Patrick Hodan scored the first goal in the 1-1 draw at Virginia on Sept. 21.

Irish Place Three On Academic All-District 5 First Team

Oct. 30, 2014

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Three University of Notre Dame men’s soccer players have been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 5 First Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Patrick Hodan (Jr./M), Luke Mishu (5th/D) and Evan Panken (Jr./M) all garnered the honor and now they will appear on the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected next month.

Hodan (Brookfield, Wis.) will look to become just the second two-time Academic All-American in program history after garnering third-team honors last season. The junior midfielder leads the Fighting Irish in goals (7) and points (16) this season and he has tallied 60 points on 24 goals and 12 assists in 60 career games. Hodan, a second team all-ACC pick last season, boasts a 3.932 cumulative GPA in Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. He has appeared on the dean’s list in each of his first four semesters at Notre Dame.

Mishu (Knoxville, Tenn.) is a three-year starter at right back for the Fighting Irish. The fifth-year senior has dished out 10 assists in 70 career games (66 starts) and has helped the Irish post 23 shutouts. Mishu, a Fighting Irish team captain, copped third team all-ACC honors last season in addition to appearing on the All-ACC Academic Team. He has a 3.563 cumulative GPA as a psychology and pre-professional studies (pre-med) major in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters.

Panken (Edina, Minn.) has started every match over the past two seasons and has compiled eight goals and three assists over that time. This season, the junior midfielder has three goals and two assists. Panken was named to the 2013 All-ACC Academic Team and he was a dean’s list student in the spring of 2013 semester. He carries a 3.795 cumulative GPA in Notre Dame’s College of Science as a pre-professional studies (pre-med) and Spanish major.

The Notre Dame men’s soccer program has produced seven Academic All-Americans since the 2005 campaign. Harrison Shipp became the team’s first multiple-time honoree as he garnered a second-team citation in 2012 and was the 2013 Academic All-American of the Year for Division I Men’s Soccer. Shipp and Hodan became the first pair of Irish teammates to garner Academic All-America accolades in the same season.

The fifth-ranked and defending national champion Fighting Irish (9-4-3, 5-1-1 ACC) will conclude the regular season Saturday at Pittsburgh. The Atlantic Coast Conference clash is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Notre Dame currently leads the ACC by one point over North Carolina.

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