VIDEO: Former LCM soccer star guides Irish pro team to second straight Cup final

Posted: October 15th 2023

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

A former Lower Cape May Regional High School soccer star is thriving on the Emerald Isle.

Madie Gibson, a 2015 graduate of Lower, scored twice and was named Player of the Match in helping Athlone Town to a 4-0 win over Sligo Rovers in the Women’s Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Cup semifinal round on Saturday.

Gibson scored both of her goals in the first half, one on a penalty kick, and also had a hand in both second-half goals as Athlone Town’s third goal was scored on a play started by her corner kick and the fourth came through Gibson’s assist to teammate Roisin Molloy.

MADIE GIBSON

Saturday’s FAI Cup semifinal was played in front of a crowd of 1,211 at The Showgrounds in Co. Sligo, according to RTE Sports.

Athlone Town will face Shelbourne in the Women’s FAI Cup Final, set for Sunday, Nov. 19, at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.

The final is a rematch of last year’s title game, won 2-0 by Shelbourne in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 at Tallaght Stadium.

“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s been a long season for the team, so a chance to get a trophy for the club is what we’ve strived for from the preseason,” Gibson told CapeAtlanticLive.com in a text message. “We’ve worked hard for nine months now so getting to a cup final for the second year in a row is a great achievement for the girls.”

Gibson has 12 goals across all competitions in 21 games so far this calendar year. She also converted one of the spot kicks in Athlone Town’s advancement on penalties over Peamount United after a scoreless draw in the FAI Cup quarterfinal round.

Athlone Town competes in the Women’s Premier Division, a fully professional setup under the League of Ireland.

As a high school athlete, Gibson scored a school and Cape May County record 126 career goals in her high school career at Lower Cape May. She helped the Lady Tigers to Cape-Atlantic National Conference titles as a junior and senior.

Gibson was also a standout basketball and lacrosse player at Lower. She scored more than 1,000 career points in basketball, helping Lower Cape May win its first South Jersey title as a senior.

Gibson went on to enjoy a prolific career at Division I Monmouth University, where she finished her career fifth in program history with 35 goals and second in program history with 32 assists. She was named the 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was Monmouth’s first three-time All-East Region selection.

Gibson began her professional career in Europe with FC Gintra in Lithuania. The COVID-19 pandemic and a knee injury ended her spell there, before Gibson joined Athlone Town Ireland prior to last season. She’s also studying for a masters degree in Digital Marketing at the Technological University of the Shannon.

(Note: Action photo of Madie Gibson from irishtimes.com)