Tara A. Buckley O'Sullivan (née Buckley; born November 1, 1962) is an American former soccer player who played as a sweeper, making one appearance for the United States women's national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tara A. Buckley O'Sullivan | ||
| Birth name | Tara A. Buckley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1962-11-01) November 1, 1962 (age 59)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Trumbull, Connecticut, U.S. | ||
| Position(s) | Sweeper[2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 0000–1980 | Trumbull Eagles | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1983 | UConn Huskies | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985 | United States | 1 | (0) |
Buckley O'Sullivan played for the Trumbull Eagles in high school,[3] before attending college at the University of Connecticut, where she played for the Huskies soccer team alongside her twin sister Moira. There she was a letter-winner and team captain during her senior year,[4] becoming the school's only four-time All-American in women's soccer. She was named to the 1982 and 1983 NCAA All-Tournament teams, and was twice was selected as the team's most valuable player in 1982 and 1983. She was also selected in the NSCAA/Adidas All-Northeast Region team in all four seasons, as well as the NEWISA All-New England team from 1981 to 1983. In 1984, she was one of the winners of the UConn Club Outstanding Senior Athlete Award. Her jersey number 5 was the first of two to be retired by the school, making her the only player to wear the number. During halftime of a UConn Huskies football game in 2008, she received a commemorative bowl to honor her contributions to the program.[5] In 2003, Buckley O'Sullivan was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame,[6] and in 2007 was inducted into the UConn wing of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame.[7]
Buckley O'Sullivan earned her first and only cap for the United States on August 24, 1985, at the Mundialito against Denmark. The match finished as a 1–0 loss.[8][9]
Buckley O'Sullivan holds a U.S. Soccer National B coaching license,[10] and has held several coaching positions.[4]
Buckley O'Sullivan earned her master's in sports marketing from UConn in 1986.[4]
| United States[8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 |
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