Almost-triplets almost a triple threat

Defying all statistical odds, 2/3 of two sets of triplets spell double trouble for opponents. A sports team with a set of twins is uncommon, but clearly not unheard of. The odds that the twins are actually two of a set of triplets is much smaller. But what about the chances of a team having two sets of twins which are both part of a set of triplets? Impossible? Apparently not. You only have to travel as far as Rhodes Field to see this walking improbability before your very eyes. Seniors Andrea and Jill Callaghan and juniors Aidan and Jamie Viggiano give the Penn women's soccer team that seemingly absurd scenario. Adding to the storyline, the Callaghan twins have recently become Nos. 1 and 2 on the Penn women's soccer all-time scoring list. Andrea is currently in first place and Jill is in second, which only adds to the friendly rivalry which has always existed between the two athletes. For both sets of sisters, their soccer careers started early and with all three triplets playing together. The Callaghan triplets -- Andrea, Jill and current College of New Jersey senior Christy -- began playing soccer at the age of six. The three sisters always played on the same youth soccer teams growing up and eventually knew each other's styles well enough that they could communicate on the field without even speaking. That ability gained serious attention in high school when the Callaghans played for Moorestown (N.J.) High School. The triplets sparked a girls' soccer mini-dynasty by leading the team to two state championships and three state finals appearances. At one time, the school was ranked No. 1 in the country. "The same kind of scoring competition that's going on right now happened for them in high school, too," Christy said. "Annie was able to get 100 career goals but Jill had only 99 because she got injured." Jill and Andrea were heavily recruited by then-Penn coach Patrick Baker. Because of their affinity for Baker and desire to remain close to home, the pair decided to become Quakers. "We weren't necessarily planning to go to either the same or different school," Andrea said. "But I think we knew that we would probably end up at the same place." Christy, on the other hand, was more interested in going somewhere else, ending up at the TCNJ, where she no longer plays soccer. The Callaghan triplets were soon known by the Penn community as the Callaghan twins, and the pair would soon lead the Quakers to success unrivaled by any previous women's soccer team. The beginning was much the same for the Viggiano triplets: Aidan, Jamie, and Monmouth junior Jonna. The threesome started playing the sport at age five and competed on the same youth soccer teams through their days at Red Bank Catholic (N.J.) High School, where they made the state finals their senior year. "There was always competition between the two of them," Jonna said. "Jamie was the leader in school and Aidan was the leader in sports, and we would always try to follow those leads." While Aidan and Jamie applied to the same colleges, Jonna -- like Christy Callaghan -- decided she needed to get away. She enrolled at Monmouth, where she also has given up competitive soccer. Aidan and Jamie stayed together, becoming the second set of twins Baker successfully recruited in two years. "It really helped us comfort-wise coming into college," Jamie said. "It's a lot nicer knowing someone your freshman year." For Aidan and Jamie, the intense competition, which has naturally been a part of their lives at Penn, has been of great benefit to both sisters. "Everything we do is the same, so there is a lot of competition, which makes it more fun," Aidan said. "School-wise, we study the same thing, and she's really smart, so if I need help she's there." "We really balance each other out well," Jamie said. "I'll motivate her to study and she'll motivate me to go practice." The Callaghans have also found playing for the same school to be a very rewarding decision. Neither Andrea nor Jill believes she would be nearly as good today if it weren't for the help of her sister. "When one of us isn't playing well, we'll always get the other one going," Jill said. "We are each other's biggest fans and worst enemies. We'll always get on each other's case but we'll pump each other up, too." The presence of a sister on the team not only helps from an emotional standpoint, but it is also strategically important. The Callaghans have now been playing together for 15 years and their communication on the field is remarkable. "When she gets the ball, I always know where to be," Jill said. "After playing together as long as we have, we know what the other one is going to want to do with the ball." The games do not always go as planned, however, and when they go badly for either Callaghan, the other one is there to offer encouragement. "When she is having trouble scoring, I always encourage her and vice versa," Andrea said. "It makes it so much more fun playing with her on the team because we're always pushing each other." "I don't think I'd be the player that I am if she wasn't playing with me," Jill said. "If I'm down, she'll make me look on the positive side of it." For Penn coach Andy Nelson, the presence of the Viggiano and Callaghan sisters has been a major blessing. The first-year coach would not hesitate to recruit twins, or even triplets, if he had the chance. "I think that having these relationships really helps the team," Nelson said. "It would be an asset for recruiting since you get two for the price of one. There are two people working for the same goal which helps both on and off the field." The Viggianos and Callaghans have been greatly helped in all aspects of their Penn lives by having their sisters around. The women's soccer team, now 11-3-1 on the year, has been just as fortunate that this anomaly of four arrived at Penn.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.