Bowling Green State University Athletics
Nichols, Falcons Add Six to Program
February 16, 2017 | Men's Soccer
Bowling Green State University men's soccer coach Eric Nichols and his staff have announced the addition of six student-athletes to the program. Five of the six – Zach Buescher (Holland, Ohio), Erik Horvath (Naperville, Ill.), Marshall Mast (Traverse City, Mich.), Chris Sullivan (Naperville, Ill.) and Vinny Worner (Copley, Ohio) – will join the Falcons in the fall of 2017.
Additionally, Sam Pugliese (Cambridge, Ontario) is enrolled at BGSU for the Spring 2017 semester and will participate with the Falcons during the spring season. Pugliese, like the other five newcomers, will be a freshman in terms of eligibility this fall.
Three of the six newcomers were named to the 2016 NSCAA High School Boys All-America Team.
LINK: BGSU Men's Soccer 2017 Newcomers Photo Gallery
"The class of 2017 is a quality class from top to bottom," said Nichols. "We have high expectations for this class and feel that some of these guys will have an immediate impact. And, most importantly, the quality of character in this group is extremely high. All six of these guys are talented, humble and driven. With the signing of this class, BGSU Men's Soccer undoubtedly took a step forward."
Buescher, a native of Holland, Ohio, earned four letters at Toledo St. John's Jesuit H.S. As a senior, he was named to the All-Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) first team as the Titans won the outright conference title with a 7-0-0 league mark. He also earned all-district, all-state and NSCAA All-America honors. Buescher scored all three of his team's goals in a 3-1 win over Findlay that clinched the outright title. A two-time team captain, he helped SJJ to a state semifinal berth as a junior in 2015. In December of 2016, Beuscher was selected to play in the High School Soccer All-America Game in Raleigh, N.C. He has played club ball for both Pacesetter and Team Challenger.
Horvath, a native of Naperville, Ill., is a senior at Neuqua Valley H.S. He has played club ball for the Sockers FC Academy, and also plays for the Sockers FC Academy team during the school year, helping that team to a 7-3-3 record in the fall of 2016. Erik's father, Phil Horvath, played collegiate soccer at Stanford University.
Mast, a native of Traverse City, Mich., earned two letters at Traverse City Central H.S. for coach Rob Boynton, and earned all-district and All-Big North Conference First-Team honors. He had eight goals and four assists for the Trojans as a sophomore in 2014, helping the team to a district championship. As a junior, Mast had 12 goals and 11 assists. He was a team captain as a senior, but missed nearly all of the season due to injury. He has played club ball for the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors and Midwest United FC. Mast is a National Honor Society member.
Pugliese, a native of Cambidge, Ontario, is a graduate of Jacob Hespeler Secondary School. He earned league (WCSSAA) Most Valuable Player honors for the Hawks as a junior. Pugliese also played volleyball, basketball and badminton in addition to soccer. He has played club ball for several teams including the Kitchener Spirit and Givova Academy. He is the younger brother of Peter Pugliese, who will be a junior on the Falcon men's soccer team in the fall of 2017.
Sullivan, a native of Naperville, Ill., earned four letters at Naperville North H.S., where he was coached by BGSU men's soccer alumnus Jim Konrad. Sullivan, who was named an NSCAA All-American as a senior, had career totals of 50 goals and 41 assists for the Huskies, including double-digit goal and assist totals in each of his last three seasons. North won the Dupage Valley Conference title in each of his last three seasons, earning a regional title in 2013, a sectional championship in '14, and a state championship in his senior season of 2016. Sullivan, a three-time all-conference selection and a two-time captain in soccer, also played basketball at North, captaining that team as a senior. Sullivan, like Buescher, was selected to play in the High School Soccer All-America Game in Raleigh, N.C., following his senior season. Sullivan played club ball for the Illinois Galaxy as well as the Chicago Fire Juniors. He is the younger brother of Joe Sullivan, who recently completed a stellar four-year playing career at BGSU.
Worner, who hails from Copley, Ohio, earned four letters at Copley H.S. He was an All-Ohio First-Team selection as a senior after earning second-team all-state honors in his junior year, and he joined Buescher and Sullivan on the 2016 NSCAA All-America Team. Worner had career totals of 26 goals and 34 assists in his four years with the Indians, helping the team to a Suburban League title in each of his last three seasons. Copley went 62-10-5 overall and 31-1 in league play during those four years, including a perfect 8-0 SL mark in his final three years. Worner had six goals and 16 assists as a junior, and followed that up with 14 goals and nine assists in his final season. The SL Player of the Year in 2016, he also earned All-America honors. Worner has been named to the Honor Roll in every semester of high school. He has played club ball with Team Challenger.
"We never truly know how good a class will be for a few seasons," said Nichols. "But these six student-athletes have the potential to be special."
BGSU finished with an overall record of 9-6-4 in 2016, and the Falcons went 2-0-3 in MAC play. BG – picked to finish fifth in the six-team league in the preseason coaches' poll – placed second in the final regular-season standings, for the program's best finish since 2002. The Falcons went undefeated in the MAC for the first time in 20 years, and BGSU also was unbeaten at home for the first time in two decades. Nichols and his staff had four seniors – Max Auden, Pat Flynn, Jacob Roth and Joe Sullivan – on the 2016 roster.
BGSU MEN'S SOCCER SIGNEES
Name – Pos. – Hometown (Previous School)
Zach Buescher – M – Holland, Ohio (Toledo St. John's Jesuit)
Erik Horvath – D – Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Marshall Mast – D – Traverse City, Mich. (Central)
Sam Pugliese – M – Cambridge, Ontario (Jacob Hespeler Secondary)
Chris Sullivan – M – Naperville, Ill. (North)
Vinny Worner – M – Copley, Ohio (Copley)
Additionally, Sam Pugliese (Cambridge, Ontario) is enrolled at BGSU for the Spring 2017 semester and will participate with the Falcons during the spring season. Pugliese, like the other five newcomers, will be a freshman in terms of eligibility this fall.
Three of the six newcomers were named to the 2016 NSCAA High School Boys All-America Team.
LINK: BGSU Men's Soccer 2017 Newcomers Photo Gallery
"The class of 2017 is a quality class from top to bottom," said Nichols. "We have high expectations for this class and feel that some of these guys will have an immediate impact. And, most importantly, the quality of character in this group is extremely high. All six of these guys are talented, humble and driven. With the signing of this class, BGSU Men's Soccer undoubtedly took a step forward."
Buescher, a native of Holland, Ohio, earned four letters at Toledo St. John's Jesuit H.S. As a senior, he was named to the All-Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) first team as the Titans won the outright conference title with a 7-0-0 league mark. He also earned all-district, all-state and NSCAA All-America honors. Buescher scored all three of his team's goals in a 3-1 win over Findlay that clinched the outright title. A two-time team captain, he helped SJJ to a state semifinal berth as a junior in 2015. In December of 2016, Beuscher was selected to play in the High School Soccer All-America Game in Raleigh, N.C. He has played club ball for both Pacesetter and Team Challenger.
Horvath, a native of Naperville, Ill., is a senior at Neuqua Valley H.S. He has played club ball for the Sockers FC Academy, and also plays for the Sockers FC Academy team during the school year, helping that team to a 7-3-3 record in the fall of 2016. Erik's father, Phil Horvath, played collegiate soccer at Stanford University.
Mast, a native of Traverse City, Mich., earned two letters at Traverse City Central H.S. for coach Rob Boynton, and earned all-district and All-Big North Conference First-Team honors. He had eight goals and four assists for the Trojans as a sophomore in 2014, helping the team to a district championship. As a junior, Mast had 12 goals and 11 assists. He was a team captain as a senior, but missed nearly all of the season due to injury. He has played club ball for the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors and Midwest United FC. Mast is a National Honor Society member.
Pugliese, a native of Cambidge, Ontario, is a graduate of Jacob Hespeler Secondary School. He earned league (WCSSAA) Most Valuable Player honors for the Hawks as a junior. Pugliese also played volleyball, basketball and badminton in addition to soccer. He has played club ball for several teams including the Kitchener Spirit and Givova Academy. He is the younger brother of Peter Pugliese, who will be a junior on the Falcon men's soccer team in the fall of 2017.
Sullivan, a native of Naperville, Ill., earned four letters at Naperville North H.S., where he was coached by BGSU men's soccer alumnus Jim Konrad. Sullivan, who was named an NSCAA All-American as a senior, had career totals of 50 goals and 41 assists for the Huskies, including double-digit goal and assist totals in each of his last three seasons. North won the Dupage Valley Conference title in each of his last three seasons, earning a regional title in 2013, a sectional championship in '14, and a state championship in his senior season of 2016. Sullivan, a three-time all-conference selection and a two-time captain in soccer, also played basketball at North, captaining that team as a senior. Sullivan, like Buescher, was selected to play in the High School Soccer All-America Game in Raleigh, N.C., following his senior season. Sullivan played club ball for the Illinois Galaxy as well as the Chicago Fire Juniors. He is the younger brother of Joe Sullivan, who recently completed a stellar four-year playing career at BGSU.
Worner, who hails from Copley, Ohio, earned four letters at Copley H.S. He was an All-Ohio First-Team selection as a senior after earning second-team all-state honors in his junior year, and he joined Buescher and Sullivan on the 2016 NSCAA All-America Team. Worner had career totals of 26 goals and 34 assists in his four years with the Indians, helping the team to a Suburban League title in each of his last three seasons. Copley went 62-10-5 overall and 31-1 in league play during those four years, including a perfect 8-0 SL mark in his final three years. Worner had six goals and 16 assists as a junior, and followed that up with 14 goals and nine assists in his final season. The SL Player of the Year in 2016, he also earned All-America honors. Worner has been named to the Honor Roll in every semester of high school. He has played club ball with Team Challenger.
"We never truly know how good a class will be for a few seasons," said Nichols. "But these six student-athletes have the potential to be special."
BGSU finished with an overall record of 9-6-4 in 2016, and the Falcons went 2-0-3 in MAC play. BG – picked to finish fifth in the six-team league in the preseason coaches' poll – placed second in the final regular-season standings, for the program's best finish since 2002. The Falcons went undefeated in the MAC for the first time in 20 years, and BGSU also was unbeaten at home for the first time in two decades. Nichols and his staff had four seniors – Max Auden, Pat Flynn, Jacob Roth and Joe Sullivan – on the 2016 roster.
BGSU MEN'S SOCCER SIGNEES
Name – Pos. – Hometown (Previous School)
Zach Buescher – M – Holland, Ohio (Toledo St. John's Jesuit)
Erik Horvath – D – Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Marshall Mast – D – Traverse City, Mich. (Central)
Sam Pugliese – M – Cambridge, Ontario (Jacob Hespeler Secondary)
Chris Sullivan – M – Naperville, Ill. (North)
Vinny Worner – M – Copley, Ohio (Copley)
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
D/M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's SoccerOff The Pitch: Anthony Hernandez (Sept. 25, 2025)
Thursday, September 25
Eric Nichols Post-Practice Interview (Sept. 24, 2025)
Wednesday, September 24
Eric Nichols Post-Practice Interview (Sept. 19, 2025)
Friday, September 19
Off The Pitch: Trace Terry (Sept. 18, 2025)
Friday, September 19