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The 42
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Who will be the next generational talent to emerge in Kilkenny hurling ranks?
SHORTLY AFTER MICHAEL Fennelly retired in late 2017, he put a final message into the Kilkenny senior hurlers WhatsApp group, imploring the younger players to step up. The eight-time All-Ireland winner felt he'd let the first few years of his own senior county career pass him by. That he'd waited for a spot in the team to open up when he should have been pushing players out. He had current Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng in mind and acknowledged that while he waited for Lyng to retire, Michael Rice and James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick snuck in ahead of him. 'I told them to just jump straight in there and don't be holding back for a year or two or three years thinking you'll get your place then at that time,' revealed Fennelly of his WhatsApp message. Eight years on, Kilkenny are enduring their joint longest ever streak without All-Ireland success and, as far as another household name goes, a truly generational talent to mirror those of the golden era that the Shamrocks man played in, they're still waiting for one to emerge. One of Fennelly's colleagues during the boom times, Jackie Tyrrell, addressed the issue during a chat with Radio Kerry after the 2021 Championship. 'We just haven't had a 'wow' hurler since Richie Hogan came in in 2007/2008 – that's 13 years ago,' said Tyrrell. 'Every year, if you go back, there was a 'Cha' Fitzpatrick, there was a Richie Power, there was a Tommy Walsh, a JJ Delaney, a Henry Shefflin. 'We had all those players coming through in the space of 10, 15 years. We've now gone 13 years and we haven't had this wow hurler come through since TJ Reid and Richie Hogan.' Hogan retired after the 2023 season though Reid is still going. And Kilkenny continue to lean on the 37-year-old for inspiration. TJ Reid. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO That's understandable, of course. He is a generational talent but as one of just three players left in the squad – his brother Richie and goalkeeper Eoin Murphy are the others – with an All-Ireland senior medal from 2015, he is increasingly surrounded by a silver generation of performers. Tyrrell did suggest that Eoin Cody, in time, could be a genuine iconic figure. Joe Canning, a 'wow' player back when Galway were at their peak as All-Ireland champions in 2017, said something similar about Cody ahead of the 2022 All-Ireland final. Going through the players individually for his Irish Times column, Canning pointed to Cody as a player who 'has the potential to be one of the great Kilkenny forwards'. But while Cody went on to collect an All-Star in 2023, a mixture of injuries, patchy personal form and Limerick's excellence has so far prevented him from making that leap to superstardom. Neither Lyng nor his predecessor Brian Cody can be accused of sitting on their hands on the issue. The Allianz League is the home of experimentation and Kilkenny have been busy doling out spring-time debuts. Even in the five-game Covid affected campaign of 2020, Cody used 34 different players in the league, searching in every nook and cranny for the next TJ or DJ. He used 32 players in 2022 while Lyng performed his own trawl after he took over in 2023, handing competitive game time to 37 different players in that season's league with the figure standing at 35 for the 2024 league and 32 this year. The opportunity to experiment in the championship is rare so when Kilkenny and Wexford faced off last Sunday week in a dead rubber Leinster SHC tie, Lyng got creative again. Peter McDonald, Zach Bay Hammond, Padraic Moylan, Killian Doyle, Luke Connellan, Peter Connellan, Billy Drennan and Owen Wall all started their first championship games of 2025. Gearoid Dunne, Niall Shortall and Shane Staunton came on for their first appearances in this year's championship. Advertisement Luke Connellan impressed, pinching two points, but Wexford won and, afterwards, Lyng wasn't enthused by the overall display, lamenting the fact that Kilkenny 'didn't get the result and a better performance'. The search, it appears, goes on. Eoin Cody. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Adrian Mullen, like Cody, has the potential to be one of Tyrrell's 'wow' players though time is not on his side. His younger brother, Jake, has been ripping it up in the minor championship this year and is definitely one to watch in the longer term with potential marquee status in mind. Mullen the elder played that game against Wexford at centre-back in a novel switch. Fionan Mackessy, the former Kerry star, lined out too, just his third championship start for Kilkenny after making the unlikely inter-county transfer. Kilkenny have rarely done those sort of transfers over the years. Lyng is clearly having to search for something that Cody was gifted with – stellar talents in virtually all lines of the pitch. Kildare's Joe McDonagh Cup final manager Brian Dowling spoke recently about breaking through to one of Cody's senior teams as a teenager. He was gone after a couple of seasons and never got a second chance. Dowling said it left him with a tonne of regrets. Cody had that luxury, to simply turn to his bench and beckon forward the next phenom who, typically, came armed with All-Ireland minor and U-20 medals. Between 2002 and 2014, when Cody was in charge of the seniors, Kilkenny teams won five All-Ireland minor titles and four All-Ireland U-20 titles. Since 2014? Not a single minor win and just one U-20 crown, in 2022. Moylan, Doyle, McDonald, Drennan and Dunne were all on that successful 2022 U-20 team. Doyle is among a talented bunch of young Kilkenny players who won a Croke Cup medal with St Kieran's College. The college won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Moylan won a Fitzgibbon Cup All-Star earlier this year with DCU. Plenty more, like Harry Shine, a St Kieran's graduate who started against Offaly in the championship last month, have come to the senior panel with significant reputations. 'There are players that have come up through the Kilkenny ranks that are very talented, the likes of Harry Shine,' said Walter Walsh, who famously displayed his own prodigious talent with 1-3 for Kilkenny on his debut in 2012 against Galway in an All-Ireland final replay. This year's U-20 team reached the All-Ireland decider, losing out to Tipperary, and, who knows, big full-forward Marty Murphy from that team could yet be the next Walter Walsh. He's from the same club too. Eoghan Lyng from the 20s team is already on the senior panel, coming on against Antrim in the Leinster championship. Most likely though, Kilkenny will go with tried and trusted again for today's Leinster final. Martin Keoghan, at 26 years of age and on the panel since 2018, has been their best player this season. More concerning, the average age of the team that lined out against Dublin in Round 4 – the last time they fielded their strongest team – was 28. 'They still haven't found a player like Tipperary have found in Darragh McCarthy,' said Walsh. Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO Not that Lyng is complaining about any of it. For him, the sum of all his players' individual efforts is adding up to a powerful collective. And waiting for history to repeat itself and for another Henry Shefflin or Tommy Walsh to materialise doesn't keep him up at night. 'We compare all the time to the past teams and we have to stop doing that,' he said after the win over Dublin. 'We have a team here that's competing really well and competing hard. I think there's probably a narrative that we're going to be the team that was there 10, 15 years ago, whatever it was. That's not the case. It's Kilkenny of 2025.'
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Bishop Feehan softball marks coach Bill Milot's final playoff run with first trip to Division 1 semifinals
Senior Mylee Ramer struck out 11 in the circle, with senior Caitlyn Deveney and sophomore Olivia Abren each driving in a pair of runs as the fifth-seeded Shamrocks upended No. 4 Attleboro, 7-4, in the Division 1 quarterfinals. 'The final year, it means everything,' said an emotional Milot. Postgame, he handed Ramer the gameball. 'It really just shows you how much he cares about us,' said Ramer. 'We want to be here, but he loves us so much, it keeps us going.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ramer encountered trouble in the first inning, as Hockomock League MVP Lola Ronayne cracked a two-run home run to left center. Ramer re-centered, allowing six hits and a walk overall. Advertisement 'I just had faith that my teammates would pick me up with the bats,' said Ramer, the Catholic Central League MVP. 'We wouldn't be here without Mylee — period,' said Milot. 'The difference between this game and the last game was that our bats lit up.' On May 26, the Blue Bombardiers (18-5) won, 3-2, in a matchup of schools located a mere 2.4 miles apart. This time, the middle of the order came through for the Shamrocks (19-5). Senior Bella Silva, hitting third, plated Boston University-bound Maddie Coupal in the first inning. Abren's double to left-center scored Gwen Camara and Deveney in the third for a lead the Shamrocks would never relinquish. Advertisement Silva scored twice, first on Deveney's two-run single to right field in the fifth inning and again on an error in the sixth. On a sun-drenched day, Feehan's bats and a gritty performance from Ramer supplied Milot with something he's worked for during his 11 years at the helm: hardware. Division 2 State Silver Lake 10, Wakefield 1 — Senior Delaney Moquin fired a 13-strikeout one-hitter as the top-seeded Lakers (19-3) dispatched the No. 16 Warriors (14-6). Division 3 State Dighton-Rehoboth 13, Medway 1 — Behind a seven-strikeout, two-hit complete game and 4-for-4 hitting with four RBIs from Edy Latour, the top-seeded Falcons (21-2) scorched their way to a second-round win over No. 16 Medway (11-11). Emma Horrocks chipped in with a solo home run and Cam Cloonan drove in two. Cam Kerry can be reached at
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Eastern Mass. boys' lacrosse: Globe Players of the Week for May 14-20
Related : Nolan Jennings , Burlington — The Bentley-bound senior racked up 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) as the Red Devils captured 16-5 wins over Keegan and Cooper Masso , Bishop Feehan — The brothers were pivotal for the Shamrocks in wins over Scituate ( Advertisement Brothers Cooper (left) and Keegan Masso were instrumental in a 2-0 week for Bishop Feehan. aferreiraphoto Kam Tremblay , Billerica — The junior attack totaled 11 goals and four assists across a 3-0 week, which included thrilling one-goal triumphs over Andover ( Jacoby Patterson and Bray Carbone , Shawsheen — A junior attack, Patterson combined for 10 goals and two assists in wins over Sharon (15-13) and Haverhill (19-11). Carbone, a senior attack, notched nine goals and three assists over the same stretch.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Playoff Game Thread: Knicks at Celtics, Game Five, May 14, 2025
The Knicks head to Boston tonight with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to eliminate the Shamrocks on their home floor. Jalen Brunson continues to dominate, carrying New York's offense and controlling the tempo, while OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson have anchored their defense. With Jayson Tatum injured, the pressure falls on Jaylen Brown and Boston's supporting cast to keep the season alive. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EST on TNT. This is your game thread. This is CelticsBlog. Please don't post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Enjoy yourselves. And go Knickerbockers! Advertisement More from
Boston Globe
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Seven months of rigorous rehab on her knee led Maddie Coupal to the leadoff spot for Bishop Feehan softball
It represented a massive loss for the Shamrocks last season, as Coupal watched her teammates and friends from the sidelines. This year, the senior shortstop, committed to play for Boston University, leads off and has reinvigorated Through her first 29 at-bats, Coupal has hammered out a .345 average, 17 runs, five home runs, and eight RBIs and serves as one of the best defensive shortstops in the state. Advertisement 'She's, if not the best, one of the best that I've ever coached in my near-20 years,' remarked Bishop Feehan coach Bill Milot . Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Coupal, a North Attleboro resident, received surgery on Dec. 12, 2023. For the first week post-reconstruction, she was restricted to the couch. 'It's very difficult, honestly,' she reflected. 'It's pretty hard mentally. You need to keep reminding yourself to take it day-by-day. It's challenging, but I learned a lot . . . It made me stronger, for sure.' Maddie Coupal (5) spent last season watching from the sidelines as she rehabbed a torn ACL. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe The ensuing couple of months consisted going to physical therapy three times a week. At first, exercises were designed to bend the knee a couple of degrees. Eventually, she could fully bend and straighten it. A step in the right direction, but not the final battle. Advertisement Next came running. Then cutting. Then picking back up softball activities. Many softball drills feature kneeling, which induced a great deal of pain. Coupal retrained her body and hardened her mind. Building up stamina is one thing — confidence is another. Can I still trust my knee? It's not easy to be brave, exactly what's necessary to overcome the mental hurdles associated with a debilitating injury. It took Coupal seven months to regain her previous form. 'I learned that you have to be as tough as you can,' she said. 'Going through an injury like that, being away from softball for so long, it made me more grateful to be able to play. It's a good reminder to think about that and have to come back from that, to reset from that perspective. When I fail, it helps me reset.' Maddie Coupal touches the bag as the Archbishop Williams third baseman scoops up the ball. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Coupal's stance features a wide base, her hands high and tight to her head. By constricting the zone with plenty of knee bend, she can explode through the ball. In the third inning of a 10-2 victory against Archbishop Williams, Coupal laced a ground ball through the left side that reached the outfield before the infielders could take two steps. Related : In the bottom of the fifth, Coupal shuffled three paces to her left, collected a hot ground ball, and in one motion, fired sidearm to first base. It was textbook, exactly how a coach would teach the play. Nine out of 10 times, that's a base hit — or at least eats up the shortstop. For Coupal, it was routine. 'If you watch her play, it's another level,' said Milot. 'She's playing at another level than anyone else on the field. She's so smooth going to the ball, it's incredible. She knows the game so well.' Advertisement The Bishop Feehan roster features nine seniors. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe On a roster with nine seniors, Coupal's ability and mental toughness earned her the respect of her teammates. 'They see her play and they are in awe,' said Milot. Senior hurler Mylee Ramer , a Related : Buttressing Coupal and Ramer, senior Bella Silva hits the cover off the ball, and senior Gwen Camara , senior Caitlyn Deveney , and freshman Zoey Pereira serve as key contributors. The sky's the limit for the rest of a remarkable season. 'It's really, really special to me,' said Coupal. 'We have a great group of girls and it's really fun playing with them. The team has great chemistry.' Bishop Feehan shortstop Maddie Coupal is happy that she's not relegated to the dugout this season. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Extra bases In a busy vacation week, Tewksbury (7-3) rattled off four straight wins, vaulting the Redmen to the top of the Merrimack Valley Division 2 standings. With wins over 'We just dug deep [during the week],' said first-year coach Kirsten Dick cq (Tewksbury '16). 'We were down to [Wilmington], and we were just like, 'What are we doing? We're not playing our game.' And then a switch flipped for us.' Related : Pitcher Gabby Davis was sensational, starting and finishing every game during the win streak. 'She saw that the girls were making plays behind her, and she got more confidence to throw the ball how she can throw,' Dick added. 'She knew the team behind her was going to make the plays they needed to.' Advertisement The highlight of the week, though, was an 11-inning victory over Chelmsford in which Tewksbury ralled from five runs down and walk it off on a sacrifice fly from Sophia Cappiello . 'Most teams might say, 'Oh well, fifth inning, what are we to do?' But we never gave up,' Dick said. 'We never stopped believing, pushed through, worked through good at-bats. It was the longest game ever, but definitely well worth it.' Related : ▪ It was a week of milestones across the circuit, headlined by Triton's Emma Penniman collecting her 600th career strikeout. 'She's been a godsend,' coach Alan Noyes said after Monday's achievement. Also picking up career marks were Dighton-Rehoboth's Camryn Cloonan and Old Colony's Kayleigh deSousa , who each notched their 100th career hits. Games to watch Wednesday, No. 14 Apponequet at No. 8 Joseph Case, 4 p.m. – Apponequet's Reese Taylor and Case's Lila Alvarez make for a duel of flamethrowers in the circle. Wednesday, No. 2 King Philip at No. 1 Taunton, 6:30 p.m. – The Related : Saturday, No. 4 Dighton-Rehoboth at No. 15 Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 p.m. – Dighton-Rehoboth cruises into the week riding a five-game win streak, with their only loss coming to No. 1 Taunton. Monday, Newton North at No. 10 Walpole, 4:30 p.m. – After falling out of the Globe Top 20 this week, Newton North could prove they belong with a quality win. Advertisement Correspondent Joe Eachus contributed to this story. Cam Kerry can be reached at
