Thanks to our continued partnership with Univest Financial, SuburbanOneSports.com is once again recognizing a male and female featured athlete each week. The recognition is given to seniors of high character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams or who have overcome adversity. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of Oct. 6, 2025)
It’s been a busy fall for Tierney Hogan. The Upper Moreland senior recently reached an impressive milestone on the hockey field. One night later, she was recognized for that achievement and also was honored as one of
six seniors at the hockey team’s Senior Night game. The following night, Tierney was in the stands cheering on her basketball team at its fall league doubleheader. “She didn’t have to go and cheer on her teammates, but she did,” UM girls’ basketball coach Josh Adelman said. “And she brought other teammates along with her to watch and cheer us on. Not many people would do that when they are probably exhausted from school and their in-season sports schedule. It shows the type of person she is and why I love having her on the basketball team. Whatever Tierney achieves in sports and in life, she will have earned it because of her work ethic and team-first mentality.”
That team-first mentality is a common theme when talking to Hogan’s coaches in any one of her three sports – hockey, basketball and lacrosse. Never was that team-first attitude more clearly on display than during her high school field hockey career. When she stepped onto the hockey field as a freshman, Hogan, who aspires to play at the collegiate level, found herself playing behind sophomore Addi Hurley, a standout goalie in both hockey and lacrosse. For the first three years of her high school career, Hogan was relegated to brief stints in relief except for a short stretch sophomore year when Hurley was sidelined with a concussion. “I had starts on varsity all four years, but this is my first year really being officially the starting varsity goalie, so the other years, I was mainly JV,” she said. “It was definitely frustrating. I loved Addi Hurley and still love her. She was always a role model, but it was difficult watching her get the opportunities that I wished I could get, but at the end of the day, it all ended up working out for her, and it ended up working out for me.”
Hogan recently reached the 300-save milestone – a remarkable achievement considering she did it in just one year as a starter and spot action the preceding three years. In her first full season in goal, Hogan routinely draws praise from her opponents, including after her 30-plus save effort in a 3-0 loss to Pennsbury. "The Upper Moreland goalie is beyond talented,” Pennsbury coach Traci Curtis said of Hogan. “She is agile, quick, smart, and has an eye for the ball. She denied us so many scoring opportunities. The only way to get around her was to move the ball at mock speed and use lifts, if possible,"
Hogan’s immense contributions are not lost on her coach. “What is remarkable about Hogan is her agility during multiple shots in the circle,” UM field hockey coach Pam Remmey said. “She will save a hard shot on one side, go down in the scrum, then when they get a shot on the other side, she has already reversed and gone down to cover the other side. “She also plays basketball and lacrosse (as a field player), so her athleticism is a definite asset in the position. She grew up with two older brothers and a lot of athletic cousins who always challenged her, so she continues to be resilient and gritty in the cage.”
Hogan has known adversity, losing her beloved brother Quinn, who was born with Down’s syndrome, the summer of 2024. “It was very hard,” she said. “It’s the hardest thing I think I’ll ever have to go through. I love him. Growing up – yes, we had a big age difference, but he was always the person I’d go to. He was non-verbal but me and him - we had our very own way of being able to talk to each other. It was very, very special.”
Away from sports, Hogan is active in school life. Her favorite extra-curricular is Unified Club, which meets with the students in the life skills classroom. When her schedule permits, she participates in Unified Bocce. She is a member of the Athletic Leadership Council, and she is hoping that there’s enough interest for a ski club this winter. As for her future, Hogan – who plans to major in special education - is undecided on a college but is looking to continue her field hockey career with the school that inherits her talents, according to her coaches, fortunate to have her on their team. “She’s an interesting story,” Remmey said. “She’s very athletic, and she’s been waiting her turn in every sport. She comes to everything and is very committed. She’s part of a great Upper Moreland family, and she just has had an amazing year. She’s just such a great kid.”
To read Hogan’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/tierney-hogan-00121189
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 6, 2025)
While not many people these days remember Grantland Rice, once known as the Dean of American Sports Writers, they do know his famous quote. “It’s not whether you won or lost, but how you played the game” has
endured in various forms since the 1920s. It has applied to many athletes in all sports, up to and including New Hope-Solebury H-back/defensive end Jacob “You Can Call Me Jake” Peterson. While the senior got a late start suiting up for the Lions, not hitting the gridiron until last season, his impact and leadership for a young team still finding its way this season has been hard to deny.
Head coach Dale Smith just returned as the school’s head coach this season and found it hard to believe that he was a relative newbie to the game. “Jake Peterson played soccer his whole life,” said Smith, who was previously an assistant at NHS before returning this season. “This is my first year with him but, just from watching him on film, you could see that he was just a natural. He should have probably been playing his whole life. He’s what I call a ‘thumper.’ He’s not afraid of contact at all. He’ll just stick his head in there.” A year ago, despite being new to the game, Peterson paced the Lions with more than 700 yards on the ground. This year, in a slightly different role, he has a little more than 300. “He’s a little bit more involved in the passing game this year,” said Smith. “They were predominantly a running offense last year. This year, I’m using him equally in both the passing and the running games.”
The Lions’ defensive coaches decided to best utilize Peterson’s stout size (6-1, 220) and toughness by converting him from linebacker to defensive end. “His progression, on both sides of the ball, has just been phenomenal,” said Smith. “Like I said, here is a kid who should have been playing football is whole life.” In addition to his natural skills, Peterson adds intangibles to the team. “He’s a leader for us,” said Smith, who added that Peterson came back for 7-on-7 competitions in the summer, ever though he was at church camp. “He didn’t miss a lifting session. He has been there to help push the kids and be a vocal leader when he needs to be. He’s a great kid.”
Peterson’s story is not a unique one, as many who discovered football late were just captivated by the camaraderie with teammates that it provides. “In most sports, the teams are close, but it’s different with football,” said Peterson. “You are all putting your hearts and souls out there on the field. It’s not quite like it’s a war zone, but you’re getting hit, and you are trying to prevent your teammates from getting hit. You are going to play all out for them, and they are going to play all out for you. That’s what I really like about football. It just presents a certain brand of camaraderie.”
Off the field, Peterson also stands out, boasting a 4.0 GPA. “I take my academics pretty seriously, and I always want to do well,” he said. Although he wouldn’t 100 percent rule out playing football at the collegiate level, most of the schools he is looking at – Penn State, Delaware, Rutgers, Syracuse, Villanova, Pitt, etc. – are not realistic. “The whole thing for me is that I want to go to a school that will really challenge me, academically,” he said. Peterson wanted to thank his friends, teammates, coaches and especially his parents for their guidance. That includes going down South to the Carolinas in the wake of Hurricane Helene last year to volunteer. “We heard a lot of stories, especially in North Carolina, because we have a lot of friends down there,” said Peterson. “We heard how extensive the damage was, and my dad came up with the idea of going down there during Thanksgiving break and helping the people who really needed it.” The Petersons and another family then went into the eye of the hurricane’s remnants and helped the victims rebuild. “Honestly, it was an amazing feeling,” said Peterson. “Prior to the trip, I was against going. I wanted to just have Thanksgiving break, and I was just so exhausted from school and everything. But, once we got there and we were able to make that much of an impact, it was just awesome. It makes you feel amazing.”
To read Peterson’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/jacob-peterson-00121188
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