Thomas Kogel '18 Recruiting Profile

I have played soccer since I was 4 years old, and it almost seemed like I was born into the sport. I started playing on a competitive club team in defensive positions from seven years of age to about twelve. I then started playing keeper and have been the starting keeper for the past five years. I have played at Level I in Ontario, Canada and this is the start of my second season playing for Vardar Windsor Impact 2000 team in Michigan. I have also played for my high school soccer team and was picked as the goalkeeper for the All-Star team, a selection of the 11 best players in the division.  I am 5’ 10”, weigh 156 lbs., and am a very explosive keeper. Getting off my line fast to challenge the 1 vs 1 and shutting down plays before they happen are some things I excel at. I am also very quick with distribution, and have a keen eye for spotting counter-attack opportunities. An interesting fact about me is that I have earned my NSCAA goalkeeping level 1 and 2 diplomas, which were unique experiences that allowed me to learn more about goalkeeping from a coach’s perspective, as well as allow me to improve my own game play as well.

My academics are always very important to me, and this year I received a 90% average (4.0 GPA) of all my courses. My favorite courses are the math’s and sciences, and in my post-secondary study I would like to pursue the path of engineering. I will be taking the SAT with Essay August 26^th, 2017.

Ideally, I prefer to attend a school within commuting distance of Detroit as my home town of Windsor, ON is directly across the border from Detroit.  However, if I have an opportunity outside of this range, I would not hesitate to explore it.  Financial assistance is going to be crucial to me in the college selection process.  It is also important to me that the school I attend has a strong soccer program and a competitive academic program.