Patrick Hodgins recently recorded a soccer coaching milestone.

Hodgins, a 2000 Kingsford High School graduate, guided the Milwaukee Bavarians to the United States Adult Soccer Association men’s amateur national championship.

The Bavarians, who lost in the past two tournament finals, defeated West Chester (Pa.) United 2-0 at Heartland Value Stadium in Glendale, Wis.

The Bavarians, founded in 1929, captured a seventh championship and the first since 2009.

“Our player pool is deep and full of very good players,” said Hodgins, noting a roster of collegiate and former professional players. “As a team, everyone has bought into doing his job or role and they sacrifice for each other.”

In the previous two USASA Amateur Cup national finals at the Bavarians’ Glendale soccer complex, they lost in extra time last year and a penalty kick shootout in 2016.

“After losing the national finals in 2016 and 2017 it feels very gratifying to win the championship in 2018,” said Hodgins, coach of the Bavarians since 2012. “We look forward to defending our championship in 2019.”

Bavarians midfielder Scott Lorenz said a pre-match message hit home, indicating Hodgins was part of an “awesome” coaching staff.

“Pat told us before the game not to feel any additional pressure just because we’ve been here before without actually winning,” Lorenz told onmilwaukee.com. “He said, ‘We’ve earned the right to play for it again. Go out and just enjoy competing and playing for the club and the guys next to you.’

“That encouraged us to go out and just play like we know how and like we have all season.”

The title earned the Bavarians a return to the 2019 US Open Cup, ending a 10-year absence for that tournament. They also gained an automatic entry into the prestigious Hank Steinbrecher Amateur Cup in 2019 as well as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the country.

Hodgins, who has led the men’s amateur program since 2012, received the USASA Region Two Coach of the Year. He traveled earlier this year to Kentucky to accept the award.

Hodgins’ Bavarian SC also finished unbeaten in the inaugural season of the United Premier Soccer League’s Midwest Conference. The team defeated Sporting Arizona FC 3-2 for the national title Sunday in Colorado.

Hodgins coached previously at FC Magic in Appleton and The Croatian Soccer Club of Milwaukee.

Employed by Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association as a program administrator, he resides with his wife and children in Mequon.

Patrick’s youngest brother Stephen coached the 2018 Iron Mountain High School girls soccer team to its best season record and its first UP Soccer League championship.

The boys’ father, Dave Hodgins of Homestead, recently completed his 29th consecutive year of soccer coaching by volunteering at Iron Mountain High School.