Well-known Kilkenny soccer star claims college success in the USA

Dylan Hunston who earlier this year helped Bridge Utd to McCalmount Cup success recently won a US National Colleges Title with his Grand View University from Des Moine lowa. 

Hunston is a former Kilkenny CBS student and is on a soccer scholarship programme which came about with the help and assistance of local man Stephen Murray and his SMUSA group. SMUSA identifies and assists people from all over Ireland to find a college in the USA.

An hours flight from Chicago, The Vikings as they are known play in the Heart of America Conference which is considered the strongest in the NAIA programme. 

This competition consists of over 200 teams with Grand View going into the last league game of the year on top of the table with up to five sides still in contention to win the title. Unfortunately they went down 2-0 against the league and Cup winners.

The college finished third in the end and they were also beaten in the cup semi-final. The top four qualified for the last 32 of the National Cup with a home game to win before travelling to Orange Beach Alabama for the finals. 

They were unranked at the start of the season and drew the tournament favourites and No1 team in the country. A brilliant defensive display saw them advance to win 1-0.

In the last 16, another fancied school stood in the way but another big defensive display saw them win out 1-0 once again as they sealed their place in the semi-finals.

The last eight saw them again win 1-0 this time playing a more attacking game. 

In the Semi-Final, they faced a more fancied and higher ranked team and they came away with a 2-0 success.

Three of the four teams teams from their Conference contested the quarter finals. The possibility of an all Heart Conference Final was looming. 

Alas it wasn't to be. The team had reached the final playing 4 games scoring 5 goals and conceding none. Their opponents from West Virginia were unbeaten all season, winning all bar drawing two games.

Their run to the final saw them find the net 15 times and conceding 4. Again the Vikings were underdogs. They flipped the coin and went all out attack which caught their  opponents. 

The Vikings fell one behind after 4 minutes when Hunston's defensive partner made a poor back pass and paid for it. The Vikings didn't panic and created loads of chances and were rewarded on the 14th minute. 

After the turnaround both sides had chances. In the 70 minute the Vikings took one of these which would be good enough to seal the win, setting off unbelievable scenes.

The Kilkenny player was signed as a midfielder by Grand View University and was the only first year to make the Senior team holding down the number 2 position. 

In the off season friendlies he was establishing himself as a midfielder when the centre half picked up a bad injury. Dylan was asked to fill the centre back roll which he has  done magnificently. He has had an outstanding season which culminates with the ultimate reward. 

His team mates as well as Americans hail from Germany, Italy, Holland, Brazil, Denmark, Chile, Bosnia, Canada and Norway. 

Coach Groves is of Irish decent with his parents from Northern Ireland.