Box Score ROCHESTER, Mich.- Senior midfielder Brandon Bye scored two goals to lead the nationally No. 18 ranked (College Soccer News) Western Michigan men's soccer team past Oakland on the road Wednesday, 2-1. The Broncos are undefeated through their first seven games of the season with a 6-0-1 record.
 
Bye's goals were his team-leading fifth and sixth of the season, having played in six games after missing WMU's season-opener. Last week, Bye tallied three goals and an assist over three games on his way to CSN National Player of the Week and Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors.
 
"That was a good Midwest college soccer match," said WMU head coach Chad Wiseman. "Both teams were fighting it out, really battling for every roll of the ball.
 
"In the first half I thought we were off our game a bit. Give Oakland credit, they came out and really disrupted what we wanted to do. We really didn't create any good scoring chances and are probably lucky we didn't give a goal up on a counter."
 
Western Michigan and Oakland were scoreless through one half of play and Bye gave the Broncos a 1-0 advantage in the 52nd minute. Jake Rufe started the attack, passing a through ball on the right side of the six-yard box to Tommy Clark. Clark sent the ball acrossr the middle and Bye held his defender off to slide in for the finish.
 
Nyal Higgins notched the equalizer for Oakland, bringing down a volley across the midfield line from Nick Strack 16 yards away from the goal and burying his shot in the far left corner of the net in the 54th minute.
 
Bye came up with the game-winner in the 63rd minute. Lefy back Mitchell Herried played a clear from deep in WMU defensive territory to Anthony Bowie over the top in Oakland's final third. Bowie sent the ball out to the left wing to Bye who was on the run and fired into the far right corner of the net.
 
"The second half for our team was a much different story than the first half," Wiseman said. "We got ourselves in good positions in the final third to make some plays and Bye stepped up and did what he does, make plays. Two more goals, most of the time he had 2-3 guys on him.
 
"This team is tough both mentally and physically. They fight for each other each and every day. We now look at our alumni weekend and welcome all our alumni back to Kalamazoo. It will be nice to be home.

"Personally it was a lot of fun to share the sideline with coach (Eric) Pogue, a guy who was my captain and leader my first two years at WMU as a player."
 
Pogue, the head coach at Oakland, played four years at WMU after redshirting at Oakland in 1995. Pogue started all four seasons for the Broncos and was named team captain and earned MVP honors for his final three seasons. He currently is in his ninth season as the head coach at Oakland.
 
Western Michigan hosts Dayton Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. to close out the Broncos' Alumni Soccer Weekend, which also features its annual golf outing on Saturday.