Sept. 19, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame standout Patrick Hodan must like the color Orange. The sophomore midfielder was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for his three-point performance in Friday’s 3-0 victory at Syracuse.
Hodan (Brookfield, Wis./Marquette University High School) tallied a goal and an assist to help give the Fighting Irish their first-ever ACC win. He assisted on the second goal of the match, which came when he sent a corner kick into the box that was deposited by Andrew O’Malley in the 23rd minute. Hodan added the game’s third goal in the 51st minute. He finished with a game-high five shots, including four on goal, while playing 82 minutes in the contest.
This wasn’t the first time Hodan delivered against the Orange. Last season, he scored two goals and assisted on a third in Notre Dame’s 4-2 come-from-behind victory at Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship.
“We were confident going into (Friday’s) game, but we knew it was not going to be easy,” Hodan said. “Syracuse went up 2-0 on us early in the game last year and we wanted to make sure that did not happen again. We had to make sure that we set the tempo early in the game. It was very important for us to pressure well and capitalize on our opportunities.
“It was nice to get the first ACC win under our belt. The ACC is a very good conference so each game is very important.”
Last year’s performance at Syracuse was just one of the many highlights. Hodan gave the Irish during his freshman campaign. He played in all 22 matches, including two starts, and registered six goals and five assists en route to earning all-rookie honors from the BIG EAST.
Hodan now is a full-time starter at the right midfield spot for the top-ranked Fighting Irish. He has one goal and two assists and has helped Notre Dame get off to a 3-0-2 start this season.
“Patrick is a special talent,” Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark said. “He’s such a deceiving type of player. He moves, freezes defenders and has a good change of pace. He’s such a cerebral player and he’s always thinking. He can go himself, he can play other players in and he can really score goals. He’s a predator and he’ll score more goals before this year is over.”
Hodan and the Fighting Irish return to the pitch Saturday at Boston College. The ACC showdown is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) at the Newton Campus Field in Newton, Mass.
— Sean Carroll, Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
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