On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Bensalem seniors Hunter Shay, Kyle Maloney & Brendan Callahan were recognized for committing to play collegiate soccer.
Brendan Callahan – Westminster College (Soccer)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Westminster, Immaculata, Holy Family, Arcadia
Reasons for choosing Westminster: “The soccer team, the campus and the distance.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in soccer at the collegiate level? “Since coming in my sophomore year, I wanted to play soccer in college. I thought I was good enough and here we are.”
Coach Rob Brown says: “Brendan is a great kid. He had a lot of injury issues the first year with us, so he didn’t really get to play too much in the beginning of the season and didn’t really get to prove himself fully until the end of the year. One thing we did know is he has a heck of a foot and shoots the ball really hard. He can score from far out. We saw that in our first summer league just watching him play. He’s the kind of kid that everyone loves to have on the team. He works hard, he’s always the rah rah kid that is just pushing his teammates to do better as well, keeping everyone involved and happy and in the moment. He’s a great kid, and I would love to see him do really well at Westminster – I think he will. Hopefully, they’ll have a closer game because (Pittsburgh) is a little bit of a drive, but we’ll see what we can do and look forward to seeing how he does.”
Coach Tim Hornberger says: “Brendan’s junior year right before the season he got injured, and it affected him throughout the year where he didn’t get the looks he deserved because he was injured most of the year. Coming back into the offseason, he was one of our leaders. Even when he was on the bench his junior year with an injury, he was the best teammate you could ask for, always cheering on the guys, always doing anything he could to help the team. He came back his senior year and really had a strong year. He had a great offseason, a great senior year. He was one our anchors on defense. He’s just an all-around great kid, and he’s definitely going to be missed.”
About Brendan:
Favorite food: Fried Chicken
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Favorite music: Rap
Kyle Maloney – Stevenson University (Soccer)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Stevenson, Misericordia, Moravian, Chestnut Hill
Reasons for choosing Stevenson: “They have a prestigious nursing program, and I really wanted to get out of Pennsylvania. They’re also really close to Johns Hopkins, so if I want to have an internship for nursing, I can go straight there. It felt like home there compared to other schools.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in soccer at the collegiate level? “I’ve always wanted to play in college, but then COVID hit, and I was like – ‘Do I really want to go now?’ But then it picked back up again when restrictions were lifted, and you could go see your friends.”
Coach Rob Brown says: “Kyle is a leader, someone that we were able to bring in and let him be in charge of the guys, let him tell everyone where they should be and when they should be there. We would tell him what’s going on, what we’re looking for and what we’re doing. He would push it to the guys, making sure they were into it and doing things correctly. On the field, he was a hard worker. He played center back both my years. The first year he had Jordan Lee with him and the second year he had Chris Russo with him, and both years it was a very strong combo in the middle, and we knew he was someone we could count on. We’re excited for his future. We think he’ll do very well down at Stevenson. He will definitely be missed as a leader of our program. He’s an all-around good guy. Academically, he was tops in the class, he does very, very well in school, and that’s something we’re proud of and something we push. The last couple of years - each year we’ve had two kids that have been in the top five or 10 of their class and have done really well academically. That’s something we definitely push. Myself being a teacher, that’s something I like kids to do – be involved in school and do their schoolwork. The year’s been very difficult, but all the kids, especially Kyle, have finished the year strong.
Coach Tim Hornberger says: “Going into his senior year – we lost a lot of seniors, and we were looking for a leader to step up, a captain to take over everything. When we went into the offseason, he was that guy. He ran our offseason workouts, he ran our summer camp. During tryouts, he led the guys in everything. He was that vocal leader we needed on the back end, and he really came through when we needed him. He’s an even better kid off the field and another kid that’s going to be surely missed.”
About Kyle:
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken
Favorite TV show: Outer Banks`
Favorite music: Rap
Hunter Shay – Moravian College (Soccer)
Major: Undecided
Reasons for choosing Moravian: “I wasn’t considering any other schools because I just wanted to go there. I always wanted to go to a small private school with a small community where everyone knows each other. It’s like a little family, and that’s what I like about it.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in soccer at the collegiate level? “I always wanted to play in college. I wanted to play high D1 and all that, but COVID messed it up. I kind of went from rating the college and soccer too.”
Coach Rob Brown says: “Hunter is a kid that came in kind of unassuming in what he brought because he was quiet. It took a couple of weeks to get into it and see the ability he had. Technically, you could see the flashes he had right away. Just his ability to read the game and see the game and act as that quarterback in the midfield is something we as coaches always look for and something that’s very important. He’s a great kid. If you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t complain – he just goes about his business and does it and works hard. He’s always looking to get better. He had higher aspirations to play D1 or D2 and I think definitely would have made that if COVID wasn’t an issue. Kids staying where they were and getting extra years of eligibility made it a little difficult. He will excel where he’s at, and we’re excited to get out and watch him play.”
Assistant coach Tim Hornberger says: “What you’re getting with Hunter is a great kid. He was pretty much the focal point of our midfield for the last two years. He’s a really hard worker and has a lot of talent. I think any other year outside the COVID year he would have been going to a Division 1 or 2 school. His work ethic is great, and he’s a great leader on the field. Moravian is getting a great kid.”
About Hunter:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite music: Rap
Brian Gibson – Temple University (Soccer)
“Brian Gibson couldn’t come to the signing, but he signed his letter of intent with Temple University, and he’s another player that will be definitely missed,” coach Ron Brown said. “He’s a good kid and works hard.”
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