The lights were on and the stands were packed with more than 1,000 people as Mark Brode walked onto the field for his first game at SU Soccer Stadium on Sep. 5, 2009.

Brode got the opportunity to start and helped Syracuse to a 2-1 win over Cornell.

“It was crazy,” Brode said. “I remember I was so pumped. I was a freshman and I was starting. It was an unbelievable experience. It was the first time I’d played in front of that many people.”

Now, more than three years later, Brode’s run of four years playing at SU Soccer Stadium is coming to a close. He’ll play his final regular season home game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday as Syracuse (11-4, 4-2) squares off against DePaul (3-9-3, 0-5-1). Brode is one of eight players who will be recognized on senior night, along with Mawuena Agbossoumonde, Evans Asiamah, Nick Bibbs, Louis Clark, Ted Cribley, Lars Muller and Ryan Tessler.

With wins against DePaul and St. John’s, Syracuse can secure a home game in the Big East tournament. Brode said he is sad to see the era come to an end.

“I’ve been here for what feels like forever,” Brode said. “It’s scary to think that this could be the last game on this field for us. Hopefully it won’t be.”

In a career chock-full of highlights and special moments, one particular home game stands out for Brode.

The Orange was in a heated battle with No. 24 Colgate in 2010 when Syracuse earned a free kick with the score knotted 2-2 in overtime.

Brode had already scored a goal in the 24th minute and was presented with a chance for a game-winner from just inside the 20-yard line.

“We had Nick Roydhouse at the time who just always wanted to take every single free kick,” Brode said. “A righty should have taken the shot. He was like ‘Brode, I’ve got it.’ I was like, ‘No way. This is me.’ I ended up taking it and it went in the net.”

While the special moments have come in abundance for Brode, his four-year career at SU has also come with tremendous disappointment in stretches.

Syracuse totaled a mere eight combined wins in Brode’s first three seasons. Despite the team’s lack of success, though, Brode’s attitude and commitment never wavered. This year, he has helped spark the Orange to second place in the Big East Red Division behind Louisville.

Sidelined with a fractured finger for much of the season, Brode has only played seven games and has not attempted a shot on goal for Syracuse. Other players such as Jordan Vale, Stefanos Stamoulacatos and Nick Perea have stepped up to fill the void and take his playing time.

Though the midfielder hasn’t played substantial minutes as of late, teammate Louis Clark said playing alongside someone as skilled and committed as Brode constantly inspires him to push himself and give 100 percent.

“Brode is one of the best leaders I’ve been around,” Clark said. “He motivates us before every game. He’s a great player as well. He pushes me every day. We’ve got stuff to prove to each other.”

Despite the lack of playing time so far, head coach Ian McIntyre said Brode has contributed immensely this year.

“I still think he has an important role to play for us this year,” McIntyre said. “I’ve been so proud of the way he’s led this team without those minutes. I have tremendous respect for him. He’s been really the heartbeat of our program this year.”

McIntyre called Brode a vocal leader and said he was one of the first players he contacted when he accepted the job at SU back in 2010. Brode was on board with McIntyre’s plan to turn the program around, and McIntyre knew he could count on Brode to lead the program.

That leadership has developed consistently over the past few years, and now as a senior, Brode is one of the go-to guys in the locker room.

McIntyre said Brode always knows how to ignite his team. After pushing the Orange from the sideline in a 2-0 win over Villanova, Brode showed off his vocal talents after the game.

“In the Villanova locker room he led a dreadful rendition of a few modern pop songs,” McIntyre said. “I have no idea what they were. I’m too old now.

“But no, he leads by example. The younger guys look up to him and they feed off his positivity and his energy. He’s a young man who takes tremendous pride in our program.”

Published on October 20, 2012 at 1:16 pm

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass