2022 Men's Soccer Roster
Roster
Nicolas Blassou
- Position:
- Defender
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 185
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Rockville, Md.
- High School:
- Rockville HS
Notes
Played six collegiate seasons from 2017-22 at Kentucky, American University, and UCLA, spending the 2022 season in Westwood as a grad transfer ... Made 64 appearances, starting 53 games, over his collegiate career ... Operated primarily as a center back ... Made 14 appearances and 10 starts as a Bruin ... Totaled three goals for his career.
Career Highlights
2021 Second Team All-Atlantic Region
Two-time All-Patriot League
UCLA Director's Honor Roll
2022 (UCLA)
Before the season, was named to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch list for defenders ... Listed at No. 96 in TopDrawerSoccer's preseason Men's Top 100 Players to Watch List ... Named to the UCLA Director's Honor Roll for spring quarter (3.0+ GPA, 12+ units passed) ... Appeared in 14 games as a grad transfer at UCLA, starting 10 ... Totaled 964 minutes on the pitch ... Registered three shots, one of which went on frame ... Made his Bruin debut on Aug. 25 against UC Irvine, starting and playing the full 90 on Opening Day as UCLA won, 1-0 ... Started all three of UCLA's postseason contests ... Played the full 90 in six of his 10 starts.
Prior to UCLA
Played in 50 games, starting 43, over five seasons with American (2020-21) and Kentucky (2017-19) ... Totaled three goals over his undergrad career, including a career-high two over nine games with American in spring 2021 ... Was a first team all-league and second team all-region pick with American in fall 2021 ... Played on NCAA Tournament-reaching teams in three consecutive seasons starting in 2018.
American University (2020-21)
Started all 26 possible games over two years at American University, based in Washington, D.C. ... Was an all-league pick in both of his seasons on campus ... Led the team in minutes in both years ... Recorded two goals for four points.
2021 (American)
Started all 17 of his team's games as a redshirt senior ... First Team All-Patriot League and Second Team All-Atlantic Region ... Led the team with 1,532 minutes played ... Did not record a point.
2020-21 (American University)
Started all nine of his team's games as a redshirt junior at American ... Second Team All-Patriot League ... Led American with 834 minutes played ... Scored two goals over the course of the year, including in the NCAA Tournament First Round against Jacksonville on Apr. 29, 2021 ... Named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on Mar. 6, 2021 after leading American to a shutout win over Lehigh with just one shot on goal against.
Kentucky (2017-19)
Appeared in 24 games, making 17 starts, over three seasons at Kentucky ... Helped UK to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (redshirted as a true freshman in 2017) ... Recorded one goal for two points.
2019 (Kentucky)
Appeared in 18 matches as a redshirt sophomore, starting 17 ... Scored his first collegiate goal in a 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic on Sept. 21 ... Contributed to nine Kentucky shutouts ... Reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament ... Named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2018 (Kentucky)
Appeared in six games as a redshirt freshman, all off the bench ... Made his collegiate debut on Aug. 24, 2018 against DePaul ... Appeared in three consecutive games from Oct. 16-24 ... Kentucky reached the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
2017 (Kentucky)
Redshirted in his true freshman season.
High School/Club
Played club soccer for Baltimore Celtic ... Attended Rockville High School in his hometown of Rockville, Md.
Personal
Full name: Nicolas Blassou ... Working towards a master's degree in transformative coaching and leadership at UCLA ... Was a biology major at American ... Born in Washington, D.C. ... Parents are Maureen and Roger Blassou ... Has four sisters: Gabby, Michelle, Monica, and Claire ... Chose to attend UCLA because of "its prestigious history as an academic institution and the rich history within the soccer program, along with a beautiful location" ... Describes playing in the NCAA Tournament in spring 2021 with American University as his greatest pre-UCLA athletic thrill ... Admires LeBron James, Paul Pogba, Sergio Ramos, and Cristiano Ronaldo ... In his free times, enjoys good movies and TV, music, books, and playing sports.
