Men's Soccer | October 13, 2016

KALAMAZOO, Mich. –  The Western Michigan men's soccer program (8-4-2) resumes Mid-American Conference play this Saturday, Oct. 15, travelling to the Falcons of Bowling Green State University. Kickoff at Cochrane Field is slated for 7 p.m.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @WMUMensSoccer

ABOUT THE BRONCOS
Western Michigan got off to an incredible 7-1-0 start, one of the best in school history. The Broncos have been slowed up recently however, going 1-3-2 over their last six games. WMU has seven shutouts on the year and is outscoring its opponents, 24-10.

QUOTING WISEMAN
"We will have to be at our best to get a result on Saturday," commented WMU head coach Chad Wiseman. "Bowling Green is a very good team and its lineup is filled with experienced players. Along with the proven goal scorers, there are seven or eight other players capable of producing goals on any given night. The Falcons are a disciplined team that are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and coach Nichols has installed a winning culture at BGSU. The great thing about our team is that the bigger the game the better we play. It should make for a fun Saturday night."  

A LOOK AT LAST WEEK
Welcoming Horizon League stand out, Valparaiso, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, Western Michigan took a 1-0 lead five minutes into the second half. The Crusaders tied the game off a corner kick and would score the game-winner with eight minutes remaining to slip away with a 2-1 victory. This past Saturday, Oct. 8, Western Michigan faced Northern Illinois in the first MAC game of the season battling the Huskies to a scoreless tie.

OFFENSIVE POWER
Five Broncos have recorded more than one goal this year and 11 different Broncos have found the back of the net in 2016. Junior Brandon Bye leads the team with 21 points off eight goals and five assists. Senior midfielder Diego Lopez and junior forward Jay McIntosh have collected three goals apiece for the Broncos. Senior captain Edu Jimenez has dished out four assists for the Broncos this season while three other Broncos have tallied three apiece.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Following a 1-0 upset at No. 22 West Virginia on Friday, Oct. 7, the Falcons maintain a 1-0-0 mark in the MAC and a 8-3-1 overall record. Bowling Green is undefeated at home during the 2016 season (5-0-1) while giving up just two goals in the six games at Cochrane Field.

BGSU has outscored its opponent this year 20-7 with five different players scoring multiple goals. Senior forward Pat Flynn leads the team with 12 points off four goals and four assists. Five different players have multiple goals this season. Falcon freshman goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia has logged the most minutes in the net for Bowling Green while holding a solid 0.52 goals against average.  

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan is 13-27-3 all-time against Bowling Green and 2-1-0 against the Falcons when playing under WMU head coach Chad Wiseman. The Broncos took last year's meeting at the WMU Soccer Complex with a 2-1 final.

MAC PLAY REMAINING
Following Saturday's match, Western Michigan has three games left in the 2016 regular season, all of which are against conference opponents. The Broncos travel to Buffalo, Friday, Oct. 21 and before hosting West Virginia on Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 29. WMU closes out the year at Akron on Saturday, Nov. 5. The 2016 MAC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 11 & 13.