CHESTER, PA — December 13 – Notre Dame secured a comfortable 2-0 win over New Mexico in their first ever College Cup game thanks to a double from Patrick Hodan.
Here’s how the players performed at a bitterly cold PPL Park:
New Mexico
Michael Lisch (GK): Looked solid when called upon, but was powerless to stop his side conceding on both occasions.6/10
Matthew Gibbons (D): Like his colleagues at the back, he struggled to deal with the continuing threat of Harrison Shipp and could not quite assert himself as effectively as he would have liked.5/10
Kyle Venter (D): One of the top MLS SuperDraft prospects, Venter provided a calming presence for his fellow defenders and was perhaps the best at dealing with Shipp. 7/10
Nick Miele (D): Seemed to relish the physical challenge, but seemed powerless at times to prevent Notre Dame’s strong attacks.5/10
Riley McGovern (D): Looked frustrated at times as he showed some good pace but could not couple that with many good crosses into the box. 5/10
Ben McKendry (M): Showed some flashes of trickery but struggled to have much of an impact on proceedings after a bright start.6/10
Michael Kafari (M): Will be disappointed he could not have done more in the game, but he did well in breaking up play and keeping Notre Dame at bay.7/10
Michael Calderon (M): Struggled to assert himself at times in the midfield but found himself bypassed by much of the play.5/10
Christopher Wehan (M): Took a knock in the first half, but recovered to have a decent game, even managing to get some shots away.7/10
James Rogers (F): Showed great trickery and pace, but was dealt with well by the Notre Dame defenders, to his obvious frustration. Picked up a caution in the second half.6/10
Niko Hansen (F): Had some early shots on goal but was also handled well by the Fighting Irish throughout.5/10
Subs
Oniel Fisher (D): Came on in the first half to shore up the defense, and while the first half was difficult he looked much-improved in the second period. 6/10
Nick Rochowski (D): Brought on as a substitute by the Lobos and did well to reinforce their struggling backline.6/10
James Wypych (M): Joined the match as a sub for New Mexico but struggled to turn the tide of Notre Dame pressure.5/10
Notre Dame
Patrick Wall (GK): Saved well when required, but in truth had little to do as his defenders handled most of the pressure that New Mexico exerted.7/10
Connor Miller (D): Playing at left-back, Miller was helpful in launching his team’s attacks while also looking solid defensively.7/10
Andrew O’Malley (D): Played well defensively and was crucial in limiting Rogers’ impact in particular.8/10
Grant Van De Casteele (D): Was superb in the air and otherwise worked well in partnership with O’Malley.8/10
Luke Mishu (D): Was somewhat overshadowed by his defensive colleagues, but looked solid when called upon and was helpful in launching attacking play.6/10
Connor Klekota (M): Tackled well in the middle and did well to stifle New Mexico’s midfield threat.7/10
Nick Besler (M): Gave everything as he never stopped running throughout the game, and was helpful in preventing the Lobos from gaining a foothold in the midfield.5/10
Evan Panken (M): Took a knock but recovered well, showcasing some good trickery and attacking play.7/10
Patrick Hodan (M): Finished well for both his goals, and was critical in linking the Notre Dame midfield with the forwards.9/10
Harrison Shipp (F): Enjoyed a superb game as he dominated proceedings for the Fighting Irish, setting up Hodan twice and maintaining a high threat throughout.9/10
Vince Ciccarelli (F): Linked up well with Shipp and was crucial in holding the ball up to allow his teammates to continue their attacks.7/10
Subs
Leon Brown (F): Was first introduced in both halves for Evan Panken 5/10
Chris Teale is a contributing writer for College Soccer News and is reporting from the College Cup at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. You can reach him at Chris.teale55@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @chris_teale.
