From Bowling Green to Columbus Crew 2, Jacob Erlandson still playing soccer in Ohio

Jacob Erlandson (courtesy BGSU Athletics)
Jacob Erlandson Crew 2 Former Bowling Green soccer star 5 5 22.mp3

THE JACOB ERLANDSON FILE

  • POSITION Defender
  • HEIGHT 6-1
  • WEIGHT 175
  • CLASS Senior
  • HOMETOWN Dayton, Ohio
  • HIGHSCHOOL Dayton Christian
  • PREV SCHOOL Huntington (Ind.) Univ.

DRAFTED!!
On Jan. 11, 2022, Jacob Erlandson was chosen by the Columbus Crew in the Second Round (40th overall pick) of the MLS SuperDraft

2021

  • Was one of just 44 players across the nation to be invited to the MLS College Soccer Showcase (Dec. 10-12)
  • Named to the All-MAC First Team for the second time in as many seasons with the Falcons
  • Also was named to the MAC’s All-Tournament Team
  • A United Soccer Coaches All-North Region First-Team selection
  • Chosen to the OCSA All-Ohio First Team
  • Was named BGSU’s Male Athlete of the Year at the Ziggys, the athletic department’s end-of-year awards ceremony
  • A 2021 team captain
  • Ranked No. 87 on the Top Drawer Soccer preseason list of top 100 players in the nation
  • Was one of just two MAC players on the list
  • Was ranked No. 3 on the TDS Preseason list of top-20 players in the MAC
  • Was listed at No. 93 on the TDS midseason top-100 rankings
  • Moved up to No. 67 on the TDS postseason list, and was No. 4 on that site’s postseason MAC Top-20 list
  • Played in 19 of BGSU’s 20 matches, starting all 19
  • Led the Falcons in scoring, with 16 points
  • Tied for the BG lead with six goals, including two game-winners
  • Tied for fourth on the club with four assists
  • Part of a BG back line that held IUPUI to just four shot attempts (and no goals) in the season opener
  • At the other end of the field, led all players with four shots
  • Played all 92-plus minutes of BGSU’s win at Gonzaga
  • Was on the field for all 90 minutes at Cleveland State, helping the BG defense hold the Vikings without a single shot on goal
  • Scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at Michigan State three days later
  • His header with 35 minutes gone opened the scoring in a 3-0 win, as BG defeated the Spartans for the first time in 20 years
  • After missing the Marshall match, returned to the Starting XI for the Falcons’ 3-0 win over Wright State
  • Played all 90 minutes of the Falcons’ win over #13/17 FIU, picking up the primary assist on the game-winning goal
  • Got his head on a Joey Akpunonu throw-in, flicking the ball to Sergi Martinez for the finish in the six-yard box
  • Had a goal and an assist in the Falcons’ 2-0 win over Detroit Mercy
  • Again headed a throw-in to the eventual goal-scorer, this time finding Roberto Fernandez Garrido
  • Converted a penalty kick in the second half
  • Played all 90 minutes of the Falcons’ 2-1 win at Canisius
  • Played 82 minutes of the Ohio State match, returning after suffering an injury to score the Falcons’ goal
  • Had a game-high six shots, and tied for game honors with three shots on goal vs. the Buckeyes
  • Played all 90 minutes and scored the winning goal in the MAC opener vs. Georgia State
  • Headed home an Alberto Anaya free kick in the 60th minute to break a 2-2 tie in BG’s 3-2 win
  • Had an assist in the Falcons’ win over Georgia Southern two nights later, on Senior Night
  • Part of a BG defensive corps that did not allow a shot on goal in that 4-0 win
  • Played all 110 minutes and scored BGSU’s goal in a 1-1 tie at Northern Illinois
  • In a matchup of top-25 teams in DeKalb, scored on a header in the 34th minute
  • Was named to the TDS Team of the Week on Oct. 19 for his efforts in the NIU match
  • Had an assist and a game-high total of five shot attempts at Akron
  • Was on the pitch for all 90 minutes of BGSU’s 3-0 win at Oakland
  • Played all 110 minutes vs. Western Michigan, hitting the post with a shot late in the first half, and played all 90 minutes at West Virginia
  • Played all 90 minutes and scored a goal in the MAC Tournament semifinal at Northern Illinois
  • Was on the field for all 90 minutes of a 1-0 shutout win at Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Championships
  • Also played every second of the national tourney second-round match at Indiana, with a pair of shot attempts

2020-21 HONORS

  • All-MAC First Team
  • Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week (March 23, 2021)
  • BGSU Newcomer of the Year

2020(-21)

  • Named to the All-MAC First Team in his first season as a Falcon
  • Was named BGSU’s Newcomer of the Year at the Ziggys, the athletic department’s end-of-year (virtual) awards ceremony
  • That award goes to just one male and one female athlete across all sports at the University
  • Started all 13 matches, playing 1,204 of the season’s 1,209 total minutes
  • Was second on the team in both goals and points, and tied for second in assists
  • Had eight points on three goals and two assists
  • Two of his three goals were game-winning goals
  • Tied for first in the MAC and 50th in the nation in GWG
  • Was second on the team with 25 shot attempts, and led the Falcons with 10 shots on goal
  • At the other end of the pitch, helped the Falcons record five shutouts, all in MAC play
  • Scored a goal in BG’s 2-0 win in a scrimmage at Xavier.
  • Played all 90 minutes and scored the winning goal in his official BGSU debut, a 3-2 win over Dayton
  • Had a three-point game, with an assist on the Falcons’ first goal and the GWG with 7:48 left in the second half
  • Recorded a match-high four shots, putting two on goal, in the MAC opener at Akron
  • Played all 94-plus minutes of BGSU’s 1-0 OT win over #25 SIUE, with a shot on goal and an assist on Chris Sullivan’s ‘Golden Goal’
  • Had the lone goal in BG’s next match, scoring what proved to be the winner in a 1-0 victory at West Virginia
  • Was on the field for all 90 minutes of BGSU’s third-straight shutout, a 1-0 win at Northern Illinois
  • Was named the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week on March 23, for his efforts in the wins at WVU and NIU
  • Became the first player in program history to earn TDS P-O-W honors
  • Played 86 minutes at Western Michigan, scoring a goal in the final second of the first half
  • Played all 96-plus minutes of the Falcons’ 1-0 win over Akron, with his three shot attempts including one on goal
  • Part of a BG back line that held the Zips without a shot on goal in that win
  • Was on the pitch for all 110 minutes of the scoreless draw vs. West Virginia, tying for the team lead with three shots
  • Played all 98-plus minutes of the Falcons’ 2-1 win over NIU that clinched the MAC title, and had two shot attempts
  • Was on the field for all 90 minutes of the NCAA Championships match vs. Monmouth
  • Blocked a shot on the left side of the six-yard box for a ‘team save’ in that contest

PRIOR TO BGSU

  • Earned three letters at Huntington University for coach Russ Lawson
  • Had totals of 21 goals (including 11 game-winning goals), two assists and 44 points during those three seasons with the Foresters
  • Was named to the all-league team in all three years, and was an NAIA All-American in 2019

2019 AT HUNTINGTON

  • Was named an NAIA All American, earning honorable mention to the NAIA A-A squad
  • Became just the second member of the Foresters to earn that honor in the last decade
  • From his center-back position, anchored an HU defense that posted 10 shutouts on the year
  • Was named the Crossroads League Defender of the Year as voted on by the CL coaches
  • Also named to the all-league first team
  • HU led the league in goals allowed per game (0.78)
  • At the other end of the field, led the team in scoring with 10 goals
  • Led the entire NAIA in GWG, with seven
  • Was a perfect 5-for-5 on penalty kicks on the year
  • The team finished 15-5-3 and repeated as the CL Tournament champions, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament for the second-straight season

2018 AT HUNTINGTON

  • Was named to the All-CL Second Team
  • Had five goals and 12 points, tying for third on the team in both categories
  • Helped the defense keep six clean sheets
  • Played multiple roles for the Foresters, starting the year by anchoring the back line, before moving up front later in the season
  • Team went 11-8-3 overall and won the Crossroads League Tournament championship, advancing to the NAIA National Tournament

2017 AT HUNTINGTON

  • Was named to the All-CL Second Team
  • Had six goals and 12 points, ranking second on the club in both categories
  • Two of his goals were game winners
  • Team went 9-4-4 and kept nine clean sheets

HIGH SCHOOL

  • A four-year letterwinner at Dayton Christian H.S. (‘17), where his coaches included James Holliday, Neil Craft, Scot Alexander and Paul Holliday
  • A two-time All-Ohio First-Team selection who was also named an All-American as a senior for the Warriors
  • Had career totals of 97 goals and 56 assists, including 83 goals and 36 helpers over his final two years
  • Had 35 goals and 19 assists as a junior, and a whopping 48 goals along with 17 assists as a senior
  • Was named the conference (Metro Buckeye League) Player of the Year in both seasons, and also was named the Miami Valley Area P-O-Y in each of those two years
  • The Warriors were 37-13-7 over his final three years, with records of 13-5-1 in his junior season and 14-3-2 in his senior year
  • A two-time team captain
  • Also earned two letters in baseball and two in basketball

PERSONAL

  • Born in Akron, Ohio
  • Son of Dan and Louanne Erlandson
  • A communication major at BGSU
  • The third of four sons
  • Has two older brothers, Daniel and Jared, and a younger brother, Josh
  • Daniel and Josh played collegiate soccer at Lipscomb Univ. and Huntington Univ., respectively, and Josh is now a teammate at BGSU
  • Father played baseball at Cedarville Univ.
  • Has played club ball for Ohio Galaxies, and also has played for the Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL
  • Favorite athlete is Carlos Puyol

ERLANDSON ON BGSU
“I decided to transfer because I want to pursue dreams of playing soccer at the professional level, and I felt that the BGSU men’s soccer program was a perfect fit for me.”

COACH NICHOLS ON ERLANDSON
“Jake has big ambitions for his senior season and we are honored that he chose BGSU to help him realize those ambitions. He is athletic, competitive, technical and he is a great leader. We are thrilled to have him and expect him to make a quick transition.”

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