Men's Soccer | September 01, 2016
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan men's soccer team hosts its first official home game of the 2016 season, taking on Fort Wayne, Friday, Sept. 2 at the WMU Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Admission to all WMU home soccer games is free.
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TWO GAMES, TWO SHUTOUTS
Western Michigan started the 2016 season last week on the road, posting 2-0 shutouts at both Marshall and Dayton. Redshirt junior goalkeeper
Drew Shepherd played the entire 180 minutes in goal, making three saves. Shepherd has 12 shutouts in his career. Last season, WMU set a school record with 12 shutouts, eight of which were credited to Shepherd. Shepherd was the NCAA Division I statistical champion for goals against average for the 2015 season. He allowed just four goals against in 1101:24 minutes played for a .329 GAA. Shepherd also finished second among Division I keepers for save percentage (.879).
BYE COMING UP BIG
Junior forward
Brandon Bye had an exceptional opening weekend playing a part in all four goals scored last weekend. In Friday's 2-0 win at Marshall he netted the game-winning goal minutes into the second half. He later set up an insurance goal with an assist in the 79th minute to put the game out of reach. Bye had a similar performance in a 2-0 win at Dayton, as he buried the game-winner five minutes into the contest then registered an assist in the 83rd minute.
LOPEZ AND NEZIREVIC ALSO FIND BACK OF THE NET
In his first career game as a Bronco senior
Diego Lopez scored in the 79th minute this past weekend against Marshall, giving WMU its second goal in the 2-0 victory. Lopez played his first three seasons at Western Illinois where he totaled 16 points on five goals and six assists. Redshirt sophomore
Dzenan Nezirevic tallied his third career goal at WMU, putting in the second goal in the Broncos' 2-0 win over Dayton in the 83rd minute.
WMU RANKED FOURTH IN REGION, RECEIVING NATIONAL VOTES
Fresh off a 2-0 start, Western Michigan is ranked No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association Great Lakes Region poll. The Broncos also received five votes in the overall NSCAA poll, as well as the TopDrawerSoccer.com national poll, ranking at 30th unofficially. The Broncos earned their first ever Top 25 national ranking last season, coming in as high as No. 18.
BRONCOS VOTED SECOND IN MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Western Michigan men's soccer team was voted to finish second in the Mid-American Conference according to the preseason coaches' poll. Western Michigan received one first place vote. Defending regular-season and tournament champion Akron (29 points) was picked to win the conference. Western Michigan (17 points), West Virginia (16) and Buffalo (15), were picked to finish second, third, and fourth this season, respectively. The Broncos have not lost a regular-season match to Akron since 2013. Western Michigan played the Zips, ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time, to a 1-1 tie last year in Kalamazoo. The Broncos defeated Akron on the road in 2014, 1-0, when the Zips were ranked No. 19.
SCOUTING FORT WAYNE
The Mastodons (1-1-0) opened the season with a 4-0 win over Saint Joseph's (Ind.) before falling to Cincinnati, 3-0, on Monday. Jacob Murphy had a pair of goals in the win over Saint Joseph's which was played indoors at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The Mastodons out-shot Cincinnati but were edged by two goals by the Bearcats in the second half that put the match out of reach.
SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan is 12-3-4 all-time against Fort Wayne. The two teams played to a 2-2 tie the last time they faced in 2014, in Fort Wayne. WMU won the two previous contests before that, 4-1 in 2013 and 3-0 in 2012. Both of those matches were played in Kalamazoo.
NEXT UP
Western Michigan hosts IUPUI on Monday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. Over the weekend of Sept. 9 & 11, the Broncos will play their first ever games in California, taking on St. Mary's in Moraga, Calif., and Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
