Friday, October 27, 2006 
Mercy College Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight - Paul Woodley
(This is the third article in a series about the Mercy College Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame inductees)
DOBBS FERRY, NY - On Friday, November 10, Mercy College will enshrine the inaugural class into its Athletics Hall of Fame at a dinner and awards ceremony to be held at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains, NY. Among the five inductees is former men's soccer standout Paul Woodley (Tarrytown, NY).
Woodley, Class of 1990, came to the United States and Mercy College after playing his amateur soccer in Ireland. A native of Dublin, he competed with club teams such as NCR United, where he was named Most Valuable Player for three straight years and led the team to two straight championships.
Woodley went on to make the Amateur Team selects, which gave him a greater chance at being recognized. It was with this team that he was noticed by Mercy Coach Paul Wilson.
Woodley was offered a scholarship and came to the U. S. where he learned a more physical style of play than he was accustomed to in Ireland. He successfully made the transition and would go on to complete one of the most successful careers in program history.
Known for his defense out of the sweeper position, Woodley also posted nine points in 1986, scoring two goals and recording five assists. His efforts in the backfield helped the Flyers to a 15-4-1 overall record, a 5-1 mark in league play, a share of the Suburban Conference title, and a Top 20 national ranking.
In 1987, Woodley served as a co-captain during his junior season, helping to guide the team to another National Top 20 finish on the heels of a 13-6-3 overall record. The Flyers made an ECAC Tournament appearance that year as he chipped in three assists and was named First Team All-Suburban Conference, was a NSCAA All-American selection, and earned a spot on the Academic All-America team.
In his senior campaign of 1989, Woodley again played an integral part of one of the top defenses that allowed just over one goal per game. The Flyers went on to a 12-2-3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament regional finals, only the program's second NCAA bid ever at the time. He was again named to the Academic All-America team, while earning All-Conference and All-American honors.
Following his collegiate playing career, Woodley earned his bachelors degree in business, graduating with a 3.32 cumulative grade point average. He went on to serve one year as an assistant coach at Mercy and played for the New York Shamrocks, one of the oldest soccer clubs in New York. Woodley is now a carpenter with the Local 608. He and his wife, Kathleen, a teacher in Clarkstown, currently reside in Tarrytown.
About the Mercy College Athletics Hall of Fame
The Mercy College Athletics Hall of Fame was established to honor those student-athletes, coaches, athletics administrators, and friends who have made outstanding contributions to Mercy College intercollegiate athletics and have helped bring recognition, honor and distinction to Mercy College and its athletics programs.
Mercy College will hold its inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 10, at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains, NY. The program's first inductees will be former athletics director Neil Judge (Stratford, CT), men's soccer player Paul Woodley (Tarrytown, NY), women's basketball player Stacey Gillespie (Duluth, GA), baseball player Jim Schult (Wappingers Falls, NY), and former women's basketball coach Carol Schachner Leib (White Plains, NY).
Mercy College will also present the Dr. Ann Grow Friend of Athletics Award to Dr. Thomas Milton and his wife Marie Milton. Newton Carnegie (Kingston, Jamaica) and Robert Ward (Dublin, Ireland) of the men's soccer team, Camele Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica) of the women's volleyball team, and Zoya Pochinka (Bronx, NY) of the cross country/track & field team will receive the Neil Judge Scholar Athlete Awards for the last two years, presented to the male and female graduating student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average.
There will be a cocktail reception beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $75 per person. For information on the Athletics Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner, please contact Drew Brown at (914) 674-7281 or via email at dbrown@mercy.edu. Details can also be found at http://www.mercyathletics.com/.
