Mitch Budler

Position:
Goalkeeper
Height:
6-4
Weight:
198
Class:
Redshirt Junior
Hometown:
Lincoln, Neb.
High School:
YSC Academy

2024: Started all 21 games for Akron...recorded a 0.93 goals against average and a league-leading nine shutouts on the strength of 51 saves and a .729 save percentage...garnered the shutout in a 4-0 win over No. 13 VCU (Sept. 6)...turned in a dominating six-save performance in a 1-0 victory at Georgetown (Sept. 28)...added a season-best six stop effort in a 1-0 triumph past Xavier (Oct. 4) for the third straight shutout for the Zips...closed the regular season with fourth consecutive shutouts in league play at DePaul (Oct. 19), versus Creighton (Oct. 23) and at Marquette (Oct. 26) and UConn (Nov. 2)...recorded three saves in a 1-0 decision past No. 8 Princeton (Nov. 21) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament...didn’t surrender a goal in NCAA Tournament games versus No. 8 Princeton (Nov. 21) and at Indiana (Nov. 24)...added shutout in 8-0 win against Saint Francis (Sept. 24)...rated fourth in the NCAA in shutouts (9), 12th in goalkeeper minutes played (1,846:14) and 27th in goals against average (.926)...ranked first in the BIG EAST in total shutouts (9), third in shutouts per tilt (0.45), fourth in goals against average (0.95), sixth in save percentage (.729), seventh in total saves (51) and 10th in saves per game (2.55)...in league-only contests rated first in the BIG EAST in shutouts (6) and shutouts per contest (0.75), third in goals against average (0.62) and save percentage (.821), eighth in total saves (23) and ninth in saves per game (2.88).

2024 ACCOLADES: Third-Team United Soccer Coaches All-America honoree...First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-East Regional honoree...Selected as BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year...First-Team All-BIG EAST selection...named to BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week (Oct. 28 & Sept. 30)...selected to BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Honor Roll (Oct. 8)...member of TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week (Oct. 1)...First-Team All-Ohio.

2023: Started all 15 games he appeared in for Akron...recorded 33 saves en route to posting 2.20 saves per game, a .750 save percentage and a 0.76 goals against average...registered shutouts over Southern Indiana (Sept. 4), No. 11 Florida International (Sept. 11), No. 15 Notre Dame (Sept. 19), Northern Kentucky (Oct. 3), DePaul (Oct. 7), Cleveland State (Oct. 10), Xavier (Oct. 14) and Butler (Oct. 28)...pulled in a season-best four saves against Long Island (Sept. 8), No. 11 Florida International (Sept. 11), Marquette (Oct. 21) and at Xavier (Nov. 4)...rated 14th in the NCAA in goals against average (.757) and 19th in shutouts (7)...led the BIG East in goals against average (0.76), shutouts (7) and shutouts per tilt (0.47), while ranking third in save percentage (.750) and 10th in saves (33) and saves per game (2.20)...in league-only affairs, ranked fifth in shutouts (2) and goals against average (1.20) and sixth in shutouts per tilt (0.25).

2023 ACCOLADES: Selected to the BIG EAST Honor Roll (Sept. 11, Oct. 9).

2022: Started all 20 games in goal for Akron...registered 51 saves en route to posting 2.55 saves per contest, a .689 save percentage and a 1.15 goals against average...recorded shutouts over Michigan State, Duquesne, Chicago State (2X), Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Cleveland State...pulled in a season-best nine saves at No. 11 Indiana...tallied three or more saves in nine tilts, including versus No. 18 Florida International (3), Michigan State (3), Indiana (9), No. 22 Ohio State (4), No. 3 Pittsburgh (3|3) and Western Michigan (4|5|3)...rated 13th in the NCAA in goalkeeper minutes played (1,800:00) and 26th in shutouts (7).

2022 ACCOLADES: Second-Team All-Region selection (United Soccer Coaches)...All-Freshman Second Team (College Soccer News)...named to 2022 TopDrawerSoccer.com Men's National Freshmen Top-100 Postseason list (No. 23)...named by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its Midseason Top-100 Freshmen list (No. 8) and to its Preseason Best XI Freshman squad.

2021: Did not appear in a game for Akron.

PRIOR TO AKRON: Gained valuable playing experience with the Philadelphia Union II in the USL Championship League...TopDrawerSoccer.com rated Budler as the No. 38 player in the IMG Academy 150, while ranking him as the No. 3 goalkeeper in the country and tops among players not signing professionally...attended YSC Academy in Wayne, Pa., for both his junior and senior campaigns while playing for the Philadelphia Union II after leading Shattuck St. Mary's Academy during his freshman and sophomore years...as a sophomore, he helped lead Shattuck St. Mary's U-16/17 squad to a No. 1 national ranking on the strength of a 19-1-1 mark allowing only 13 goals all season en route to advancing to the playoff quarterfinals...registered the most shutouts across all levels of the U.S. Development Academy for the 2018-19 season...garnered valuable playing experience as a member of the United State's U-14 and U-16 National team.

PERSONAL: Majoring in business data analytics...son of Michael and Jennifer Budler.