Zach Mason Joins BGSU Men's Soccer Staff
June 24, 2016 | Men's Soccer
Bowling Green State University men's soccer coach Eric Nichols has announced the addition of Zach Mason to his staff. Â Mason, a standout on the pitch at Ohio State, will begin his duties at BGSU later this summer.
"I am very excited to join the BGSU soccer program and thankful to Coach Nichols for the opportunity," said Mason. "I have had the privilege of playing against BGSU over the past four seasons, and those were some of the toughest matches that I played in. I am looking forward to the upcoming season and hope I can contribute to the team's success."
Mason, a two-time team captain at OSU, helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Conference title and an NCAA 'Sweet Sixteen' appearance as a senior in 2015. A defensive midfielder, he started all 82 of the team's matches during his four years in Columbus, and earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors last season after being part of a Buckeye unit that earned a league-leading 10 clean sheets.
"Zach is intelligent, motivated, and has a great understanding of soccer and team dynamics," said Nichols. "He has an impressive track record of success, but what attracts me to Zach above all else is his character. Â Everything about him fits our culture extremely well and he will undoubtedly help push this program to the next level."
Mason, a native of Galena, Ohio, was the winner of the 2015 Senior CLASS Award® in NCAA Division I men's soccer. The award, chosen by a vote of Division I men's soccer coaches, national soccer media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men's soccer.
Mason scored his first career goal on Senior Night against Michigan in front of a packed house at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, and that goal proved to be the game winner in a 3-1 victory over the Wolverines that clinched the Big Ten title.
In his junior season, Mason sent the Buckeyes to the NCAA's second round by converting his penalty kick in the 15th round of an epic penalty shootout as OSU advanced past Akron in the first round. Mason played over 7,400 career minutes for the Buckeyes.
Mason earned three Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-Athlete honors, and also picked up two Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards and one NSCAA All-East Scholar recognition. He was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2014, and also participated in the 2015 Bucks Go Pro Summer Internship Program to further develop his professional leadership and career skills.
A graduate of Big Walnut High School, Mason led the Golden Eagles with 16 goals and 14 assists as a junior, and captained the first team in school history to post an undefeated regular season. He played club ball for the Columbus Crew Academy, and was named both the organization's U-16 and U-18 Player of the Year during his tenure there.
Mason earned a bachelor's degree in operations management at Ohio State.
"I am very excited to join the BGSU soccer program and thankful to Coach Nichols for the opportunity," said Mason. "I have had the privilege of playing against BGSU over the past four seasons, and those were some of the toughest matches that I played in. I am looking forward to the upcoming season and hope I can contribute to the team's success."
Mason, a two-time team captain at OSU, helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Conference title and an NCAA 'Sweet Sixteen' appearance as a senior in 2015. A defensive midfielder, he started all 82 of the team's matches during his four years in Columbus, and earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors last season after being part of a Buckeye unit that earned a league-leading 10 clean sheets.
"Zach is intelligent, motivated, and has a great understanding of soccer and team dynamics," said Nichols. "He has an impressive track record of success, but what attracts me to Zach above all else is his character. Â Everything about him fits our culture extremely well and he will undoubtedly help push this program to the next level."
Mason, a native of Galena, Ohio, was the winner of the 2015 Senior CLASS Award® in NCAA Division I men's soccer. The award, chosen by a vote of Division I men's soccer coaches, national soccer media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men's soccer.
Mason scored his first career goal on Senior Night against Michigan in front of a packed house at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, and that goal proved to be the game winner in a 3-1 victory over the Wolverines that clinched the Big Ten title.
In his junior season, Mason sent the Buckeyes to the NCAA's second round by converting his penalty kick in the 15th round of an epic penalty shootout as OSU advanced past Akron in the first round. Mason played over 7,400 career minutes for the Buckeyes.
Mason earned three Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-Athlete honors, and also picked up two Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards and one NSCAA All-East Scholar recognition. He was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2014, and also participated in the 2015 Bucks Go Pro Summer Internship Program to further develop his professional leadership and career skills.
A graduate of Big Walnut High School, Mason led the Golden Eagles with 16 goals and 14 assists as a junior, and captained the first team in school history to post an undefeated regular season. He played club ball for the Columbus Crew Academy, and was named both the organization's U-16 and U-18 Player of the Year during his tenure there.
Mason earned a bachelor's degree in operations management at Ohio State.
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