BG senior forward Cameron Hepple was named to the Mid-American Conference Second team earlier today. For Hepple this is the second time in his career he's received this honor, also being named All-MAC Second Team as a sophomore.
Hepple lead BG in scoring this season with 10 goals and 21 points, which amassed for almost half of BG's total scoring output this season. It's even more impressive considering Hepple missed six games this season due to injury, in MAC play the senior had four goals despite only playing in three conference games.
Hepple completes his BG career with a stat line of 17 goals, nine assists and 43 points. However, Hepple will not get to complete in his final MAC tournament as BG's record of 3-13-3 (2-3-1 MAC), left them fifth out of out of seven teams in the conference.
The top four teams will play this afternoon in the conference semi-finals.
After conceeding a goal only four minutes in, the Falcons have put on the pressure, and in the 40 minute BG equalized. Substitute Max Weston assisted Cameron Hepple, the teams top scorer. The Falcons have forced Spiders goalie Brock Tomlinson into five saves, while Falcon starter Jeff Smoker has only had to make one.
Alumni from as far away as Denver, Colo., descended upon Bowling Green to congregate with the men's soccer team.
The 'new look' Falcons welcomed the alumni to the Wilcox Boardroom for a meet and greet, where the new generation of Falcons heard stories from the past players such as Dave Kindl.
Players were able to use the meeting as an opportunity to express gratitude to their guests for their various contributions, most recently, funding for a new locker room.
Former coach, and BGSU Hall of Fame inductee, Mickey Cochrane was quite pleased with the evening's events as well as coach Eric Nichols' commitment to the alumni.
"Everything is on the plus side," Cochrane said. "In any sport, your alums are your bread and butter, and it is unbelievable what coach Nichols is doing bringing them back."
Coach Nichols, who is in his inaugural season with the Falcons, knows the importance of maintaining a close bond between the alumni and the program.
"It was a great night all together," Nichols said. "I am proud to see our current players carry themselves so well."
With just over a week until the Eric Nichols era officially begins,
the Falcon soccer team unveiled another change, a brand new locker room.
Bowling
Green soccer alums, the new locker room is equipped with
a big screen flat panel TV, and built in wooden lockers as well as a giant Falcon logo woven into the new carpet.
Many players including senior Jacob Lawrence are
impressed with the new locker rooms design, as well as grateful to the alumni
who funded the project.
"It's unbelievable" Lawrence
said. "Its one of the best locker rooms in the Mid-American Conference. We are
really grateful for the money we got from the alumni; hopefully this will
signify one of the changes we will make this year."
Right winger Chuko Evwaraye, an architecture major, spent his summer designing and overseeing construction of the locker room as part of an internship.
"Coach Nichols came to me and told me that he liked my design projects," Evwaraye said. "So he had the idea to let me put together a 3D rendering of the locker room, to get the ball rolling."
With less then a week before the men's soccer team takes the
field for its first fall preseason game, the players are working hard to
compete for a spot in the starting lineup especially at striker and center half
back.
Senior
Thomas McLean, a converted defensive back is looking to compete with Byard
Ebling for the position of striker. While McLean posses natural strength and
speed as a hold up forward, he is still a bit raw as a finisher. One thing
coach Eric Nichols must like is McLean's constant pressure on defenders when the
Falcons turn the ball over.Ebling
on the other hand, has shown a nose for the position in recent practices. The
sophomore has done well as a ball striker in training but may have a harder
time in the role as a holdup player due to his smaller stature.
Either
way, I'm sure Nichols is happy to have two competent strikers to fill the
position.
Elsewhere
on the pitch, defender Jake Custer may be positioning himself to challenge
Tanner Fink for a place next to Jacob Lawrence in center defense. Custer is
physically a perfect fit for the back line standing 6'3" with good speed and
closing ability.
In
order to crack the starting lineup, Custer will first have to get pass Tanner
Fink, who earned the Tony Corsiglia Memorial Award last season, given to the
team's top rookie. Fink made 12 appearances in 2008, nine as a starter. Regardless
of who gets the start in central defense this season, coach Nichols is sure to
have a strong back line for years to come, as both players are only sophomores.
Whoever thought midnight madness was solely a celebration of
the college basketball season beginning need look no further than the Perry Fieldhouse last night at the stroke of midnight.
11:45- The team is in the Fieldhouse preparing for the
annual mile run, the first organized team activity of the season. As the
coaches huddle and organize the night's activities, the Falcons look loose and
excited to officially starting the 2009 season.
12:00- After some anticipation, the team huddles for the
first time this fall under coach Eric Nichols and his staff. Some quick
stretching and a pep talk and the team is ready for the mile. And their off.
12:02- Coach Nichols tells me that the goal is for the teams
overall average time in the mile run to be under 5:30. It seems like a tall
order but the Falcons look like they have been keeping fit all summer.
12:06- The last runners cross the line as the rest of the
team cheers them to encourage a strong finish. In a nice show of teamwork
and leadership, the team's fastest runner Garrett Bireline took an extra lap with some of the slower runners, encouraging them
to keep up the pace. Teamwork will not be a problem for the Falcons.
12:15- After the mile run, the team put on their cleats in
preparation for the Orange
and Brown game, a thirty minute scrimmage. The team that wins the scrimmage
gets Gatorade to drink while the losers must stick with water. Sounds like high
stakes to me.
12:45- It may be just an intersquad scrimmage but the
competition between the two teams are fierce. After two goals by the brown
squad, the orange team fights back with a goal as the game ended.Thomas McLean continues his transformation
from center defense to striker. He even changed his number to 9, a number that
most strikers in the world wear. Senior Tyler Deal looks really comfortable as
a left full back, making overlapping runs and communicating well with the rest
of the defense.
1:00- The team huddles to close out the first practice of
the season and Nichols announces the good news that after careful
calculations, the team average in the mile run is an impressive 5:15, a full
fifteen seconds under the goal the coaches set for the players. Senior Tyler
Deal takes a second to tell the players that he is impressed by the team's
fitness level stating that this is the best shape the team has ever reported to
camp in.
1:10- The coaches release the players and congratulate them
on a good first practice. Two-a-days start tomorrow.
Paul Habrecht has been named the assistant coach of the men's soccer team.
He spent the last five seasons as the head women's soccer coach at Ohio Dominican, and crossed paths with Falcon men's head coach Eric Nichols, who coached ODU's men's squad from 2004-2007.
"I am pleased to add Paul to the staff," Nichols said. "Paul has had great
success as a head coach, and has the respect of everyone associated
with him. That speaks volumes, not only about his coaching ability,
but also about his character and integrity.
"He is extremely sharp, innovative and thorough, and will push everyone
associated with the program to make us better. Paul will be a great
representative of the University and BGSU athletics, and our players
and alumni are fortunate to have such a quality addition to the
program."
Habrecht won three AMC South Coach of the Year awards during his tenure at ODU and also led the team to a 13-5-2 record last season, earning him the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Coach of the Year award.
The Toledo native has also coached at Owens Community College and John Carrol University.
Prior to that, he played for the JCU men's team, earning three letters and serving as captain in 2000 when the team advanced to the NCAA Div. III Championships.
With an up and down off season, the men's soccer team appears to going in the right direction under its new coach Eric Nichols.
The off season began with Fred Thompson's resignation, followed by Nichols' hiring and a pair of off-the-field issues.
But now, the Falcons have a 2-0 record in spring ball, having defeated Ashland University (Div. II) 2-0 and Findlay (Div. II) 6-0. There first "real" challenge will come Saturday when they play Michigan State, the defending Big Ten champions.
Byard Ebling, on of the two involved in off-the-field issues, has scored two goals.
