Athlete of the week: Matt Doran

Matt Doran, a 21-year-old senior, started playing soccer when he was four years old. For a few games, he was placed on his older brother's team when they did not have enough players. Those few games turned into seventeen years of soccer, and Doran continues to showcase his soccer ability for the Hopkins Varsity Soccer team.

Doran has received substantial recognition for his contributions to the Hopkins team. Most recently, he was named the Centennial Conference Player-of-the-Week, and last year he was the Centennial Conference Player-of-the-Year and an All-American. Matt is also a team captain along with three fellow seniors, Ryan Kitzen, Aerik Williams and Paul Galli.

Together, the four captains hope to lead the team to a Centennial Conference championship and the NCAA tournament. The team's record is 4-1, with their only loss coming in a Sept.13 match against Arcadia. In the disappointing match, Arcadia scored on a direct kick, bringing the final score to 3-2; however, Matt does not want to dwell on the loss. He says that the team is still trying to "work out personnel issues and build team chemistry. It is taking more time than we hoped, but we are coming along well."

Despite the loss, the Johns Hopkins men's soccer team remains poised for a successful season. They were recently ranked ninth in one national poll, and they are undefeated in conference play. Matt reports the freshman class is a "solid group," approximately half are starters. Matt also credits the defense with strong play this season. Backed by a freshman goalie, Gary Kane, and a junior sweeper, Adam Hack, the defense looks to be an important anchor for the team.

While Matt credits the defense with solid performances, he has clearly been an important asset to the team. In the Sept 15 conference opener against Swarthmore, Matt netted one goal and three assists, helping the team to a 5-0 victory. His is one of the team's leading scorers, and an important offensive force in the 3-5-2 formation.

While soccer is a prominent part of Matt's life, he is more than just an athlete. Matt is a public health major who plans to go to medical school. When Matt is not playing soccer or studying, he can be found working in the training room or helping chemistry students as a chem lab TA. Matt has also been on the student council, serving as Social Chair for the class of 2002.

It is hard to see where Matt finds time for all of his activities, but he has clearly mastered the art of being a student athlete.

With a GPA over 3.0 and long list of soccer accolades, Matt continues to enjoy success both on and off of the field. For this falll, however, Matt says he just wants to focus on a winning soccer season. Aided by Matt's leadership and skillful play, the Johns Hopkins men's soccer team is ready to confront any opponent.