After one year with the Portland Timbers’ reserve team, former Penn State men’s soccer star Aaron Molloy is on the move.

The “Irish Messi” has left the Pacific Northwest to join Forward Madison FC. The Wisconsin outfit finished seventh in the 2020 USL League One table, which is the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid.

Molloy was a star at the collegiate level in three years playing for the Nittany Lions. The midfielder scored 14 goals and contributed eight assists throughout his 50-game Penn State career. In 2019, he led the team with nine goals and six assists.

Last year, Molloy recorded one assist in 15 matches for Portland Timbers 2. The Irish native joined the Oregon-based club after being drafted in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft by Portland.

Molloy will most likely be a star on the Forward Madison roster. While he is still in the beginning phases of his career, Molloy has the resume to one day crack an MLS roster, and a third-tier side may be a stepping stone for a player who is widely considered one of the best to ever don a Nittany Lions uniform.

The USL League One season is tentatively set to begin on May 7, although that could change due to the coronavirus pandemic. Forward Madison FC is also eligible for the US Open Cup, the American equivalent of the English FA Cup, in which it would have a chance to face off with an MLS outfit.