Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 19, 2026 49 BY TODD D. BURLAGE D ear Hailey, I miss you. Not a day passes without thinking of you or wishing I could hear your voice again. The world kept moving when part of my world was shattered." Three years have passed since Notre Dame junior Ellie Hodsden lost her sister Hailey in a traffic accident on Autobahn 93 near Tirschenreuth, Germany. Hailey — who was 24 when she died on Aug. 1, 2023 — was a grad- uate of the U.S. Military Academy and was serving overseas as a scout platoon leader, and the Stryker in which she was traveling was struck by a civilian semi-truck. Ellie — a coveted soccer recruit out of Dripping Springs (Texas) High School — was recovering from ACL surgery and prepar- ing for life as a student-athlete at Notre Dame when the tragic news of her sister's death reached her family. Even while the sisters lived half a world apart, their correspondence was frequent, and always heartfelt. In a touching video tribute to her big sister on FightingIrish.com, Ellie shared just how much Hailey means to her. "Hailey, you give me courage. When I'm tired, I think of you. When I'm nervous, I think of you. When I score, I dedicate it to you. And when I fall short, I remind myself you'd be the first person to pick me back up and tell me to keep going." After completing a slower-than-ex- pected recovery from ACL surgery dur- ing her freshman year at Notre Dame in 2024, Ellie hasn't fallen short very often. Despite missing six games during her rookie season, this talented forward still earned ACC All-Freshman Team hon- ors after leading the league with 7 goals and 0.70 goals per game in conference matches. Picking up where she left off, Hodsden tallied 7 goals and 2 assists with 3 game- winning goals as a sophomore last season. But don't let Hodsden's quick success story mislead. Couple the slow injury recovery and the loss of her sister with a move 1,200 miles from home, and life became quite complicated. "It was really hard for me because I felt like I was very behind when I got here. I was homesick," recalled Ellie, who hadn't played competitive soccer in more than a year when she ar- rived on campus. "Now, looking back, I don't feel like I missed that much time. But in that moment, it was very frustrating." Hodsden grew up in a family with eight children and remains close with her parents, whose frequent trips from central Texas to South Bend have been therapeutic for her. As a team so far this season, Notre Dame — one of the favorites to win a national championship — started rather inauspiciously with only two wins and five draws in its first seven matches. "It's been frustrating because we're all competitive and we're not winning," said Hodsden, who posted 3 goals and 1 assist through the first seven games this season, including a 2-goal performance in an 8-0 victory over Indiana Uni- versity-Indianapolis on Sept. 6. "But at the same time, we're still work- ing very hard for each other and we're very confident that the wins will come." A two-time All-Texas selection in high school, Hodsden became a top-50 recruit after she set a single-season scoring re- cord at Dripping Springs with 48 goals during her freshman season with the Ti- gers in 2020, and then broke her own re- cord as a sophomore in 2021 with 50 goals. Hodsden also earned a spot on the U.S. U16 National Team that traveled to France in 2024, and was a member of the Olympic Development Program National Team in 2022. With the success she has already en- joyed on the soccer pitch at Notre Dame, Hodsden has much to be proud of and thankful for. But Ellie will forever carry a void and will forever be quick to celebrate the memory of her fallen angel, Hailey. "I hope you know how deeply you're loved and how much of my strength comes from thinking of you. I'll keep writing to you, talking to you and hon- oring you in all I do. Thank you for being my sister, my very best friend and my forever inspiration. I miss you, Hailey. Love your baby sister, Ellie." ✦ " Irish Soccer Star Ellie Hodsden Plays With A Heavy Heart N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Hodsden (right) lost her older sister, Hailey (left), in a tragic accident three years ago. Despite the difficult circumstances, she has thrived at Notre Dame, tallying 17 goals in her first two-plus seasons in South Bend. PHOTO COURTESY ELLIE HODSDEN Irish Roundup MEN'S GOLF Finished tied for second (-13, 839) in the Folds of Honor Collegiate Sept. 7-9 at Grand Haven, Mich. MEN'S SOCCER (2-1-2 OVERALL) Notched a 2-1 victory over Michigan Sept. 6 in Alumni Stadium … Played at Clemson Sept. 11. WOMEN'S SOCCER (2-0-5 OVERALL) Routed IU Indy 8-0 on Senior Day Sept. 6 in Alumni Stadium … Hosted Clemson Sept. 11. VOLLEYBALL (1-3 OVERALL) Picked up their first win of the season at To- ledo Sept. 5, recording a 3-1 victory … Suffered a 3-1 loss at Georgia Sept. 8 … Participated in the Steve Baumrind Invitational Sept. 11-13.