Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Isaiah Vazquez/BGSU Athletics
Nichols, Falcons Add Five to Program
January 30, 2020 | Men's Soccer
The Bowling Green State University men's soccer program recently signed five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Joey Akpunonu, Kyle Blasingame, Kyle Cusimano, Brendan Graves and Patrick Koenig will join the Falcons for the 2020-21 academic year.
"We congratulate these young men on their commitment to attend BG," said head coach Eric Nichols. "They are a tremendous group with a lot of talent, character and drive, and we look forward to working with them during this exciting phase of their lives"
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JOEY AKPUNONU | 6-3 | D | Holland, Ohio | St. John's Jesuit
A three-year member of the varsity at St. John's Jesuit ... named to the All-Ohio First Team by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association as a senior ... scored 18 goals and had 12 assists en route to earning Three Rivers Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors ... also was named the District Player of the Year ... team captain ... has played club ball for Pacesetter SC, helping that club to a State Cup championship as well as a regional semifinal appearance.
AKPUNONU ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the culture and family environment that surrounds the program. I knew that Bowling Green was a place where I can grow as a player, but more importantly as a person, too."
COACH NICHOLS ON AKPUNONU
"Joey is a local product that we are extremely excited about. His athleticism and technical ability will translate straight away to the college game. We fully expect him to make an impact from day one. On top of being a great player, Joey is an even better person who will add great value to the culture of our program."
KYLE BLASINGAME | 5-8 | M | Oswego, Ill. | Oswego East
A four-year member of the varsity and two-year captain ... had seven goals and 11 assists for the Wolves ... has played club ball for Galaxy SC, helping his team to a USYS National Championship.
BLASINGAME ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the opportunities their elite business program provides. The soccer team reaffirmed my decision because I saw that the coaches, players and staff would hold me to the highest standard."
COACH NICHOLS ON BLASINGAME
"Kyle is a midfielder with a ton of grit but also a lot of quality on the ball. He has seen a lot of success at the club level, including a US Youth Soccer national championship in 2018. Kyle comes to us with an impressive winning background and we're excited to have his competitive edge in the team."
KYLE CUSIMANO | 6-0 | D | Bay Village, Ohio | Bay
A four-year varsity team member at Bay H.S. ... was named the 2019 United Soccer Coaches High School Boys National Player of the Year ... the OSSCA Ohio Boys Division II Player of the Year as well as a First-Team All-Ohio selection ... Great Lakes Conference Player of the Year ... team captain who had 32 goals and 26 assists as a senior, and 81 goals and 64 assists in his career ... team posted a perfect 16-0-0 record in the 2019 regular season ... named the Male High School Athlete of the Year at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards ... has played club ball for Team Challenger FC.
CUSIMANO ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the family atmosphere created by the coaches, players and entire BG community. Also, I think it will be the best place for me to grow and succeed as a person and player."
COACH NICHOLS ON CUSIMANO
"Kyle is an extremely versatile player who has played almost every position on the field. He is solid in every aspect of his game. We have had success recruiting from Team Challenger and believe Kyle will be no different."
BRENDAN GRAVES | 6-0 | GK | Perrysburg, Ohio | Perrysburg
A three-year team captain who posted 25 career shutouts ... an Allstate High-School All American ... named to the All-Ohio Division I First Team by OSSCA ... also a USC All-Region selection ... earned all-conference and all-district first team ... has played club ball for Pacesetter SC, helping that club to a State Cup championship as well as a regional semifinal appearance.
GRAVES ON BGSU
"From a young ball boy, to attending ID camps, I have witnessed how family oriented this team is. After my visit, Bowling Green felt like home. I am excited to be a part of this strong program and university."
COACH NICHOLS ON GRAVES
"We are thrilled to have Brendan join our goalkeeper unit. He is a true leader on the field and a very good goalkeeper. We believe Brendan has the tools to be very successful here and push for the starting position."
PATRICK KOENIG | 5-11 | F | Naperville, Ill. | North
A four-year varsity performer who earned all-conference and all-sectional honors ... had 41 goals and 14 assists in his career, helping the Huskies to three state championships and a trip to the supersectional ... North won the regional title in all four of his seasons ... played club ball for Galaxy SC, helping the club to a USYS National Championship.
KOENIG ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because the team is like a family and the coaching staff is amazing. I can't wait to be on campus and a part of this special program."
COACH NICHOLS ON KOENIG
"Patrick is a player that is extremely dangerous in the final third. We have seen him score a ton of goals at high school, club and even our camps, and we fully expect him to do the same once he joins us. Patrick also won a US Youth Soccer national championship in club and we are thrilled to have him at Bowling Green!"
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BGSU closed the 2019 season with an overall record of 13-7-1. The Falcons posted a double-digit win total for the first time since 2014 and just the second time since 1998. BGSU more than doubled the team's win total from a year ago. Nichols and the Falcons had five seniors on the 26-man 2019 roster.
For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
ÂGallery: (1/30/2020) M.Soccer SIgnees 2019-20
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"We congratulate these young men on their commitment to attend BG," said head coach Eric Nichols. "They are a tremendous group with a lot of talent, character and drive, and we look forward to working with them during this exciting phase of their lives"
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JOEY AKPUNONU | 6-3 | D | Holland, Ohio | St. John's Jesuit
A three-year member of the varsity at St. John's Jesuit ... named to the All-Ohio First Team by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association as a senior ... scored 18 goals and had 12 assists en route to earning Three Rivers Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors ... also was named the District Player of the Year ... team captain ... has played club ball for Pacesetter SC, helping that club to a State Cup championship as well as a regional semifinal appearance.
AKPUNONU ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the culture and family environment that surrounds the program. I knew that Bowling Green was a place where I can grow as a player, but more importantly as a person, too."
COACH NICHOLS ON AKPUNONU
"Joey is a local product that we are extremely excited about. His athleticism and technical ability will translate straight away to the college game. We fully expect him to make an impact from day one. On top of being a great player, Joey is an even better person who will add great value to the culture of our program."
KYLE BLASINGAME | 5-8 | M | Oswego, Ill. | Oswego East
A four-year member of the varsity and two-year captain ... had seven goals and 11 assists for the Wolves ... has played club ball for Galaxy SC, helping his team to a USYS National Championship.
BLASINGAME ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the opportunities their elite business program provides. The soccer team reaffirmed my decision because I saw that the coaches, players and staff would hold me to the highest standard."
COACH NICHOLS ON BLASINGAME
"Kyle is a midfielder with a ton of grit but also a lot of quality on the ball. He has seen a lot of success at the club level, including a US Youth Soccer national championship in 2018. Kyle comes to us with an impressive winning background and we're excited to have his competitive edge in the team."
KYLE CUSIMANO | 6-0 | D | Bay Village, Ohio | Bay
A four-year varsity team member at Bay H.S. ... was named the 2019 United Soccer Coaches High School Boys National Player of the Year ... the OSSCA Ohio Boys Division II Player of the Year as well as a First-Team All-Ohio selection ... Great Lakes Conference Player of the Year ... team captain who had 32 goals and 26 assists as a senior, and 81 goals and 64 assists in his career ... team posted a perfect 16-0-0 record in the 2019 regular season ... named the Male High School Athlete of the Year at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards ... has played club ball for Team Challenger FC.
CUSIMANO ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because of the family atmosphere created by the coaches, players and entire BG community. Also, I think it will be the best place for me to grow and succeed as a person and player."
COACH NICHOLS ON CUSIMANO
"Kyle is an extremely versatile player who has played almost every position on the field. He is solid in every aspect of his game. We have had success recruiting from Team Challenger and believe Kyle will be no different."
BRENDAN GRAVES | 6-0 | GK | Perrysburg, Ohio | Perrysburg
A three-year team captain who posted 25 career shutouts ... an Allstate High-School All American ... named to the All-Ohio Division I First Team by OSSCA ... also a USC All-Region selection ... earned all-conference and all-district first team ... has played club ball for Pacesetter SC, helping that club to a State Cup championship as well as a regional semifinal appearance.
GRAVES ON BGSU
"From a young ball boy, to attending ID camps, I have witnessed how family oriented this team is. After my visit, Bowling Green felt like home. I am excited to be a part of this strong program and university."
COACH NICHOLS ON GRAVES
"We are thrilled to have Brendan join our goalkeeper unit. He is a true leader on the field and a very good goalkeeper. We believe Brendan has the tools to be very successful here and push for the starting position."
PATRICK KOENIG | 5-11 | F | Naperville, Ill. | North
A four-year varsity performer who earned all-conference and all-sectional honors ... had 41 goals and 14 assists in his career, helping the Huskies to three state championships and a trip to the supersectional ... North won the regional title in all four of his seasons ... played club ball for Galaxy SC, helping the club to a USYS National Championship.
KOENIG ON BGSU
"I chose BGSU because the team is like a family and the coaching staff is amazing. I can't wait to be on campus and a part of this special program."
COACH NICHOLS ON KOENIG
"Patrick is a player that is extremely dangerous in the final third. We have seen him score a ton of goals at high school, club and even our camps, and we fully expect him to do the same once he joins us. Patrick also won a US Youth Soccer national championship in club and we are thrilled to have him at Bowling Green!"
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BGSU closed the 2019 season with an overall record of 13-7-1. The Falcons posted a double-digit win total for the first time since 2014 and just the second time since 1998. BGSU more than doubled the team's win total from a year ago. Nichols and the Falcons had five seniors on the 26-man 2019 roster.
For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
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