Warrington native Pat Berneski keeps scoring for Notre Dame

Patrick Berneski isn’t known for his goal-scoring. Center backs usually aren’t. But through the first three games of his final season at Notre Dame, the Warrington, Pa. native and Philadelphia Union Academy grad can’t stop scoring.

The fifth-year player has scored in all three of the Irish’s games, all with his head. He’s also helping to anchor, along with Havertown, Pa. native Senan Farrelly, a back line that has conceded just once in three matches.

Berneski was named the most outstanding defensive player in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic over the weekend in Bloomington — where they shut out UConn on Friday and Dartmouth on Sunday — and received defensive player of the week honors from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Not a bad start for the Central Bucks South grad under first-year head coach Chad Riley, who faced his former team for the first time on Sunday. Berneski has now scored more goals in three games than he did the previous 32 (he scored a goal last season and his first season playing in 2015).

West Chester, Pa. native Aiden McFadden also scored for the Irish on Friday night in their 3-0 win over UConn. The goal was the first for the Penn Fusion Academy alum who spent time last summer, along with Farrelly, playing in the NPSL with West Chester United.

Here are some other headlines from week two of the college soccer season from players with ties to the Philadelphia Union Academy and the Delaware Valley:

-Zach Zandi (West Chester, Pa.) delivered an overtime winner for Villanova to beat Loyola Maryland by a 1-0 final on Friday. The goal was the former Penn Fusion and Philadelphia Union Academy midfielder’s third of the season and second game-winner. He also has a pair of assists, including one that set up an overtime winner on Monday. Zandi was named the Big East offensive player of the week, the Philly Soccer Six player of the week and was on the College Soccer News team of the week.

-Philadelphia Union Academy grad Patrick Murphy (Lansdale, Pa.) and Conestoga grad Chris Donovan (Paoli, Pa.) both opened their collegiate scoring accounts with goals in Drexel’s 3-0 win last week at George Mason. Donovan was named CAA co-rookie of the week. Former Continental FC and Penn Fusion midfielder Joey Martini (Chester Springs, Pa.) was also credited with an assist on the third goal of the match.

-Philadelphia Union Academy grads Issa Rayyan and Emmanuel Perez both picked up assists with Rayyan setting up a goal in Duke’s 4-1 win over San Diego and Perez getting on the score sheet in Cal Poly’s 2-1 loss to Seattle.

-Lamine Conte (Philadelphia, Pa.) made his first start for Louisville and was a big reason why the Cardinals were able to shut out Georgia State. The Reading United defender, a former Union Academy and Junior Lone Star standout, made a couple of key interventions to preserve the clean sheet late.

-Former Union Academy midfielder Chris Gomez (Jamison, Pa.) converted a game-winning penalty kick for Lafayette in a 1-0 win over Monmouth. Former Union Academy and Continental FC forward Leon Maric (Gilbertsville, Pa.) opened his scoring account for St. Joseph’s in a 3-1 win at Saint Peter’s.

-Sophomore midfielder Alvin Dahn, who starred with Junior Lone Star FC over the summer, had a pair of goals and an assist in St. Joseph’s 4-2 win over Quinnipiac in their home opener on Saturday night. Washington Township duo Lou Vilotti and Derek MacKinnon also connected for a goal, MacKinnon’s sixth of his career.

-Union Academy grad and Reading United player Rob Campbell had a goal and an assist in Delaware’s 3-1 win over Seton Hall. The goal was the second of the season for Campbell, who transferred to the Blue Hens from Clemson after last season.