Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Favorite athlete: LaMelo Ball
Favorite team: Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Getting a shutout win then sprinting 100 yards to my teammate after she scored the game-winning shot in OT
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: A bird pooped on two of my teammates at a game then it nose-dived right at us.
Music on playlist: Lil Uzi Vert and any old rock songs
Future plans: Major in Special Education and hopefully continue to play field hockey in college
Words to live by: “It’s okay to have bad moments, but never a bad day.”
One goal before turning 30: Work in a special education classroom and coach a sport, either field hockey or basketball
One thing people don’t know about me: My fingers are double jointed.
By Mary Jane Souder
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 on the hockey field as a freshman, Hogan, who aspires to play at the collegiate level, found herself playing behind 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.
Certainly a valid reason to be frustrated or even consider walking away from the sport. That was never a consideration for Hogan.
“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 250-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.”
Back to the beginning
The youngest of three siblings, Tierney got her introduction to sports through her two older brothers – Colin and Quinn.
“The first sport I really started playing was softball,” she said. “My brothers always played baseball growing up, so it was kind of easy for me to play as well. Before I switched over to softball, I was on the boys’ team for baseball for two years.
“I really just admired my brothers and always wanted to be like them, so I did the same sports as them. I picked up basketball in second grade, so I’ve been playing ever since. It’s always been my favorite to play just growing up with it, and I’d play with my brothers in the driveway, I’d play with my cousins all the time.”
When she arrived at middle school, Hogan gave up softball in favor of lacrosse.
“I really fell in love with lacrosse once I started playing for my middle school team,” she said.
With her seventh grade fall season wiped out by COVID, Hogan did not begin playing hockey until eighth grade.
“From the start, I fell in love with it,” she said. “Right away when I joined the team, I knew I wanted to be goalie.”
It turns out Hogan had the perfect role model in her cousin, Emily Hawkins, a Cheltenham grad who went on to rewrite the program record books at Keystone College.
“She’s ranked second in the country for all-time saves, so growing up, I would go to her games,” Hogan said. “She was a huge help along the way, teaching me all the stuff.
“High school came around, and I knew I was sticking with field hockey.”
Hogan entered her senior year with 67 saves – 40 of them came when she was a sophomore and playing for a sidelined Hurley.
Finally given the opportunity, Hogan seized the moment and through 16 games had 270 saves – 203 this season. Do the math – she is averaging double-digit saves while turning away shots at a close to 90 percent clip.
“She is a calm voice back in the circle,” Remmey said. “She is a captain and has become a leader this year.”
The key to success in the goal cage – according to the senior standout – is simple.
“You really have to focus,” Hogan said. “Goalie is all mental – you just cannot get into your head. Once a goal goes in, you just have to put it under the rug and not think about it the rest of the game. Just focus.”
A sport for every season
When winter rolls around, Hogan plays basketball where she has also filled a reserve role.
“I played basketball the longest, and I’m not a terrible player, but I definitely just always knew that I was JV,” she said. “I still bring the same work ethic. I try as hard as I can.
“I did get a start in my junior season, so I was very happy about that.”
This year Hogan – who helped with Adelman’s summer basketball camps - will have an increased role for the Golden Bears, and whether on or off the court, she is a valued member of the team.
“Tierney is one of those student-athletes you come into contact with that seem to understand the team aspect of high school sports,” Adelman said. “She is an excellent teammate to everyone. She listens and works hard at practice. She takes constructive criticism and tries to implement what you are saying to improve as a player. She goes into games and competes and does the little things through hustle and determination.
“But she is also cheering on teammates, diving on the floor for loose balls, running the court, playing tough defense and rebounding against taller opponents. In basketball, every coach will tell you that some players have a nose for the ball and a knack to grab rebounds. Tierney certainly does this for our team. She has no fear and will do whatever we need to be successful and compete.”
In the spring, Hogan plays lacrosse where she has been a swing player between varsity and JV but once again is a model teammate.
“Tierney is the most understanding person in the world,” said Remmey, an assistant coach on the lacrosse team. “She’s super coachable, listens to everything you say, takes criticism very well.”
Special family ties
As much as Hogan loves sports, she loves her family even more.
No one in the Hogan family had a bigger impact on the UM senior than Quinn, who is seven years older than Tierney and was something of an icon in the Upper Moreland community.
“He was a staple at games, always cheering loudly,” Remmey said. “He would sing loudly in the stands. The whole team knew when he was there, and often, he would come on the field after games to celebrate. All the kids knew him.”
“He was the loudest one in the stands,” Tierney said. “He was always singing in the stands. And he wasn’t just cheering for me – he would cheer for all my teammates and sometimes even the other team. If you heard someone cheering, he’d be right there with them cheering back.”
According to Remmey, to know Quinn – born with Down’s syndrome – was to love Quinn, and his sudden passing in the summer of 2024 hit hard.
“It was awful for the community,” Remmey said. “He passed away very quickly.”
Quinn suddenly became ill while at the shore with the family, and after two weeks in the hospital passed away on July 28.
“My family and I were sleeping at the hospital every single night with him,” Tierney said. “It was very hard. It’s the hardest thing I think I’ll ever have to go through.”
It was heartbreaking for the Hogan family, and Tierney can’t hide her emotions when she talks about her brother.
“I love him,” Hogan said. “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.”
Although gone, Quinn’s impact remains.
“Quinn was always inspired to do anything and everything he could,” Hogan said. “People were always saying he was not able to do things, and he really tested his limits and made people see he could do anything he put his mind to. He brought joy to every situation. Win or lose, he was the most positive person there.”
Looking ahead
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.
Hogan 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 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.
With her final high school season coming down the home stretch, Hogan is savoring every moment she shares with her teammates.
“This year has been so much fun,” she said. “All of the other seniors have been out there on the field with me – two of them are right in front of me on defense, so it’s been a great time because they were pretty much all on JV with me too.”
With basketball season on the horizon and lacrosse this spring, Hogan has no down time.
“I admire her dedication to all of her sports,” Adelman said. “Because of her involvement in field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball, Tierney has had to share her time, get instructions from different coaches, and learn how to communicate and grow up fast. I think it has helped her in so many ways to become more confident and grow as a person.”
“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.”
