Western Michigan University men’s soccer adds three to 2020 recruiting class

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan University men’s soccer program and head coach Chad Wiseman announced the addition of three more student-athletes to the 2020 signing class. Dante Bailey, Aidan O’Connor and Ty Usiak will join the program and enroll at Western Michigan in the fall.

In January, WMU added Noah Brumels, Levi Crooks, Sean O’Meara, Kyle Scott and Josh Williams to its signing class of 2020.

Western Michigan finished the 2019 campaign with an 11-6-2 overall record and trip to the Mid-American Conference Championship semifinals. The Broncos defeated Michigan and Michigan State in the same season for the first time in program history and had five All-MAC selections, including MAC Freshman of the Year Charlie Sharp.

Dante Bailey | 6-3 | D | Huron High School | Ypsilanti, Mich.
A native of Ypsilanti, Mich., Bailey is a defender out of Ann Arbor Huron High School who played club soccer for the Michigan Jaguars. He served as a team captain and was an honorable mention all-state selection in 2018 and third-team honoree in 2019.

Why Bailey Chose WMU:
“I chose Western Michigan for the opportunity to play with a top-tier soccer program and obtain a quality engineering degree.”

Coach Wiseman on Bailey:
“Dante is a player who became available late in the recruiting calendar and we jumped all over the opportunity to add him to our squad. He has all of the attributes necessary to be a high quality Division 1 center back. Athletically, he is extremely gifted. He plays a very physical game, which makes him tough to run at. Dante also has a very good range of passing. His size and ability to win aerial battles makes him an asset in the back, and also a danger on set pieces.  We are excited Dante chose to make his new home in Kalamazoo.”

Aidan O’Connor | 6-4 | CB | Forest Hills Northern High School | Grand Rapids, Mich.
O’Connor is a center back from Grand Rapids, Mich., and attended Forest Hills Northern High School. He was named Michigan’s Mr. Soccer for the 2019 season. O’Connor is the fifth consecutive Michigan Mr. Soccer recipient to join the Broncos.

O’Connor was named Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and in the fall, he helped the Huskies earn their first state championship. In the championship match, he scored the game’s first goal with 10:53 left in the first half. Forest Hills Northern finished the season 23-0-1 and brought home the title after finishing as runner-up in 2015 and 2018, losing in the state finals a year ago in a shootout. In 2018 and 2019, O’Connor earned a place on the United Soccer Coaches All-America team, as well as the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-America squad. O’Connor played club soccer for West Michigan Fire.

Why O’Connor Chose WMU:
“On my visit to WMU I felt very welcome. Although it was my first time meeting the coaching staff and the team, I felt like I was already part of their family. I felt like they had a definitive plan for me as a player and would help me get to where I wanted, not only athletically but also academically.”

Coach Wiseman on O’Connor:
“It was an awesome day on campus when Aidan called and said he was ready to be a Bronco. You won’t see many more impressive resumes than what he has achieved in his prep career. Aidan makes FIVE consecutive years that Michigan’s Mr. Soccer has decided to call Kalamazoo home. Aidan is a big, physical presence on the field that commands respect. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he still runs like a deer, making him extremely difficult to beat. He also brings a level of toughness to the game that can’t be taught. His teammates feed off of it. He will be a guy who our opponents dread going up against. The ceiling is very high for Aidan; we can’t wait to see what he can achieve in a Bronco uniform.”

Ty Usiak | 5-8 | MF | Okemos High School | Okemos, Mich.
Usiak, a midfielder and native of Okemos, Mich., was named to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-Great Lakes Region squad, Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association (MIHSSCA) Boy’s Soccer Dream Team and MIHSSCA Division I First Team All-State. He became the third Okemos High School player to earn Dream Team honors. He played club soccer for Midwest United, earning the 2019 Michigan State Youth Soccer Association, Inc., Michigan State Cup championship.

Why Usiak Chose WMU:
“I chose Western Michigan because of the recent success of the program and the values of the team. Along with the success and values, the level of competition within the team and opposition, as well as the reputation of the business school, were extremely large factors in my decision.”

Coach Wiseman on Usiak:
“Ty is a player who we think really developed into a Division 1 player during the last six months.  I credit much of that to his work rate and desire to want to play at the D1 level. He also brings a sense of skill and intelligence with him to the field. Ty is a gifted one-on-one attacker who also possesses the breakaway speed to beat and create separation from defenders, making him very dangerous in the final third. Those skills, combined with his work rate, show he has the ability to change games. He also has a knack for bringing his teammates along with him. We are very pleased to be adding Ty to this class.”