Kotsopoulos in 2021 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jace Dayton Kotsopoulos | ||
Date of birth | (1997-12-01) December 1, 1997 (age 27) | ||
Place of birth | Burlington, Ontario, Canada | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Burlington SC | ||
Youth career | |||
Oakville SC | |||
Dixie SC | |||
Burlington SC | |||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2019 | Guelph Gryphons | 61 | (58) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018 | Vaughan Azzurri | 1 | (3) |
2019 | Forge FC | 3 | (2) |
2020 | York9 FC | 1 | (0) |
2021–2022 | Guelph United | 24 | (20) |
2022 | FC Berlin | 1 | (0) |
2023 | Burlington SC | 18 | (6) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 23, 2023 |
Jace Dayton Kotsopoulos (born December 1, 1997) is a Canadian soccer player.
Early life
Kotsopoulos first played youth soccer with Oakville SC and Dixie SC. He joined Burlington SC at U13 level, playing until 2015 at the U19 level. When he was 16, he trained with the Spanish club Real Sociedad youth academy.
University career
Kotsopoulous attended the University of Guelph playing for the men's soccer team for five years, where he set the school's all-time goal scoring record with 58 goals, beating the previous mark by nine goals. In his first season, he led the team with 11 goals, being named an OUA Second Team All-Star. In his second year, he led the OUA with 17 goals, being named to the OUA West Second Team All Star for the second year in a row, as Guelph won the OUA title and a national bronze medal. During his third year, he missed part of the season due to a meniscus tear and missed most of his fifth and final season due to a sprained ankle. In his third season, despite an injury, he was named an OUA West First Team All-Star and a U Sports Second Team All Canadian after scoring ten goals in nine games. In his fourth year, he led the Ontario University Athletics with 15 goals in 17 games, being named the U Sports men’s soccer player of the year as well as the OUA male athlete of the year, named OUA West MVP and an OUA First Team All-Star, and he was also named the U Sports soccer player of the year, and was nominated for the U Sports Male Athlete of the Year. In his final season in 2019, he struggled with injuries, but returned in the quarter-finals to score two goals to help Guelph to the OUA Final Four.
Club career
In 2018, Kotsopoulos played one league match for League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri and scored a hat-trick. He also played in three league cup matches, scoring three goals, including both of his team's goals in a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC III in the final.
On November 12, 2018, Kotsopoulos was drafted 3rd overall by Forge FC in the 2018 CPL–U Sports Draft. On May 16, 2019, he signed a developmental contract with Forge. On June 12, 2019, Kotsopoulos made his debut as a substitute in the Canadian Championship against Cavalry FC. He made his league debut as a substitute the following weekend, scoring the tying goal in a 2–1 come-from-behind win against Valour FC, which qualified Forge for the 2019 CONCACAF League, and made him one of the youngest goalscorers in league history. In August 2019, Kotsopoulos opted to return to the University of Guelph to finish his final semester. He finished the season with two goals in five substitute appearances, including an appearance in the CONCACAF League.
On August 9, 2020, York9 announced the signing of Kotsopolous. He made his debut on August 22 against Valour FC, which was his only appearance in the short 2020 season.
On March 13, 2021, Kotsopoulos became the first ever player to sign with League1 Ontario expansion side Guelph United. In his debut on July 30, he scored a hat trick against FC London. He led the league in scoring in 2021 with 15 goals in the regular season, and helped the team win the league championship, scoring twice in Guelph's 3-1 victory over Blue Devils FC in the championship final. For the 2021 season, he was named West Division MVP, a West Division All-Star, and won the league Golden Boot.
In October 2022, he signed with FC Berlin in the United Premier Soccer League.
In January 2023, he joined Burlington SC, his former youth club, in League1 Ontario.
Career statistics
- As of August 23, 2023
Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Vaughan Azzurri | 2018 | League1 Ontario | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 4 | 6 | ||
Forge FC | 2019 | Canadian Premier League | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
York9 FC | 2020 | Canadian Premier League | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
Guelph United FC | 2021 | League1 Ontario | 12 | 15 | 2 | 3 | – | – | – | 14 | 18 | |||
2022 | League1 Ontario | 12 | 5 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 5 | ||||
FC Berlin | 2022 | United Premier Soccer League | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
Burlington SC | 2023 | League1 Ontario | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 19 | 6 | |||
Career total | 48 | 31 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 37 |
References
- ^ "Jace Kotsopoulos profile". Force Academy. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021.
- "Player's Spotlight – Jace Kotsopoulos". Burlington SC. April 23, 2019.
- "The Boys are Back" (PDF). Burlington SC. January 27, 2023.
- ^ Massey, Rob (October 7, 2021). "Striking gold: Guelph United's Kotsopoulos filling the net". Guelph Today.
- ^ "Athlete Spotlight: Jace Kotsopolous, Men's Soccer". Guelph Gryphons.
- "MSCR: Springer, Danielli & Kotsopoulos Named OUA West Division All-Stars". Guelph Gryphons. November 4, 2015.
- "Burlington players help Guelph win first men's soccer title since 1990". Burlington Post. November 7, 2016.
- "MSCR: OUA Announces Men's Soccer All-Stars". Guelph Gryphons. November 2, 2017.
- "MSCR: Jace Kotsopoulos Named U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian". Guelph Gryphons. November 9, 2017.
- "MSCR: Jace Kotsopoulos Named OUA West MVP, Five Gryphons Named OUA All-Stars". Guelph Gryphons. November 1, 2018.
- "Guelph's Kotsopoulos headlines U SPORTS men's soccer major award winners". U Sports. November 8, 2018.
- "Gryphons men's soccer star Jace Kotsopoulos announced as finalist for 2018-19 U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year". Guelph Gryphons. April 23, 2018.
- Garbutt, Herb (May 1, 2019). "Honours continue to roll in for Burlington soccer star". Burlington Post.
- Jacques, John (April 23, 2019). "CPL-U SPORTS Draft Pick Kotsopoulos Up For U SPORTS Award". Northern Tribune.
- Carter Smith, Cecelia (May 10, 2019). "Gryphon soccer star OUA nominee for top prize in country". Hamilton Spectator.
- "MSCR Recap: Kotsopoulos Returns; Leads Gryphons to OUA Final Four". Guelph Gryphons. October 27, 2019.
- Ghaffaribarzi, Mahdi (July 16, 2018). "First Half Scoring Bonanza As Vaughan Beats Alliance 4-2". League1 Ontario.
- Cheng, Jonathan (August 5, 2018). "Kotsopolous Brace Earns Vaughan L1 Cup 2018 Championship Over TFC III". League1 Ontario.
- "Forge FC nabs U SPORTS star Jace Kotsopoulos in 1st round of inaugural CPL-U SPORTS Draft". Canadian Premier League. November 13, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- "Forge FC signs Jace Kotsopoulos to U SPORTS development contract". Canadian Premier League. May 16, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- "Nine Stripes snap up Jace Kotsopoulos". York9 FC. August 9, 2020.
- Milton, Steve (June 19, 2019). "Burlington's Jace Kotsopoulos is making sudden impact on Forge FC fortunes". The Hamilton Spectator.
- ^ Jacques, John (August 17, 2019). "Jace Kotsopoulos Returns To Guelph University". Northern Tribune.
- Bedakian, Armen (16 August 2019). "Forge's Jace Kotsopoulos returns to Guelph University". Canadian Premier League.
- Jacques, John (August 6, 2020). "Jace Kotsopoulos Set To Make CPL Return". Northern Tribune.
- "York9 replaces Nicholas Hamilton with Jace Kotsopoulos for The Island Games". Canadian Premier League. August 9, 2020.
- Jacques, John (August 9, 2020). "Breaking: Jace Kotsopoulos Joins York9 FC". Northern Tribune.
- Jacques, John (August 22, 2021). "York9 Battles Valour To Hotly Contested Draw". Northern Tribune.
- Jacques, John (March 14, 2021). "Guelph United Makes Inaugural Signing In Jace Kotsopoulos". Northern Tribune.
- Jacques, John (August 1, 2021). "Canadian Premier League Athletes To Watch In League1 Ontario". Northern Tribune.
- Hodges, Mike (October 29, 2021). "Guelph United F.C. hosts first playoff game this weekend". Global News.
- Cheng, Jonathan (November 7, 2021). "Guelph United downs Blue Devils 3-1 to win 2021 L1O Men's title, qualify for CanChamp". League1 Ontario.
- Thompson, Marty (December 22, 2021). "2021 L1O Men's Premier Division Awards: Guelph sweeps West; Phillip & Kotsopoulos take MVP". League1 Ontario.
- Jacques, John (December 23, 2021). "Six Former CPL Talents Named In League1 Ontario Awards". Northern Tribune.
- Almada, Gabriel (14 October 2022). "FC Berlin announces its transfer deadline additions". FC Berlin.
- Jacques, John (January 27, 2023). "Burlington SC Signs Hometown Striker Jace Kotsopoulos". Northern Tribune.
- Jace Kotsopoulos at Soccerway
- "Jace Dayton Kotsopoulos 2018 Stats". League1 Ontario.
- "Jace Kotsopoulos 2021 Stats". League1 Ontario.
- "Jace Kotsopoulos 2022 Stats". League1 Ontario.
- "FC Berlin Stats 2022". United Premier Soccer League.
- "Jace Kotsopoulos 2023 Stats". League1 Ontario.
External links
- Jace Kotsopoulos at Soccerway
2018 CPL–U Sports Draft selections | |
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In preparation for the 2019 season | |
First round | |
Second round | |
Third round |
|
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Men's association football forwards
- Canadian men's soccer players
- Soccer people from Ontario
- Sportspeople from Burlington, Ontario
- Canadian people of Greek descent
- Sportspeople of Greek descent
- Forge FC draft picks
- Forge FC players
- York United FC players
- League1 Ontario players
- Canadian Premier League players
- University and college men's soccer players in Canada
- Vaughan Azzurri players
- Guelph United F.C. players
- Burlington SC (League1 Ontario) players
- FC Berlin (Canada/United States) players
- United Premier Soccer League players
- Guelph Gryphons men's soccer players
- Oakville SC players
- 21st-century Canadian sportsmen