ST. LOUIS – The Western Michigan men's soccer program had a historic night with three players being selected in the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Wednesday. This is the second time in program history that the Broncos have had multiple players selected in the draft.
Senior center back
Daniel Nimick (Harrogate, England) was drafted in the second round by Vancouver Whitecaps FC as the 42nd overall pick.
Graduate goalkeeper
Hunter Morse (Belleville, Michigan) was selected by FC Cincinnati in the second round with the 51st overall pick.
Senior forward
Charlie Sharp (Brighton, Michigan) was drafted by Toronto FC in the third round with the 61st overall selection.
"This is a groundbreaking day for our program and we couldn't be more proud of Nimick, Morse, and Sharp," said WMU head coach
Chad Wiseman. "All three are great players but most importantly better people. We are excited to support these players in their next endeavors and cannot thank them enough for the mark they have left on our program. Their hard work, leadership, and dedication to the program will be stepping stones for future Broncos for years to come. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our program and we are thankful for the collective effort and success of our team to create such opportunities. We wish them all the best as they represent Western Michigan on the professional stage and step into their new roles to achieve their professional dreams."
The Broncos have now had five players selected in the MLS SuperDraft. Brandon Bye was drafted by the New England Revolution in the first round as the eight overall pick in 2018, Drew Shepard was selected by Toronto FC in the second round as the 46th overall pick in 2018, and Eric Pogue was drafted by New England Revolution in the second round as the 53rd overall pick in 2001.
Daniel Nimick
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Round 2 | Pick 42
A native of Harrogate, England, Nimick started all 21 matches for the Broncos this season and scored eight goals, third-most in the Mid-American Conference. Five of his goals were game-winning tallies, which led the conference and tied for sixth in the NCAA. The senior also added one assist for a total of 17 points, which ranked eighth in the MAC.
Named to College Soccer News Men's National Team of the Week and MAC Player of the Week during the season, Nimick received his third All-MAC honor, and second First Team All-MAC selection. The senior also became the second player in Western Michigan program history to be named MAC Player of the Year. Nimick added a First Team All-Region selection to his season's accolades as well as a Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-American selection and First Team USC Scholar All-American selection.
He concludes his Bronco career with 65 match appearances and 51 starts. He records 12 goals and seven assists for a total of 31 points. His seven game-winning goals tie him for third in WMU program history.
Hunter Morse
FC Cincinnati
Round 2 | Pick 51
A native of Belleville, Mich., he has started in goal for all 21 matches with Western Michigan. Morse boasts an astounding resume, having only allowed 10 goals in 21 games, to make him the MAC leader in all goalkeeping categories, including a goals-against average of 0.472. He has tallied 76 saves and earned a total of 11 shutouts this season, ranking him first in the MAC and third in the NCAA for shutouts. His .884 save percentage also leads the NCAA.
Named to the USC All-Region Team as a First Team selection and MAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Morse concludes his Broncos career with 21 appearances for a total of 1,907 minutes played. His 11-game shutouts led Western Michigan to a 16-3-2 season and rank third in WMU program history. He ranks second in program history for goals-against average with .471.
Charlie Sharp
Toronto FC
Round 3 | Pick 61
A native of Brighton, Mich., he started all 21 matches this season, recording 11 goals, eight assists for 30 points, 33 shots on goal, and 74 shots in total, earning him the lead in the MAC in each category. Named MAC Player of the Week three times and the MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week as well, he was second in the MAC with eight assists. Nationally, he tied for 12th in goals, 38th in goals per game (0.52), ninth in shots per game (3.52), 16th in shots on goal per game (1.57), tied for seventh in points, and 21st in points per game (1.43).
Sharp's accolades this season included All-MAC First Team, MAC Tournament MVP, an All-Region First Team selection, a Second Team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American, and a First Team USC Scholar All-American.
He concludes his Bronco career with 69 match appearances and 50 starts. He records 23 goals and 14 assists for a total of 60 points. He registers 160 total shots with 75 on goal. His eight game-winning goals tie him for second in WMU program history.
The three Broncos helped lead WMU to unprecedented success in 2022, winning its second and last-ever Mid-American Conference Championship. The Broncos made their third NCAA appearance and second Sweet Sixteen appearance while recording a new program record for consecutive wins with nine and total points with 143 points. Western Michigan closed its season as one of the top-ranked defenses in the nation. WMU ranked first nationally in goals-against-average (.471 per game), first in save percentage (.886), second in goal differential (33), and fourth in win-loss-tie percentage (.810).
