Middle Tennessee State University Plays First Match

Posted on January 5, 2012 by matt

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) played host to Purdue University on Saturday December 3rd.  The boys from Indiana would never have thought they would be hurling in December.  But, it was an absolutely beautiful day in Tennessee.  When the match started, the temperature was 60 degrees and clear skies.

This was the first match ever for MTSU, who unveiled their sharp new jerseys.  Both clubs fielded full teams and the match was a huge success.

A crowd had gathered by the throw in.  Just in time to see MTSU find the back of the net and take the lead 1-0 to no score.  But the lead would not last.  Purdue was consistent taking their points and, once they overcame the deficit, never looked back.

Throughout the match MTSU always kept the pressure up.  The final score does not reflect the tremendous effort put in by the hosts.  In the end, it was Purdue’s experience that carried the day.

The match was yet another demonstration of the growth of hurling on college campuses in the United States.  MTSU has a promising future and are a welcome addition to the stage of collegiate hurling.

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Stanford to Host National College Hurling Championship

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Sean Purvines

The National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) has announced that Stanford University has been selected as the host of the second annual National College Hurling Finals over the Memorial weekend, May 26th and 27th, 2012.

The first such event was held in Chicago in May of this year and was attended by teams from Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of California, Berkeley (Cal).  In addition, an informal East v West competition was held to provide games for people who had traveled from other colleges but not in sufficient numbers to field collegiate teams.

Indiana University won in the pulsating final beating Cal by four points.

Chicago GAA hosted the event at their Gaelic Park facility and provided all necessary assistance with field equipment and referees.

“Hosting these finals on the West coast will ensure that they will grow and build upon last year’s groundbreaking event in Chicago,” said Eamonn Gormley, NCGAA Chairman.  “We will have at least three teams from northern California plus those who can make it from the Midwest.  Establishing these national finals as an annual event will really help to put college hurling on the map and closer to the mainstream of American sports.”

Dariusz Wodziak, hurler on the Stanford squad welcomed the news. “We’re very excited to host the NCGAA nationals on our campus here in beautiful California,” he said. “When [we] traveled to Chicago for the finals last year we weren’t really sure what to expect but the tournament was more successful than we could have imagined. Unfortunately, our entire team wasn’t able to travel all the way to Chicago especially since that was only two weeks before our final exams. [We] really want our teammates and fans to experience all the excitement and enthusiasm we saw that weekend in Chicago.”

For more information contact:

Sean Purvines

Public Relations and Marketing Officer, NCGAA

sbpurvines@gmail.com

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Midwest Season Opener

Posted on November 28, 2011 by matt

The Midwest hurling season got underway on October 16 with Indiana University (IU) traveling to Purdue. The two clubs were initially scheduled to meet in September at IU but succumbed to mother nature.

It was a blustery day in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue, playing to the north, was against eh wind in the first half. IU were the first to score taking advantage of placed balls. Damien Mullins would get Purdue on the scoreboard with an astonishing goal kicked from the 20m line. At the end of the first half Purdue led by the minimum 1-3 to 0-5.

The second half proved to be exciting. Each team had settled into their rhythm and the match flowed well into the last quarter. Purdue’s midfield began to control puck outs leading to two quick goals. IU would answer in kind moments later. But, IU’s resurgence was cut short by the whistle. The score at the end of full time, Purdue 3-5 IU 2-6.

The most encouraging fact of the day was that both clubs fielded five (5) new members each, all American born. This growth is echoed across the country with clubs expanding a host of new collegiate clubs being established.

The two clubs will meet again Sunday, November 6 at Indiana University with the throw in scheduled for 1pm.

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Purdue v. Indiana: Rematch

Posted on November 28, 2011 by matt

From Indiana University’s facebook page:

“An epic struggle took place on The Quarrymen’s pitch Sunday, November 6, a beautiful breezy late fall day, with Purdue proving the more skilled team, defeating IU by 5-7 to 2-7. The Boilers took advantage of opportunities to score goals, two by penalties, while the young Quarrymen squad had their opportunities but couldn’t finish. Still, it was a closely fought match with a lot of quality play shown by both teams, much improved over our earlier match this fall. It would have been impossible for any hurler to have played any more intensely, so it was a great match to watch. Congratulations to Purdue, and we’ll meet again in the spring.”

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indiana-University-Hurling-Club/135033426555636

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NCGAA Annual Convention Report

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Sean Purvines

The National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) held its annual convention this past Sunday, May 29th, at Chicago Gaelic Park following the very successful, and first ever, National Collegiate Hurling Championship.  A healthy mix of collegiate clubs from California and the Midwest were represented at this, the 2nd, NCGAA convention.

Outgoing Chairman Eamonn Gormley opened the convention by congratulating all clubs on making the NCGAA tournament the success it was.  Mr. Gormley elaborated on the issue of affiliation.  The NCGAA has previously sought affiliation with the Higher Education Council (HEC), based in Ireland, and is currently awaiting ratification from the HEC.  At the end of his address, Mr. Gormley stated that he wishes to see all collegiate clubs and organizations across the United States to continue to compete against and cooperate with one another.

After official reports and convention standing orders were adopted, Paul Reynolds and John Vizza were elected as convention Chairperson and Secretary respectively.

Attendees at the Convention filled the room in Gaelic Park.  Six of the eight clubs that participated in the first ever championship were represented as well as members of the California Collegiate, Midwest Collegiate and NACB Central Divisional boards.  The large interest and attendance led to all but the positions of secretary and registrar having more than one nominee.  In the end, the positions of vice-chair and assistant secretary headed to a vote.  The new board represents the full spectrum of collegiate clubs with an equal mix of members from California and the Midwest.

The 2011-2012 Board is:

Chair:  Eamonn Gormley

Vice-Chair:  Dan Wait

Secretary:  Matthew Schwertfeger

Assistant Secretary:  Darius Wodziak

PRO:  Sean Purvines

Treasurer:  Jack Patton

Registrar:  Josh Roberts

There were nine motions presented.  All motions were passed unanimously.  The large majority of the motions concerned the eligibility of players.  To be eligible, students must be enrolled ona physical campus either in courses or on a university approved study abroad program.  Faculty and staff are eligible if they are employed more than 20 hours per week.  The last motion voted on concerned the NCGAA championship.  The motion opened up the number of available sites to host the event to grounds with proper facilities.  The following deadlines were included: proposals to host the event must be submitted by July 31st, and the NCGAA Board will finalize the location by September 1st.

In closing the convention, the Indiana University Hurling Club was congratulated on winning the first NCGAA Championship.  All clubs were praised on their attendance and development, including their standard of play.

Matthew Schwertfeger

Secretary, NCGAA

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Indiana University Wins Hurling National Championship

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Sean Purvines

Indiana University wins the historic, first ever, national collegiate hurling championship in a soggy, hard fought match against the Northern California champs from UC Berkley by a margin of 13 (3-4) to 9 (1-6).

May 28th and 29th marked a historic first in the steady rise of American hurling as Chicago’s Gaelic Park played host to the first ever national collegiate hurling tournament. The tournament brought together college teams from across the United States to compete in the unprecedented event.  Players took to the pitch representing such schools as the University of California – Berkley, Akron University, Ohio State University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Minnesota, Stanford University, Purdue University, and Indiana University.

Much was uncertain and ultimately proved to bear plenty of excitement as most of the young teams met on the pitch for the first time.  The squads from UC Berkley, Indiana, and Purdue faced off in a round-robin format, while all others were able to join for an East vs. West match.

The tournament opened as rousing as it ended, as Indiana squeaked past the boys from UC Berkley with a final score of 17 (3-8) to 16 (4-4).  The Golden Bears of Berkley next faced Purdue in a dramatic match that finished in a draw, 20 (3-11) apiece after overtime.  The hurlers reconvened at Gaelic Park the following day to continue with Indiana vs. Purdue.  The boys (and girl) of Indiana outpaced Purdue to a final of 18 (3-9) to 11 (2-5), to find themselves facing off, once again, against UC Berkley for the national collegiate championship.

The East vs. West match resulted in another great demonstration from the Eastern and Midwest players with a 17 (5-2) to 7 (2-1) victory for the East.

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Date Confirmed for First Ever National College Hurling Finals – UPDATED

Posted on March 23, 2011 by admin

It has been confirmed that Gaelic Park in Chicago have given the go-ahead to host the first ever National Collegiate Hurling finals on the Memorial weekend.  The program of events is as follows.

  • A collegiate competition between UC Berkeley, Indiana and Purdue who are sending full teams.  Round robin format, top two teams go to final. Any ties in the round robin will be settled by scoring differences.
  • An East v West competition to be contested by select teams made up of players who may be from other colleges that cannot send full teams.  Best-of-three format.
  • It has been decided to hold the NCGAA annual convention on the Monday while everyone is in the same location.

Schedule (subject to adjustments – Note change of times)

Saturday May 28th

12pm – Berkeley v. Indiana

1:30pm – East v. West

3pm – Purdue v. Berkeley

4:30pm – East v. West

6pm – Indiana v. Purdue

Sunday May 29th

12pm – Cusacks v. Berkeley/Indiana/Purdue – (whoever didn’t make the final)

1pm – Chicago Youth

3pm – National Collegiate Final

4:30pm – East v. West

Monday May 30th

10:00am NCGAA annual convention.  Review of the year and election of officers for the new year.

IMPORTANT:

Gaelic Park have indicated that weather conditions at that time of year can lead to field closures.  We are working on a backup plan to use a local municipal field nearby in the event of such a closure.  In the unlikely event of the backup field also being closed due to exceptional weather conditions, we advise you to have a backup plan for passing the time in Chicago if games have to be cancelled.

DISCLAIMER:

Gaelic Park, the NCGAA, or its officers will not be held liable for any travel expenses incurred by clubs or individuals in the event of games being cancelled because of any field closures.  Everyone travels at their own risk.

Also, any players who have not yet signed an NCGAA waiver this year will be required to do so before they can play.  Waivers are downloadable from here.  The Gaelic Park authorities may also require players to sign additional waivers.

Players are all responsible for having their own health insurance.  The NCGAA is not responsible for having any first aid equipment or personnel on hand for games, clubs will be expected to make their own arrangements.

Travel info:

Flying into O’Hare is not recommended since it is a long trip to the south side of Chicago and that can get expensive very quickly.  Please fly into Chicago Midway.

Accommodation:

The Doubletree Hotel in Alsip has a long standing relationship with the GAA in Chicago and have a good shuttle service.  Shuttle service to Midway airport is complimentary but reservations are needed.

Other info:

Gaelic Park will be hosting a major Irish-American cultural festival that weekend, but the main field will be available for our use.

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Cal Make it Two in a Row

Posted on March 15, 2011 by admin

Cal 10-6 (36) Stanford 5-13 (28)

Cal retained their title as Northern California college hurling champions during a dramatic decider at Stanford on Sunday.  Stanford would have needed to win this game by more than 14 points to take the title, which was a very tall order even with the home advantage and vocal support from the local campus and the south bay Irish who have taken this team under their wing.

For the first five minutes it looked like Stanford was in with a chance of pulling off an upset or at least winning the game.  Two early goals and a series of unanswered points scored against the wind made it look like Cal had not done their homework.

However the Berkeley side soon warmed up and closed the gap going into half time with the sides level at 5-4 (19) to 3-10 (19).

Berkeley were fortunate in the second half to get a few goals that resulted from the unpredictable bounce in the goalmouth, and began to stretch their lead despite an intense fightback by the home side.  Stanford played out of their skins, driven by players who were aware that this was their final year at college and could be their last time representing their university on the field.

This was not a one-sided game by any means, but on the day it all seemed to go Cal’s way and bring the Gary Duffin Cup back to the east bay.

Cal now plan to travel to the national college hurling finals when the date and venue of that event is confirmed by the NCGAA.

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Cal v Stanford Game Rescheduled

Posted on March 7, 2011 by admin

The Cal v Stanford game that was cancelled on March 6th has been rescheduled to Sunday March 13th at Stanford at 2pm. Location is the intra-mural fields on El Camino Real opposite Churchill Ave.

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Cal v Stanford Game Cancelled

Posted on March 6, 2011 by admin

The game scheduled for March 6th between Cal and Stanford has been cancelled until further notice due to a field scheduling conflict. Stay tuned for further updates.

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