NORTH SHORE (Podcast) The Moynihan Lumber North Shore Student-Athlete award is a monthly achievement given to one male and one female for their excellence in the classroom and in athletic competition. The October recipients are St. John’s Prep’s star cross country runner Nathan Lopez and Newburyport’s brick-wall soccer goalkeeper Gabby Loughran.
Gabby Loughran – Newburyport Soccer with Bill Newell
By Joey Barrett
In girls soccer, Newburyport was the Cape Ann League Kinney Division champion this season. The Clippers went 16-1 and won an MIAA tournament game against Fairhaven before being eliminated by Medway in PKs.
One big reason for all of Newburyport’s success: Loughran in the net. The keeper – who has played all four
years on the varsity team – had 12 shutouts this season, allowed just seven goals, and didn’t allow a goal for the entire month of October.
One of her favorite parts about representing the Clippers is playing for those who came before her.
“I just really like the history of the program. Girls soccer at Newburyport has always been really impressive,” Loughran said.
That’s all outside, but inside, she’s impressed in the classroom as well. Loughran is currently taking five AP classes and excelling (A or A+) in all of them. She holds a 3.99 GPA and a 4.92 weighted GPA.
She says her hardest class is calculus while her favorites all revolve around science. Similarly to how she is on the field, one of her favorite parts about her academics is the competition.
“Going in for tests and things like that,” Loughran said. “Academics is definitely my main priority.”
Despite their different goals in competition, Lopez and Loughran have both portrayed the same work ethic, grit, and passion for what they do. That said, fans of Prep and Newburyport have had two of a kind to root for over the years.
