Pittsburgh Dominates Midwest Finals 

Cleveland Clinches Camogie Championship and Albany Secures First Junior D Men’s Football Title:

On the weekend July 25-26th, all eyes were on Pittsburgh at the 2026 Midwest Finals in Rochester, NY. The Pittsburgh Pucas (Hurling), Banshees (Ladies Gaelic Football), and Celtics (Men’s Gaelic Football) all claimed runaway victories in their respective divisions at this year’s championship weekend. Their collective performances brought four trophies home to the Steel City. 

But Pittsburgh did not earn all the glory; both Cleveland Saints Junior A Camogie and Albany Rebels Junior D Football were victorious in their own fights for the title of Midwest Champions. While the Midwest Finals mark the end of the season for most members of the division, eleven teams plan to add more hardware to their trophy cases by the end of the summer.

Pucas Sweep Midwest Hurling 

The Pucas competed in both Junior D and Junior A Hurling at this year’s championships. The Junior D team, led by captains Tyler Rudich and Drew King, defeated Akron 5-7 to 5-4 [22 to 19] in the semi-finals. Under the guidance of Coach Vince Gullo, they ultimately claimed the Junior D title by defeating Rochester 5-8 to 2-10 [23 to 16] in a thrilling overtime decision. 

Rudich attributes the team’s second consecutive Junior D Midwest title to “leaning on each other and not quitting during a grueling overtime.” The Pucas worked towards this win in the offseason, and “every player on the field and off that bench shared that fire.” David Yesilonis “ran his heart out at midfield” and Ryan Putt “expanded our lead in overtime.”

On the defensive side, “brick wall” Dan Nacey “prevented Rochester from scoring at all in extra time.” The Junior D squad “won the game through incredible grit and toughness that we are excited to bring to Boston.” 

With Captain Andrew Brienza spearheading their offense, the Junior A Pucas cruised to the championship win, defeatingCleveland 10-21 to 1-7 [51 to 10]. Brienza says that “our match against Cleveland at Midwest Finals was our strongest of the season and came at a great time. I could tell from the throw-in that things were clicking; passes were sharp, we were communicating well, and we built confidence from some early scores that carried throughout the match, culminating in a decisive victory.” 

Brienza notes several standout players from their roster. Defender Cian Williamson-Rea “stepped up all year and earned a promotion to our Junior A team, and he showcased on Sunday that it was the right decision.”

After a devastating injury to goalie Alex Houriet in a match earlier this season, Niall Creedon “seamlessly stepped in to fill the goalkeeper position” and “made some fantastic saves.” Full forward Cory Schemm “got us off to a good start with a couple of crucial early goals” and Ryan Weinberger “scored some impressive points” from his position as midfielder.

Both the Junior A and Junior D teams will proudly represent the Pucas at this year’s USGAA Finals in Boston, MA. Brienza is “looking forward to carrying this momentum over to Boston, which will be our first appearance at USGAA Finals at the Junior A level. I couldn’t be prouder of the club’s success over the last few years and feel grateful to have a front row seat for all of it.”

Cleveland St. Pat’s-St. Jarlath’s will also be competing in the Junior B division at the 2026 Finals.

Banshees Sail Past the Competition 

The Pittsburgh Banshees Junior C squad set their sights on the championship from the moment they stepped on the field. Led by Captain Autumn Dillaman, the Banshees defeated Rochester 7-6 to 1-3 [27 to 6] in the semi-finals. Coaches Tim O’Donoghue and Davey Roberts pushed the Banshees to an 8-14 to 0-1 [38 to 1] victory over Detroit in the final match.

Veteran defender Bridgette Kennedy has been with the Banshees since the beginning. “We were founded in 2002 and played our first season in 2003. There were years where we had seven women at training. We won our first championship in 2013.”

She reflects on the dedication it took to get the Banshees to this stage. “It can take years of work to accomplish club goals. In 2026, it’s amazing to see where we are – we’re sending two teams and a total of 35 players to the national tournament. But the work never stops.” 

Kennedy offers a unique perspective on the growth of ladies’ football in the Midwest division. “It’s my understanding that Rochester and Syracuse played together this season as one team, but each fielded a team for the Midwest Championships. It’s exciting to think of the potential for the sport in both of those cities.

“Detroit, twenty years ago, had a dominant, experienced women’s team. I played against their coach back then, as well as the aunts of some of these current players. They were Pittsburgh’s toughest rivals, and the games were competitive and physical.

“Presently, they are rebuilding with a team of talented athletes, who, the more they play this sport and play together, the stronger they will become. You can see that they have something special and are on their way to some big wins.”

Winning the Junior C Championship held special meaning for all the Banshees. With the cup named in honor of Jeff “Mac” McCafferty Cup—an original Banshee coach in their earliest seasons and longtime supporter—victory was the only option. His daughter Kaitlin McCafferty—a player on Pittsburgh Na Laochra Camogie and former Banshee player—proudly presented the cup to the team. 

The Intermediate squad, coached by Tim O’Donoghue and John Shovlin, clinched their spot in Boston earlier this season. For the first time in club history, the Pittsburgh Banshees will send two teams to the USGAA Finals. Both Michelle Glancy and Holly Pascoe will lead the Intermediate team as captains in Boston. 

Cleveland St. Pat’s-St.Jarlath’s will be representing the Midwest Division at Junior B level. 

Celtics Conquer Junior C Football 

With the same ferocity as the Banshees, the Pittsburgh Celtics defeated Buffalo Na Fianna 5-15 to 1-9 [30 to 12] in the semi-finals. Captain Dominic Zappa secured his team’s 2-14 to 1-7 [20 to 10] win in the championship match against Detroit with a stellar performance in goal. While they were “tested at every level” against a tenacious Detroit team, Vice Captain Sean O’Connor, Coach Joe Walsh, and manager John Connelly drove the Celtics towards the win. 

Howard Elbert

Zappa says “I am beyond proud of the team this past weekend. Everyone stepped up and pushed through two tough games to raise the Howard ‘H’ Elbert Junior C Cup!” A founding member of the Celtics, Howard Elbert not only played but also coached, refereed, and served as a board member throughout his life. 

Preparation began months before the final match.  Zappa continued: “There has been a lot of time and effort put in this season by everyone on the team and it was great to see that culminate in a championship.” Standout performances from Brennan Reynolds as well as the massive contributions from new players ensured the Celtic’s victory. “All of them made an impressive impact this weekend!” 

The Celtics, directed by Captains Ryan Dowd and Nelson Zhukas and Coach John Connelly, will also send a Junior A squad to Boston this year.

Cleveland Saints Claims Camogie Title

Pittsburgh Na Laochra Camogie defeated Akron 9-11 to 1-1 [38 to 4] in the semi-finals. However, Na Laochra fell to a strong Cleveland St. Pat’s-St.Jarlath’s 4-4 to 2-2 [16 to 8] after a hard fought final match. Outstanding performances by goalie Hadassah Curry, defender Emily Uihlein, midfielder Katie Monbaron, and forward Jenny Brent kept Na Laochra in the hunt for the cup until the final whistle. 

Led by Captains Clo O’Leary and Yi Wang and coaches Damon Margida and Joey Murphy, Cleveland St. Pat’s-St. Jarlath’s will represent the Midwest Division at the USGAA Finals in the Junior A Division. 

The Saints honed their focus on the Midwest Finals since the start of the year. O’Leary says the “Midwest finals are a big talking point for us. Cleveland and Pittsburgh have been the only two camogie teams in the Midwest for the past few years, making for great competition at Midwest finals. The future is bright for camogie in the Midwest with Akron joining the competition this year. We look forward to many competitive games with them.” 

Key factors propelled the Cleveland camógs towards victory: “Leadership, mutual respect, working in unity as a team, always encouraging and celebrating each other are the core values that drive our success. These values are the heartbeat of our team which carried us over the line at Midwest finals this year,” said O’Leary, who credits “this exact heartbeat” to allowing Cleveland “to make history and bring the Emerald Camogie Cup back to Cleveland, honouring the legacy of the original Emerald Camogie team from Cleveland in the 1970s.” O’Leary stated she is  “extremely proud and grateful for the contributions of every single player on our team for their commitment, participation and making sacrifices to ensure our success.” 

Albany Rebels Punch Their Ticket to Boston 

Albany started the weekend by defeating Rochester 5-10 to 3-4 [25 to 13] in the Junior D semi-finals, while Syracuse outscored Buffalo 3-6 to 0-7. Under the leadership of captains Marc Massena and Des Norris, the Rebels ultimately bested Syracuse 4-14 to 2-4 in the finals for Junior D football.

Player and coach Henry Best stated, “This is the first time our club has ever won the Midwest. A few years ago, we didn’t even think this was possible. So, it’s very exciting how the stars aligned to have nationals in a location we can actually afford to travel to.”

Captain Marc Massena “was all over the field and one of our most active defenders,” with “excellent ball movement as well.” Rookie Dillon Flood “was a monster in defense” alongside Veteran defender Tyler Wilcox. A “gritty” performance by Mark Adam, Kevin Clifford, and second-year player Alex Bielfeld locked in their victory. 

2026 marked the first year that the Junior D Midwest Trophy was named after Joe Flavin. Joe’s son Cillian Flavin has been a longtime player as well as chairperson of the Rebels. Best says “we wouldn’t exist as a club without him. The best part of the weekend was seeing Cillian holding his dad’s trophy.” 

The Rebels will approach the USGAA Finals with a level perspective. “For Boston, we may be the best team in the field, or we may be the worst. We don’t know and it doesn’t really matter. We have nothing to lose and are going to play every game like it’s our last.”

Road to Boston 2026

The winning teams, in addition to those who have already qualified, will travel to Boston, MA on August 14th-16th for the USGAA Finals. While a smaller city in comparison to GAA behemoths Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, six full squads will represent Pittsburgh between the Pucas, Banshees, and the Celtics, and a total of eleven teams will represent the Midwest division as a whole. Months of training and dedication conclude in this final weekend, and all teams will fight to capture the coveted national trophy. 

Best of luck to all competing teams. Midwest Abú!

Note:

The scoring system for Gaelic athletics uses a goal and point system. The scores are written as “goals-points.” Each goal counts for three points. For example, the scoreline 10-21 to 1-7 for the Junior A Hurling Final would calculate to a score 51-10. 

MIDWEST TEAMS COMPETING IN THE 2026 USGAA FINALS