alabama’s Wendy Davis, a freshman from Belfast, placed fifth in 18:36.50, while teammate Grainne O’Dea, a freshman from Donegal, was 43rd in 21:32.50. WKU won the team trophy by outpointing Arkansas-Little Rock, 24-71. South Alabama was fourth with 113 points.
The Sun Belt men’s championship went to South Alabama, 28-45 victors over WKU. Brian Murray contributed a fifth-place finish for South Alabama. The junior from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, finished in 27:14.70. Teammate David Kimani broke the tape in 25:37.60.
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The Big East men’s race at Van Cortlandt Park went to Notre Dame, paced by Ryan Shay, winner by five seconds over Providence’s Keith Kelly (24:22 to 24:27). Kelly is a junior from Drogheda. Also running for the Friars were Paul Reilly, a sophomore from Loughrea, Co. Galway (13th, 25:10), Dermot Galvin, a sophomore from Kilrush, Co. Clare (16th, 25:25) and Ciaran Lynch, a Limerick junior (18th, 25:29).
The women’s heat found Georgetown in front of Providence, 41-59. Out on the trail for the Friars were Roisín McGettigan, a Wicklow freshman (22nd, 18:30), Kathryn Casserly, a Galway sophomore (38th, 18:55), Emer O’Shea, a Limerick freshman (41st, 19:00), and Stephanie O’Reilly, a Wicklow junior (59th, 19:21). Villanova’s Carmen Douma won the race in 17:20.
Men’s soccer
Gareth Elliott shared Player of the Week honors in the Atlantic 10 Conference as a result of his play in two recent Rhode Island victories. The Belfast sophomore knocked in three goals in a 6-0 rout of Fordham. He then settled for a single goal in a 5-1 win over La Salle. Elliott is tied for the Conference scoring lead with 20 points (nine goals, two assists). The Rams are 13-2-1 overall and 9-0-0 in the Atlantic 10.
Vermont’s Jason Allen continues his torrid play. He scored the Catamounts’ only goal in a 1-0 victory over Hartwick and in a 2-1 loss to Towson. He also contributed a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Delaware. Belfast native Roy Patton coaches Vermont, which is 9-7-1 overall and 4-5-0 in the America East.
Barry Gibney had one goal and three assists as Christian Brothers (11-4-2, 1-2-1 Gulf South Conference) posted wins over Thomas College, 3-0, and Spring Hill, 4-0. Gareth O’Sullivan, formerly of Ballina, Co. Mayo, coaches CBU.
Mark Fitzgerald, a junior from County Kerry, found the net in Mercyhurst’s 2-0 triumph over Concord. The Lakers are 13-5-1 overall and 6-0-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Dungarvan, Co. Waterford native John Melody coaches Mercyhurst.
Senior Paul Cleary, another Waterford product, posted a goal in New Hampshire College’s 4-0 victory over Stonehill. The Penmen are 12-2-2.
Brian Harkin had a goal in Fairfield’s 3-1 win over Canisius. Harkin is a freshman from Derry. The Stags are 9-7-1 overall and 7-2-0 in the Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Norwich’s Gavin Woods, a Belfast junior, assisted on the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Albertus Magnus. Norwich is 13-3-0 overall and 8-0-0 in the Great Northeast Conference.
Providence’s Kempes Corbally, a sophomore from Dublin, booted home the winning goal in a 4-1 downing of Quinnipiac. The Friars also defeated Georgetown, 3-1, with Dublin senior Derek Cobbe assisting on a goal. Brian Ainscough’s team later roughed up Seton Hall, 1-0, to move to 7-8-1 overall and 5-6-0 against Big East rivals. Ainscough hails from Dublin.
Boston College notched a 2-1 win over Sacred Heart as junior Paul Bourke from Cork assisted on the winning goal. B.C. then dropped a 2-1 decision to Connecticut, but rebounded to defeat Pittsburgh, 1-0. Coach Ed Kelly’s Eagles are 6-8-2 overall and 2-8-0 in the Big East. Kelly is a Dubliner.
Fifth-ranked Penn State has its winning streak up to four, all of which were won by one goal. The victims were Seton Hall, 2-1, Michigan State, 1-0, in overtime, South Carolina, 2-1, and the College of Charleston, 2-1. Barry Gorman, a Belfast native, coaches Penn State (15-2, 3-2 Big Ten).
Alan Dawson has Old Dominion (13-3-0, 6-1-0 Colonial Athletic Association) ranked 16th in Division I. ODU recently polished off South Carolina, 3-1, College of Charleston, 3-2, and Virginia Commonwealth, 1-0, but were tripped up by Richmond, 1-0. Coach Dawson learned the game during his youth in Belfast.
Gary Hamill has Wingate (13-3-1) on a roll. Ranked 11th in Div. II, Wingate rolled over Mars Hill, 3-2, South Carolina-Aiken, 4-1, Gardner-Webb, 5-0, and Pfeiffer, 2-0, to run its winning streak to five. Hamill once called Belfast home.
Clemson defeated North Carolina-Charlotte, 2-1, but then hit the skids,.losing to Furman, 3-2, in two overtime periods, and Maryland, 2-1. Belfast.native Trevor Adair coaches the Tigers (8-7-2, 1-2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Dartmouth split a pair recently. An overtime loss to Cornell, 2-1, was followed by a victory over New Hampshire, 2-0. Dublin product Fran O’Leary calls the shots for the Big Green (2-7-3, 1-3-1 Ivy League).
New York University (9-4-2, 3-2-1 University Athletic Association) upended Baruch, 4-1, but then lost to both Washington of St. Louis, 2-1, and Chicago, 3-1. Dubliner Joe Behan coaches NYU.
Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison fell to 7-8-0 (3-3-0 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Division) after losses to Drew, 2-0, and Lycoming, 4-2. Belfast native Tom McLoughlin coaches the Knights.
Women’s soccer
Mary Reid scored two goals and assisted on another to pace St. Joseph’s of Indiana (15-4-1, 8-3 Great Lakes Valley Conference) to a 4-2 victory over Missouri-St. Louis. Reid is a senior from Belfast.
South Carolina lost to Florida, 5-0, after posting wins over Alabama, 2-1, and Auburn, 1-0. Cork native Sue Kelly coaches South Carolina (11-5-0, 6-3-0 Southeastern Conference).
Christian Brothers (8-5-0, 2-3-0) enjoyed victories over Thomas, 7-1, and Spring Hill, 2-0. Gareth O’Sullivan also coaches the CBU women’s squad.
Keene State finished the season 13-6-2 after losing the championship contest of the Little East Conference Tournament to Western Connecticut State, 1-0. Keene won the semifinal tilt over Plymouth State, 1-0. Earlier in the week, Denise Lyons’s crew knocked off Westfield State, 2-1. Lyons is from Newcastle West, Co. Limerick.