42 | MAY 11 • 2023 

SPORTS

T

he final stop in Josh 
Nodler’s college hockey 
career will be Bowling 
Green State University in Ohio.
He hopes he’s saved his best 
for last.
Bowling Green will be the 
22-year-old Berkley High 
School graduate’s third team 

in three years. After playing 
three seasons at Michigan State 
University, Nodler transferred to 
the University of Massachusetts, 
played one season there, and 
now has moved on to Bowling 
Green, where he’ll play as a 
graduate student.
College athletes were granted 

an extra year of eligibility by the 
NCAA if they were impacted by 
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I always thought I would 
use my fifth year of eligibility,
” 
Nodler said. “I went into the 
(NCAA
’s) transfer portal this 
time because I wanted a place 
where I’
d have a better oppor-
tunity to play and continue my 
education.
”
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound 
forward from Oak Park appears 
to have found that place in 
Bowling Green.
“We made no promises to 
Josh, but we will give him an 
opportunity. We want him to 
have his best season of college 
hockey,
” said Bowling Green 
coach Ty Eigner.
“His resume shows he’s a good 
offensive player, and that’s still 
there. He comes here with a 
clean slate. We know he’s moti-

vated to do well here and he’s 
happy about being close to home 
(Bowling Green is 15 minutes 
south of Toledo).
”
Nodler will graduate from 
UMass next month with a 
degree in computer science. He 
may continue his education in 
that field at Bowling Green or 
take advantage of the school’s 
one-year MBA program.
“I’m not 100% sure,
” he said.
Eigner said the Bowling Green 
hockey team has dipped into the 
transfer portal many times and 
been successful because of the 
type of player it wants.
Nodler checks all the boxes.
“Transfers have to fit into our 
locker room, be a good team-
mate and care about academics,
” 
Eigner said. “
Academics matter 
with us. We want our players to 
take ownership of their educa-
tion.
”

Josh Nodler 
during his 
Michigan 
State days,

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Josh Nodler’s college hockey career has taken him 
from Michigan State to UMass and now Bowling Green.

Josh Nodler’s college hockey career has taken him 
Travelin’ Man

Josh Nodler won 
54.1% of his faceoffs, 
second-best on 
the team, during 
his junior year at 
Michigan State.

