Sports

Coolera

Published

4 months ago

January 4, 2025

For the night of the Sligo county final in late October, win or lose, Taylor had arranged to stay over and fly back to England on the Monday. Inevitably, the game finished as a draw. The replay took place seven days later but he thought better of calling in another Monday off and returned home that same night.As his Coolera-Strandhill team-mates celebrated their Sligo SFC triumph on the first Sunday in November, full-back Seán Taylor was undertaking what has become a familiar trip back to London. On the road to creating history, everybody’s journey is different.“That has been said to me a few times since the Connacht final, if it happens, it happens,” he says.On the field, there have been very few backward steps taken by Coolera-Strandhill over the past 12 months. And yet not many pundits or bookmakers are giving them much chance of beating Cuala on Sunday.His weekly schedule has revolved around making it back to Sligo for training or a match every Sunday.O’Carroll has been playing his club football in Sligo since 2021. His brother, Rory, continues to play for Crokes.“For me, I’d be excited by that prospect, not nervous; I’d embrace it. I marked Evan Regan [Ballina Stephenites], I marked Paul Carey [Pádraig Pearses] – Regan got one point from play, Carey didn’t score. For me I would embrace that one-on-one battle.”“Yeah, Ross would know the Cuala lads from playing against them with Kilmacud. He’s a great character, has great instinct and is a really strong player. We help each other and it’s great having him there.”Last summer Taylor moved to London to start a new job with Harlequins rugby club. The 25-year-old is the lead strength and conditioning coach for the club’s Academy Colleges & Education (ACE) programme. He is also the athletic development coach at Gordon’s School, Surrey, one of the feeder schools to Quins.

Coolera's Seán Taylor, Keelan Harte and Seán Murphy after the Connacht final. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho — Coolera’s Seán Taylor, Keelan Harte and Seán Murphy after the Connacht final. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho

He was busy off the field at that time too, working as a strength and conditioning coach with the Sligo minor and under-20 football teams, and also the Sligo senior women’s side, so in advance of 2023 he had to take a step back from the goalkeeping role with the Yeats County.“A couple of mates of mine were playing with Strandhill, so I went down to train with them. After that first training session, I just left feeling I had found a new home.Taylor recently tallied up the figures; since August he reckons there have been 17 flights, two ferries and somewhere in the region of 42,000 kilometres travelled for the cause of Coolera-Strandhill, commuting over and back from the UK pretty much every weekend.And yet it’s not Taylor’s home club – rather, it’s one that has become a home. Originally from Ballyshannon, he played for the Aodh Ruadh club, winning a Donegal intermediate title in 2020. A former Donegal minor goalkeeper, he was the county’s netminder at that grade in 2017 on a team that also included Oisín Gallen and Peadar Mogan.“It was the culture the boys had within themselves, it was lighthearted fun but the standard of football was really high, the coaching – Enda Mitchell, John McPartland – I had never seen anything like it before.

Niall Murphy celebrates Coolera-Strandhill's win at Markievicz Park. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho — Niall Murphy celebrates Coolera-Strandhill’s win at Markievicz Park. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho

“I just told them it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”“We embrace the challenge – since the Connacht final we haven’t been counting down the days, we’ve been counting down the hours. We can’t wait.”“I’ll be finished when we stop winning, I tell them.”“It was a special day for everybody involved in the club,” says Taylor, who chipped in with a point on the day.The rugby players going through his hands in London have become aware of Coolera-Strandhill’s odyssey in the club championship.“I have introduced a few Gaelic football games and drills to some of their training sessions, as a bit of fun, more for a mental break than anything.“The way they were able to talk with the lads and adapt a training session on their feet. They were so welcoming too. There was no rush or panic from them for me to sign – it was a case if I wanted to train, I could train.”

Coolera-Strandhill manager John McPartland (left). Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho

It was an opportunity Coolera-Strandhill took. Over in London, they have started to wonder when Seán Taylor will be finished with all of this madcap traversing of the Irish Sea just to play sport.Saturday mornings tend to involve a pitch session with the ACE team at Gordon’s School followed by a gym session from 10-11. As soon as the gym session finishes, Taylor immediately hops in a waiting taxi to Heathrow for a lunchtime flight to Ireland.On moving to Coolera-Strandhill, initially the plan was to look at playing in goal but with a strong goalkeeper in Keelan Harte already in situ, Taylor instead tried his luck out the field.“I stick our games on the TV in the gym too. The boys would be looking at it going, ‘What’s that?’ Is that you?’ You have these lads from Brixton and Basingstoke asking about Niall Murphy’s free-taking technique.And yet his goalkeeping abilities did not go unnoticed in Sligo. Former Donegal number one Paul Durcan is part of Tony McEntee’s back-room team with the Yeats County senior footballers and on his recommendation Taylor was invited and joined the squad as an option between the posts in 2022.“Even if we lost it would have been worthwhile,” he says. “Because the bond we have between lads is so strong.”But after moving to Sligo for college and subsequently getting work there, Taylor eventually decided to play his club football in the Yeats County and transferred to Coolera-Strandhill.“It makes me feel a sense of pride, knowing I wear the GAA badge. The boys would be asking me now on Monday mornings how the game had gone.”“Cuala have some stalwart players and we obviously have to look after a couple of men, but we are going with the perspective that they are going to have to come play us as well and look after some of our players. They don’t fear us, we don’t fear them.The Dublin champions will arrive to Breffni with the likes of Con O’Callaghan and Michael Fitzsimons leading their charge. Taylor is likely to mark O’Callaghan.Before the Connacht final, Taylor asked his bosses in London if cover could be arranged for the Monday afterwards. He wanted to be there, just in case.A couple more weeks yet so, if all goes to plan.Yet here they are, All-Ireland club semi-finalists, having won a maiden provincial title – and the first Sligo club in 41 years to be crowned Connacht kings. Such unprecedented success must make Taylor’s criss-crossing of the Irish Sea worthwhile.Quite well, has been the stock response of late – culminating in Coolera-Strandhill’s historic extra-time Connacht final win over Pádraig Pearses.“But what a challenge,” says Taylor. “To be in the top four in Ireland, to put Coolera-Strandhill on the map, to put Sligo football back on the map. So much good football is played in Sligo but it kind of goes under the radar.Having a Dub among their ranks won’t do Coolera-Strandhill any harm either. Centre back Ross O’Carroll’s home club is Kilmacud Crokes, southside neighbours and rivals of Cuala.[ Luke Keating’s late point gives Cuala the Leinster club titleOpens in new window ]Few outside of the Coolera-Strandhill dressingroom, and possibly even some within it, would have believed the club on Ireland’s western seaboard would still be playing football at this stage of the competition.He trains with Coolera-Strandhill on Sunday morning and usually flies from Knock to Stanstead on Sunday afternoon. Match days tend to mean later flights back to London.Nonetheless, the task ahead for the back-to-back Sligo champions is steep.[ Coolera-Strandhill become first Sligo club to win Connacht title in over 40 yearsOpens in new window ]

Related Topics:athletic coach college competition football gym history late new night rugby sports team tv working

Up Next

Costumes and high drama

Don't Miss

Parkersburg South wins in first

Click to comment

College Sports

Water Polo Set For MAAC Semifinal Against Villanova

Story Links POUGHKEEPSIE, New York- The Marist water polo team is set to play in its 2025 MAAC Championships Semifinal match, Saturday afternoon. The Red Foxes compete against Villanova for the third time this season, splitting the previous two matches. The Red Foxes enter the match ranked first in the Blue Division, at 23-10 overall […]

Published

9 minutes ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Water Polo Set For MAAC Semifinal Against Villanova

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York- The Marist water polo team is set to play in its 2025 MAAC Championships Semifinal match, Saturday afternoon. The Red Foxes compete against Villanova for the third time this season, splitting the previous two matches.

The Red Foxes enter the match ranked first in the Blue Division, at 23-10 overall and 8-3 in MAAC play.

The Red Foxes swept their final two matches of the regular season.
- Match One vs Siena: 14-11, win
- Match Two vs Iona: 13-12, win
In the win against Iona, the Red Foxes clinched the Blue Division in the MAAC.

Baumgarten had a dominant season for the Red Foxes in her senior year.
Baumgarten tallied 40 goals on the season for the Red Foxes.
Baumgarten scored a season-high seven goals in the Red Foxes Blue Division clinching win against Iona 13-12.
Baumgarten is a two-time ACWPC All-American Honorable Mention and earned her second Second Team All-MAAC selection.

The Wildcats finished the regular season 21-11 overall and 7-5 in MAAC play.
In the MAAC quarterfinal match, Villanova triumphed against Iona 9-6.
The Wildcats had four All-MAAC honorees for an impressive 2025 season.
Adrienne Grimes was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year for the Wildcats.
Michael Gordan was named MAAC Coach of the Year

Print Friendly Version

Sports

No. 21 Women’s Water Polo Dismisses Azusa Pacific to Advance to GCC Semifinals

Next Match: vs. No. 2 Fresno State 4/26/2025 | 2 p.m. Apr. 26 (Sat) / 2 p.m. vs. No. 2 Fresno State History LOS ANGELES – In control from start to finish, the No. 21 Pacific women’s water polo program submitted a wire-to-wire 16-9 victory over Azusa Pacific on Friday […]

Published

51 minutes ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LOS ANGELES – In control from start to finish, the No. 21 Pacific women’s water polo program submitted a wire-to-wire 16-9 victory over Azusa Pacific on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Golden Coast Conference Tournament at the Burns Aquatics Center on the campus of LMU.

The third-seeded Tigers (13-9, 5-2 GCC) pounced on sixth-seeded APU (16-15, 2-5 GCC) early and built a 6-3 first quarter lead. Pacific upped it to 10-3 in the second quarter to catapult ahead. The Tigers never trailed in the contest.

Each recording a hat trick were junior Dora Alaksza and sophomore Ella Cowan. Alaksza, an All-Conference First-Team selection, is up to 235 career goals, which ranks third all-time in Pacific history. She’s chasing Molly Smith’s program-leading tally of 286 goals from 1997-00 and Jessica Schroeder who is second with 268 goals from 2001-05.

Pacific, which has now won four of its last five games, garnered a pair of goals from senior Addison McGowan, senior Hila Futorian, senior Sierra Cavano and sophomore Alicia Petkov. McGowan, who was named an All-Conference Honorable Mention, registered a team-high five points after dishing out three assists. Futorian, an All-Conference Second-Team honoree, distributed a pair of assists.

Seniors Ilyana Zlobinsky and Natasha Dykman scored a goal apiece. Sophomore Maja Lizy Dulic, an All-Conference Honorable Mention, made nine saves in net and turned in a .500 save percentage.

APU was led by Jaeden Johnson’s three goals and two assists. GCC Newcomer of the Year Jessie Nelson was held scoreless.

Pacific knocked APU out of the conference tournament for the third year in a row. The Tigers are now 17-1 all-time against the Cougars and 6-0 at a neutral site.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to Saturday’s 2 p.m. semifinals. They’ll take on second-seeded and eighth-ranked Fresno State in a revenge match after dropping the regular season meeting 12-10.

Precision passing and a goal by A. Petkov. Tigers lead Azusa Pacific 13-6 in the 3Q.#PacificProud || #DreamBig || #WaterPoloU pic.twitter.com/SV4GQ7vLlt

— Pacific Water Polo (@UOPWaterPoloU) April 25, 2025

Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.

Stay Social

For all the latest on Pacific women’s water polo, be sure to follow the team on X (@UOPWaterPoloU), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and “like” the team’s official Facebook page (Pacific Women’s Water Polo).

#PacificProud

Sports

Nehemiah Turner Joins Gopher Men's Basketball Program

University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach Niko Medved has announced the addition of Nehemiah Turner (Auburndale, Fla.) to the 2025-26 roster. Turner comes to Minnesota after playing his freshman year at Central Arkansas. “Nehemiah is a terrific addition to our program,” Medved said. “He has size, strength and skill with great finishing ability. Nehemiah has […]

Published

2 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Nehemiah Turner Joins Gopher Men's Basketball Program

University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach Niko Medved has announced the addition of Nehemiah Turner (Auburndale, Fla.) to the 2025-26 roster. Turner comes to Minnesota after playing his freshman year at Central Arkansas.

“Nehemiah is a terrific addition to our program,” Medved said. “He has size, strength and skill with great finishing ability. Nehemiah has good paint presence and a high ceiling. We’re looking forward to having him in a Gopher uniform.”

Turner, a 6-foot, 10-inch forward, saw action in all 33 games his freshman season, including the starting nod at the end of the year. Playing 18.1 minutes, Turner averaged 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, but averaged 17 points the final two months of the year. In the final 10 games of the season, Turner averaged 18.5 points and scored in double figures in all 10 contests. In the opening round of the ASUN Championship, Turner led the team to a 77-72 win over Stetson when he had career-high 37 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Turner’s 37 points also marked the best by any UCA player last season as did the 13 field goals made that game. In his rookie campaign, he scored double-digit points in 12 games and three double-digit rebounding games.

Before Central Arkansas, Turner played prep basketball at Williston Northampton where he earned All-WNEP and All-NEPSAC honors. He transferred there from Auburndale (Fla) High School. He averaged 13 points and nine rebounds and was a two-time All-District selection.

2025 Spring Signees (Hometown)
BJ Omot (Mankato, Minn.)
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (San Antonio, Texas)
Bobby Durkin (Darien, Ill.)
Robert Vaihola (San Mateo, Calif.)
Langston Reynolds (Denver, Colo.)
Chansey Willis Jr. (Detroit, Mich.)
Nehemiah Turner (Auburndale, Fla.)

Sports

Tara Davis

Nike is announcing the addition of Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall to its decorated track and field roster, further demonstrating the brand’s commitment to partnering with elite athletes to break barriers, push limits and move the world forward through the power of sport. Davis-Woodhall, a long jumper, and Woodhall, a sprinter, both won gold last […]

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Davis-Woodhall, a long jumper, and Woodhall, a sprinter, both won gold last summer in Paris and sit atop their respective disciplines as among the greatest athletes in international track and field competition. In partnering with Nike, the couple joins an unmatched athlete roster fueled by the brand’s holistic, industry-leading support and longstanding commitment to innovation, all in service of athletes.

Davis-Woodhall is the preeminent American long jumper and a two-time Olympian. She won her first Olympic gold in 2024, following up on a first-place finish at the World Indoor Championships earlier in the year. She also won the national title at the USA Track & Field Championships in 2023 and set the NCAA women’s long jump record two years prior.

“Nike is more than a sponsor: It’s a partner in creating change for women in sport, turning belief into action through its deep support for athletes, innovative footwear and apparel, and a mission of expanding sport for the next generation,” says Davis-Woodhall. “I’m always searching for ways to level up my performance and make a lasting impact on the track and field community, and partnering with Nike will help me push my limits while growing and giving back to the sport I love.”

Woodhall is a three-time Paralympian and five-time Paralympic medalist who has been a mainstay at the leading edge of multiple sprint disciplines for the past decade. He won his first Paralympic gold in 2024, besting the field in the men’s 400-meter T62, and took bronze in the 4-by-100-meter universal relay alongside Nike athletes Tatyana McFadden and Noah Malone. He previously won bronze in the 400-meter T62 at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, as well as silver (in the 200-meter T62) and bronze (in the 400-meter T62) at the 2016 Games in Rio.

“One of the things that immediately attracted me to Nike is a shared mindset rooted in the idea that better is never good enough,” says Woodhall. “At Nike, and in running, there’s a never-ending pursuit of trial, progress and innovation — and I’m inspired by the prospect of what we can create together, both to help me improve my performance and to serve athletes worldwide.”

Cofounded by a former collegiate track and field athlete and his coach, Nike has a five-decade history as the brand built by runners, for runners — serving both elite and everyday athletes with innovation and inspiration that aim to solve the challenges they face every day. Nike is also the greatest champion of women in sport, pioneering new paths for women athletes by inviting them into sport and delivering science-backed innovation that’s personalized and disruptive. Further, the brand is a strong advocate for adaptive and Paralympic athletes, helping them reach new heights with holistic support and custom innovations designed to enable even greater performance.

Davis-Woodhall and Woodhall will debut as Nike athletes at the upcoming Drake Relays.

Sports

Beavers Start Three

Oregon State (32-7) vs. Oregon (27-12)April 25, 2025 • 5:05 p.m. PT • Eugene, Ore. • PK ParkTBA vs. TBA The GameOregon State opens a three-game weekend series at Oregon beginning Friday night with a 5:05 p.m. PT first pitch at PK Park. The Oregon State – Oregon Rivalry Series is presented by Safeway-Albertsons, PacificSource […]

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Oregon State (32-7) vs. Oregon (27-12)
April 25, 2025 • 5:05 p.m. PT • Eugene, Ore. • PK Park
TBA vs. TBA

The Game
Oregon State opens a three-game weekend series at Oregon beginning Friday night with a 5:05 p.m. PT first pitch at PK Park. The Oregon State – Oregon Rivalry Series is presented by Safeway-Albertsons, PacificSource Health Plans, Your Local Toyota Dealers and First Interstate Bank.

Radio
The game will be carried live on the Beaver Sports Network throughout the state of Oregon. Mike Parker will call the action.

Listen Online
Catch the game online by visiting osubeavers.com, and find the live broadcast on the Oregon State baseball schedule page. The game can be heard via the Varsity Network, which is available for users with smartphones and tablets. Download the free Varsity Network application for live games and archived broadcasts.

Television
The game will not be broadcast.

Live Video
The game will stream live on B1G+ as produced by Oregon.

Live Stats
Live stats for the game can be accessed by clicking on the live stats link located on the baseball schedule page on osubeavers.com.

Last Game
Aiva Arquette drove in two and Gavin Turley hit a three-run home run in a five-run sixth inning for Oregon State in an 8-3 win over Gonzaga Tuesday afternoon at Goss Stadium. AJ Singer finished with three hits for the Beavers, who swept the two-game midweek series over the Bulldogs. Tanner Douglas got the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Oregon State Notables
• Friday’s series-opener marks the 370th all-time meeting between the Beavers and Ducks. Oregon State holds a 197-172 advantage, with Oregon up 91-89 in games played in Eugene.
• Oregon holds a two-game streak in the series but the Beavers have won seven of the last 10 matchups dating back to 2022.
• The Beavers’ 12 game-win streak is the longest active streak in the nation. It is Oregon State’s second of 10 or more games after winning 11 consecutive from March 2 to March 21.
• OSU has also won seven straight on the road, which ties High Point for the longest in the nation.
• The Beavers are 26-4 since March 2.
• Oregon State’s bullpen combined for 15 1/3 scoreless innings in the two-game sweep of Gonzaga. OSU used eight relievers and the group scattered six hits and seven walks while striking out 17.
• Gavin Turley moved into fourth place in the OSU record books with 171 career runs batted in. He needs nine to break Michael Conforto’s (2012-14) program record of 179.
• Turley hit his 14th home run of the season Tuesday, moving him into a tie for ninth in a year by a Beaver. He’s the only Beaver ever to be in that top-10 list three times; his 19 in 2024 rank third and he also hit 14 as a freshman in 2023.
• Aiva Arquette opens the series on a 12-game hit streak. He is 25-for-52 (.481) with 21 runs, two doubles, eight home runs, 25 RBI and 10 walks.
• The Beavers are hitting .329 over 13 true road games, collecting 26 doubles, three triples, 40 home runs and 75 walks to 90 strikeouts. That amounts to a .644 slugging percentage.
• OSU has out-scored its opponents 169-66 in the first four innings combined this season.
• The Beavers are 26-4 when scoring first and 30-1 when out-hitting an opponent.
• Oregon State plays 10 of its next 12 games away from home.

Sports

Tyler McKay, KC Native And Triple

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A Triple-A arm with wipeout stuff has joined the Kansas City Monarchs’ pitching staff. Tyler McKay, a Kansas City area native, is joining the Monarchs from the Phillies organization. The former Kansas State Wildcat earned a 2.28 ERA in 2024, splitting the season between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in […]

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A Triple-A arm with wipeout stuff has joined the Kansas City Monarchs’ pitching staff. Tyler McKay, a Kansas City area native, is joining the Monarchs from the Phillies organization.

The former Kansas State Wildcat earned a 2.28 ERA in 2024, splitting the season between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies system.

The right-hander used his five-pitch mix to get plenty of swings and misses, tallying more than a strikeout per inning across 43 appearances in 2024.

“Tyler McKay is a big-time signing,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “He’s a guy with great strikeout numbers in Triple-A; he can play multiple roles for us; he’s a local product. We’re really excited to have him in Kansas City.”

McKay and the Monarchs open their 2025 season on Friday, May 9 from Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. Tickets are on sale now.

Born in Lee’s Summit, McKay attended Blue Springs South High School. He played at K-State his freshman season before transferring to Howard College, where he was a starting pitcher in 2018.

The Phillies drafted McKay in the 16th round in 2018; he made his pro debut later that year. He made his High-A debut in 2021 and reached Double-A for the first time in 2022.

McKay’s first Triple-A appearance came in 2023. Across 52 appearances at that level (all in relief), he owns a 2.97 ERA and 8.3 K/9 across 60.2 innings of work.

The Monarchs now have 30 players signed to their spring camp roster. See the Monarchs’ full roster here. The team is allowed to carry a maximum of 25 players for Opening Day on May 9.