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Bowling Green State University Athletics
When Passion Meets Opportunity: Michael Lindh's D1 Soccer Breakthrough
September 16, 2025 | Men's Soccer
Sometimes the pathway from high school soccer to college isn't always clear. But for BGSU men's soccer junior forward Michael Lindh, his soccer journey has been all about earning an opportunity.
However, despite having aspirations to play collegiate soccer, Lindh needed to find not just the right program but the right school.
"I've been playing my whole life, and I obviously had dreams of playing collegiate soccer. I had some official visits, but the schools I went to didn't really fit my needs, either athletically or academically," said Lindh. "I toured BG with my family, and I liked the size and what they had to offer. Their ranked business school caught my eye. I saw that they had club soccer, and I thought, "Why not give it a try?"
Lindh, a native of Barrington, Ill., played two seasons with the club soccer team during 2023 and 2024. Following the conclusion of the BGSU men's soccer 2024 season, the Falcons needed players for the spring. This allowed Lindh to train with the first team.
"The president at the time, Mohamed Abbas, trained with the men's team…he saw that I wanted to do more, and he contacted the coaches," said Lindh. "Since they had lost so many guys to graduation, he recommended me and two other people. So if it wasn't for that circumstance, I probably wouldn't be here."
After a successful spring with the Orange and Brown, head coach Eric Nichols gave Lindh the opportunity that he'd dreamed of: to play collegiate soccer.
"I was ecstatic [to get the offer]; I was so thankful," said Lindh. "I felt like all the hard work that I put into just training with them every single day, lifting with them, finally paid off. And I knew it wasn't going to stop there."
With a successful spring with the team, the decision to give Lindh a spot on the team was easy for Nichols.
"Just day in and day out, Michael really showed that he could handle the level," said Nichols. "He was athletic enough, he worked enough, and he was durable enough. He was actually scoring goals, and he just brought a great energy to training with him."
Nichols is in his 17th season in charge of the Falcons. What makes Lindh unique is that, throughout Nichols' tenure, very few, if any, players have made the jump from the club team to the Division I program.
"Very rarely. There are some really good players on the club team, but the differences are significant, and our roster spots are limited, and we're recruiting all over the country and all over the world. So to be able to make that progression is rare," said Nichols.
So, a question people may have is, how is Lindh fitting in with the Falcons? Nichols says he's been more than just fine.
In addition to that, Lindh has even been pushing his teammates in training.
"He's been perfect. Again, it gets back to that gratitude. We don't want anyone who's just a survivor. We don't want anyone who's just taking up a jersey. You have to bring something. Not just gratitude. You can't just be a good guy and a solid practice player. You have to be challenging." Nichols said.
For his part, Lindh attributes much of his success on the pitch to his mindset.
"It comes down to the mentality that you have every single day, especially in practice. A lot of people would take it as a fun activity," Lindh said. "But I think the way I treated it was that 'if I do my best, then I have the opportunity to play with the D1 team.' And that's what pushed me every day at practice."
Furthermore, Lindh is not solely focused on the soccer field; he also values his education and the role it can play in his future.Â
"I was so locked into my academics and club soccer. I was doing well, so it went hand in hand, and that pushed me forward and caused a lot of growth," Lindh said.
Lindh is also motivated by his communication with his Nichols, and is always looking for ways to improve.
"I'm always looking for feedback and what I can do to get better, and I think whenever I ask [Coach Nichols], he is always going to be honest with me," Lindh said. "The feedback he has given me has pushed me even more, every single day, in practice."
Lindh has earned his spot with the Falcons and has done it through hard work, patience, and gratitude. Many young athletes who aspire to play collegiate soccer may look at his story as a source of inspiration.
The most important thing above all? Enjoy your soccer, says Nichols.
"Continue to love your soccer. He didn't come here to go from club to the varsity team. He came here and played on the club [team] because he loved playing," said Nichols. Then he got an opportunity. We threw a lot at him. You're going from two training sessions a week to five training sessions a week, and intense ones. And he continued to love soccer, and it didn't beat him down and whatnot. And next thing you know, he's got another opportunity. That's for club guys, or that's for kids, or whatever; just continue to love. And even our players that want to go on and play pro or whatever, you gotta continue to love playing every single day."