KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan men's soccer program and head coach Chad Wiseman have announced the addition of five members, including three international players to the 2018 roster.

Midfielders Leonardo Nogueira (Brasilia, Brazil) and Paul Liagre (Saint Ouen Sur Iton, France), goalkeepers Isaac Walker (Orlando, Fla.) and Eric Cotton (Vancouver, Wash.), as well as defender Niko Papakyriakopoulos (New Westminster, British Columbia) will suit up for the Broncos this fall. They will join WMU's eight commitments in February as newcomers on the roster. The group of eight that signed in February are: Ben Champine, Alex Dalou, Caden Jackman, Mike Melaragni, Antonio Rizzo, Zack Shane, Jaylen Shannon and Lukas VonLienen. (Click here to read February release.)

WMU finished 2017 ranked No. 9 in the nation and was ranked in the USC poll for 11 consecutive weeks, including seven inside the top 10. Western Michigan had its highest ranking of No. 4 on November 7th and were ranked No. 5 the week prior.

The Broncos won their first ever Mid-American Conference regular season championship, going a perfect 5-0-0 in conference play, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where the team was given a first round bye. WMU went on to defeat UAlbany in the second round for the school's first ever NCAA Tournament win and advanced to the Sweet 16 before eventually falling to Michigan State. The Broncos finished the season with a 17-4-1 overall record and went undefeated during the MAC season with a perfect 5-0-0 record. WMU produced two MLS Draft picks, several All-American, Academic All-American and all-conference selections, as well as the National Scholar Athlete of the Year and the MAC Player and Coach of the Year.





Leonardo Nogueira
Hometown: Brasilia, Brazil
High School/Former School: Centro Educacional Brasil Central/ Cal State Dominguez Hills
Club:
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'9
Weight: 150
 
Accolades:
As a Sophomore (2017)
- Played in 18 games with 15 starts
- Scored 5 goals, one being a game winner against Point Loma
- Notched 9 assists this season
- 2nd team All-West Region by the CCAA
- 1st team All-CCAA
- Holds 9th record for assists in a single season
 
As a Freshman (2016)
- Played and started in nine games
- Logged 602 minutes
- Scored a goal in his Toro debut against San Francisco State
- Second goal came at Chico State
- Made 10 shots overall with four on-goal
 
Wiseman on Nogeuira
 "Leo is an extremely dangerous attacking player that we are very excited about adding to our roster. He is from Brazil, and certainly plays with a great deal of South American flair in his game. He is an exceptional 1v1 player that loves to run at defenders. He is crafty on the ball and knows how to make defenders miss. He also has a very high soccer IQ and sees the field extremely well, which makes him a very dangerous player in the final third as he knows how to score and create goals in big moments. We believe Leo has the abilities to make some noise in the MAC and on the national stage."
 
 

Paul Liagre
Hometown: Saint Ouen Sur Iton, France
High School/Former School: Lycee Ambroise Pare/ Northeastern Junior College (Co.)
Club: Stade Lavallois
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'9
Weight: 155         
 
Accolades:
NJC Career Stats – 25 goals, 10 assists
37 appearances, 34 games started
2016 Region IX All-Tournament Team
2016 Region IX First Team
2016 Region IX Player of the Year Runner-Up
2016 Region IX Freshmen of the Year Runner-Up
2017 Region IX Tournament Team
2017 Region IX First Team
2017 Region IX Player of the Year Runner-Up
Played at the u19 National level for Stade Lavallois
 
Wiseman on Liagre
"Paul comes to us highly recommended from one of our former assistant coaches, David Groves. His work ethic, commitment as an athlete, and adaptability is something that appeals to us and fits our style of play. He excels with the ball in tight spaces, has the ability to create special moments, and score goals in a variety of ways. Paul has the unique ability to play a wide variety of positions on the field. We look forward to welcoming Paul to Bronco Nation."
 


Isaac Walker
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
High School: Bishop Moore
Club: ACYS Spirit United
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6'3
Weight: 160
 
Accolades:
2017 Club team finished first in Florida state cup and were ranked 10th in the nation
2017 SRPL East Sub-Region Champions
2016 State Cup Final Four
2015 High School Regional Champions
 
Wiseman on Walker:
"Isaac is coming to us from Orlando and he could not be more excited to be a Bronco. He is a high character individual that has an incredible work ethic and desire to improve. He is very athletic and great coming off his line and collecting balls in the air. Isaac is fearless in his box and is a very good shot stopper. He has done a great deal of winning in his youth career and he knows what it takes to get the job done. Isaac is anxious to get to Kalamazoo and hungry to get to work. In our tenure so far at WMU, players with his mindset and work rate tend to thrive in our program."
 


Eric Cotton
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
High School: Vancouver High School
Club: Portland Timbers USSDA
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6'3
Weight: 160       
 
Accolades:
Washington State Championship Finalist in 2014
Oregon State Champion 2015
Current Portland Timbers USSDA Starting Goalkeeper
Currently training with Portland Timbers T2 (USL) Weekly
 
Wiseman on Cotton:
"Eric is a very bright prospect that is coming from a very high profile MLS system in the Portland Timbers. He is a big strong goalkeeper with great athleticism and is a good shot stopper. His technique, work ethic, hands and feet are all attributes that made him a very attractive prospect. He has also been training with the Timbers T2 team on a weekly basis and getting very valuable experience doing so. Eric possesses all the tools to have a very bright future in a Bronco uniform."
 


Niko Papakyriakopoulos
Hometown: New Westminster, British Columbia
High School: University Hill Secondary
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Position: Defender
Height: 5'11
Weight: 165
 
Accolades:
Selected to Vancouver Whitecaps Residency in 2012
Played for Whitecaps at all levels
2016 Provincial Champion and finals MVP
Member of 2017 U16 Vancouver Whitecaps team that placed 4th in the USSDA
Member of 2018 U19 Vancouver Whitecaps team
 
Wiseman on Niko:
"Niko is a player that we found late in this recruiting year but we are very happy we found him. He is a former club teammate and of current Bronco Brendan Skinner coming all the way from the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, another very quality MLS youth system. Niko is an out-and-out natural left back that has a bright future at WMU. He is a very attack-minded outside back that has the stamina and abilities to get up and down the field for long stretches of the match. He is very technically sound and serves a heavy, dangerous ball from the flank and can pick out his targets as well.  He is a solid 1v1 defender that understands his shape and is also strong on the tackle when he needs to be. Niko possesses all the traits of players that have come before him that have had incredible careers in our tenure at WMU."