Men's Soccer | November 10, 2017

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan seniors Zach Bock, Brandon Bye and Drew Shepherd were selected to the COSIDA Academic All-District Team, recognizing their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. All three are now eligible for Academic All-American voting.

Bock is a center back majoring in sales & business marketing major with a 3.98 grade-point average. Bye is a midfielder carrying a 3.74 GPA in food & consumer  packaging goods marketing. A goalkeeper, Shepherd is an aviation flight science major with a 3.32 GPA.

All three players are team captains for Western Michigan this year and were named First Team All-Mid-American Conference on Nov. 9. Bye was also named the MAC Player of the Year, becoming the first WMU player to earn the award.

Bye leads the MAC in goals (12), game-winning goals (5), points (29) and shots (77). His goal total ranks 14th most in the nation.

Bock has been a four-year starter at Western Michigan. He has anchored a defense that has posted 35 shutouts over the past four years, including a school-record 12 in 2015 and 2017.

Shepherd has set single season records for goalkeeper wins this season with 14 and shutouts with 11, which ranks second most in the nation. He also became WMU's career shutout leader this season with 27. Shepherd and the Bronco defense did not allow a goal against MAC opponents, leading WMU to its first ever MAC regular season championship in school history.

Western Michigan (15-2-1 record) is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, the highest ever for the program. The Broncos have been ranked for nine consecutive weeks, spending seven of those in the top 10.

WMU hosts the MAC Tournament this weekend as the No. 1 seed. The Broncos face No.4 West Virginia on Friday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.