Bowling Green State University Athletics
Joey Akpunonu, Sergi Martinez & Jensen Lukacsko each earned at least one honor from the OCSA
Photo by: Bill Castle, Air Force Athletics
Five Falcons Earn All-Ohio Honors
December 14, 2022 | Men's Soccer
BGSU is well-represented on OCSA All-Ohio, Academic All-Ohio Teams
The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team was well represented when the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association unveiled its 2022 award winners. Joey Akpunonu and Sergi Martinez were named to the OCSA's All-Ohio Team, and Akpunonu was also selected to the Academic All-Ohio Team. Brendan Graves, Jensen Lukacsko and Kale Nichols each joined Akpunonu on the Academic All-Ohio Team.
BGSU's four Academic All-Ohio selections was tied for the most of any school. Ohio State also had four players chosen to the Academic All-Ohio Team.
Akpunonu, native of Toledo, Ohio (St. John's Jesuit), started all 16 matches for the Falcons in 2022, and was named to the All-MAC First Team as well as the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team. Additionally, he was named to the 2022 Academic All-America® First Team. Akpunonu led the Falcons in goals, with six, and finished second on the club with 12 points. The defender also helped the Orange and Brown post seven shutouts in those 16 contests.He played all 1440 minutes this season, and scored the first goal of the match in three of BGSU's four Mid-American Conference wins. He now has career totals of eight goals and 19 points in 48 matches played.
Graves, a native of Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg), was named the MAC's co-Goalkeeper of the Year, and joined Akpunonu on the All-MAC First Team. Graves had one of the top seasons by a goalkeeper in program history, playing every second between the posts and allowing just 10 goals in 1440 minutes. He finished the year with seven shutouts in 16 matches, 43 saves and a goals-against average of just 0.63. Graves and the 2022 Falcons set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season, and his GAA was the lowest since 1995 and the third lowest in the 'modern' era (since 1980).
Lukacsko, a native of Gahanna, Ohio (Lincoln), was a three-year team captain, and started all 16 matches in 2022. He played 1436 of the 1440 total minutes on the year, and had two assists. Lukacsko was named to the Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Lukacsko earned a veritable plethora of awards at the 2021-22 Ziggys, the athletic department's end-of-year awards ceremony. He was the male recipient of the Falcon Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a BGSU student-athlete. He also was named the department's Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was BGSU's male recipient of the MAC Medal of Excellence, an award that is given to just one male and one female student-athlete at each MAC school. Lukacsko played in 87 career matches, tying the school record, and his 84 career starts tie him for third on that BGSU list. He had 11 career points on a goal and nine assists.
Martinez, a native of  Barcelona, Spain (Eugeni Xammar), was an All-MAC First-Team selection in 2022, after he led the Falcons in both assists and points, and finished second in goals. His 18 points included five goals and eight assists this fall. He had 13 points in the eight MAC matches, with three goals and seven assists. In his final career game, Martinez had two goals and two assists  in a 6-0 win over Northern Illinois. A team captain in 2022, Martinez had 30 points in 36 matches in his two seasons with the Falcons, with eight goals and 14 assists. Martinez, a transfer from Hartford, had totals of 14 goals, 21 assists and 49 points in his collegiate career.
Nichols, a native of Bowling Green, Ohio (Toledo St. John's Jesuit), was a 2022 team captain, and started all 16 matches. He was named to the Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators. Nichols had three points on the season, with a game-winning goal and an assist. Nichols was named to the Academic All-District team in 2021 as well, and also earned OCSA Academic All-Ohio First-Team honors a year ago. In his BGSU career, Nichols played in 75 matches, starting 69, and had 21 points on seven goals and seven assists. Arguably the biggest goal of his career came in November of 2021, when he scored the lone goal in BG's 1-0 win at Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
The Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association includes all divisions of college soccer in Ohio with a membership of over 100 men's and women's soccer programs. Founded in 1953, it is one of the oldest state Collegiate Coaching Associations in the United States. The association played a significant role in the growth, development and organization of collegiate soccer in Ohio. Its mission was to aid with coaching education, referee development and training along with the establishment of an extensive awards program. The OCSA has annually recognized over 300 of the best and brightest student athletes and coaches in the state.
BGSU went 6-5-5 overall in 2022, and the Falcons finished MAC play with a 4-2-2 league ledger, finishing third in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons will compete in the Missouri Valley Conference beginning next fall.
The Falcons have a record of 42-25-12 over the last 79 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Sixteen of the 25 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.
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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BGSU's four Academic All-Ohio selections was tied for the most of any school. Ohio State also had four players chosen to the Academic All-Ohio Team.
Akpunonu, native of Toledo, Ohio (St. John's Jesuit), started all 16 matches for the Falcons in 2022, and was named to the All-MAC First Team as well as the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team. Additionally, he was named to the 2022 Academic All-America® First Team. Akpunonu led the Falcons in goals, with six, and finished second on the club with 12 points. The defender also helped the Orange and Brown post seven shutouts in those 16 contests.He played all 1440 minutes this season, and scored the first goal of the match in three of BGSU's four Mid-American Conference wins. He now has career totals of eight goals and 19 points in 48 matches played.
Graves, a native of Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg), was named the MAC's co-Goalkeeper of the Year, and joined Akpunonu on the All-MAC First Team. Graves had one of the top seasons by a goalkeeper in program history, playing every second between the posts and allowing just 10 goals in 1440 minutes. He finished the year with seven shutouts in 16 matches, 43 saves and a goals-against average of just 0.63. Graves and the 2022 Falcons set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season, and his GAA was the lowest since 1995 and the third lowest in the 'modern' era (since 1980).
Lukacsko, a native of Gahanna, Ohio (Lincoln), was a three-year team captain, and started all 16 matches in 2022. He played 1436 of the 1440 total minutes on the year, and had two assists. Lukacsko was named to the Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Lukacsko earned a veritable plethora of awards at the 2021-22 Ziggys, the athletic department's end-of-year awards ceremony. He was the male recipient of the Falcon Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a BGSU student-athlete. He also was named the department's Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was BGSU's male recipient of the MAC Medal of Excellence, an award that is given to just one male and one female student-athlete at each MAC school. Lukacsko played in 87 career matches, tying the school record, and his 84 career starts tie him for third on that BGSU list. He had 11 career points on a goal and nine assists.
Martinez, a native of  Barcelona, Spain (Eugeni Xammar), was an All-MAC First-Team selection in 2022, after he led the Falcons in both assists and points, and finished second in goals. His 18 points included five goals and eight assists this fall. He had 13 points in the eight MAC matches, with three goals and seven assists. In his final career game, Martinez had two goals and two assists  in a 6-0 win over Northern Illinois. A team captain in 2022, Martinez had 30 points in 36 matches in his two seasons with the Falcons, with eight goals and 14 assists. Martinez, a transfer from Hartford, had totals of 14 goals, 21 assists and 49 points in his collegiate career.
Nichols, a native of Bowling Green, Ohio (Toledo St. John's Jesuit), was a 2022 team captain, and started all 16 matches. He was named to the Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators. Nichols had three points on the season, with a game-winning goal and an assist. Nichols was named to the Academic All-District team in 2021 as well, and also earned OCSA Academic All-Ohio First-Team honors a year ago. In his BGSU career, Nichols played in 75 matches, starting 69, and had 21 points on seven goals and seven assists. Arguably the biggest goal of his career came in November of 2021, when he scored the lone goal in BG's 1-0 win at Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
The Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association includes all divisions of college soccer in Ohio with a membership of over 100 men's and women's soccer programs. Founded in 1953, it is one of the oldest state Collegiate Coaching Associations in the United States. The association played a significant role in the growth, development and organization of collegiate soccer in Ohio. Its mission was to aid with coaching education, referee development and training along with the establishment of an extensive awards program. The OCSA has annually recognized over 300 of the best and brightest student athletes and coaches in the state.
BGSU went 6-5-5 overall in 2022, and the Falcons finished MAC play with a 4-2-2 league ledger, finishing third in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons will compete in the Missouri Valley Conference beginning next fall.
The Falcons have a record of 42-25-12 over the last 79 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Sixteen of the 25 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.
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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Players Mentioned
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