|
 |
 John O'Brien (left) hoists the 2003 NE-10 Tournament Championship plaque along with teammate Michael Cabral |
Oct. 15, 2009
John O'Brien (North Andover, MA), a junior on the UMass Lowell men's soccer team, was profiled on the National Public Radio series Only A Game, aired on WBUR FM 90.9 Saturday at 7:00 a.m.and 6 p.m.
The show is also available online at www.onlyagame.org.
The episode profiled O'Brien, a Northeast-10 Conference all-star as a freshman who left the UMass Lowell men's soccer team following the historic 2003 season and served four years in the U.S. Army, including 15 harrowing months in Iraq. He returned to join the River Hawks for the 2009 season and earn his degree in criminal justice.
The piece was produced by Karen Given, who spent the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 8 with O'Brien while the River Hawks trained.
In 2003, UMass Lowell posted a 15-5-2 record, captured the NE-10 Tournament Championship and the NCAA New England Region title en route to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round before suffering a 2-0 loss at Dowling College.
During the season, O'Brien was named a captain - the youngest player to earn such a distinction in then-head coach Ted Priestly's tenure - and went on to earn a spot on the NE-10 Third Team.
O'Brien transferred to UMass Lowell in 2002 after one season at Northeastern (he did not play). It was during his time at Northeastern that the events of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred.
O'Brien stunned his family and friends by deciding to enlist in 2004 and was sent to train at bases in South Carolina and Georgia. In July of 2006, he left for Iraq as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and spent time in the often chaotic cities such as Baqubah, As Sadah and Zaganiyah.
He returned home, not without battle scars, in November of 2007 and finished his four-year commitment at Fort Bragg, NC, training new recruits.
Last Spring, O'Brien signed on to be an assistant coach with the men's program while he completed his degree. In early September, feeling the itch, O'Brien realized he had two years of playing eligibility and ultimately reclaimed his place on UMass Lowell's back line.
Only A Game is a nationally broadcast weekly sports show, "for the serious sports fan and the steadfast sports avoider," produced by WBUR and hosted by veteran NPR commentator Bill Littlefield. It airs Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on WBUR FM 90.9.
