Men's Soccer | August 14, 2019
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Western Michigan men's soccer team returns to action with a pair of exhibition matches at the WMU Soccer Complex. The Broncos will host their annual Brown & Gold game Thursday at 5 p.m. and welcome Wright State to the facility Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is free for both contests.
The 2019 squad will travel to Notre Dame on Monday, August 26, for its final exhibition tilt before a trip to Butler on Friday, August 30, opens the regular season.
WMU is coming off a 11-6-3 overall record in 2018, when the Broncos made a second consecutive appearance in the Mid-American Conference Championship tilt.
Looking at the Preseason Schedule
Western Michigan, featuring a roster of 30 this season, began its preseason with a team meeting Tuesday before heading into a pair of training sessions on Wednesday. The Broncos will train two times per day on Friday and Saturday, building towards the Sunday exhibition against Wright State. Saturday evening will also feature a team watch party for the New England Revolution, featuring Western Michigan's Brandon Bye. The Broncos return to the two-a-day schedule for August 20-24 and head to Notre Dame on the 26th for the final exhibition tilt.
Wright State finished the 2018 campaign with a 13-3-3 mark and Horizon League regular season title while the Fighting Irish are coming off of an 11-7-3 season and trip to the NCAA Championships quarterfinals.
Once the regular season kicks off, the slate features seven total games against teams that participated in the NCAA Championships last season.
Welcoming Newcomers
Head coach Chad Wiseman welcomes 10 newcomers to the program in 2019. Among the group are a pair of transfers in graduate student Sam Biek, from Bethel University, and sophomore Eric Conerty, of Butler. Wiseman also gets to see transfer Matheus Lima, a redshirt junior, in action for the first time after transferring from Columbia College and redshirting in 2018.
Joining the veterans are freshmen Brennan Creek, Max Keenan, Landon Fisher, Daryl Newell, Daniel Nimick, Dylan Sing, Charlie Sharp and Jordan Walker. Creek and Keenan are Kalamazoo natives who attended Hackett Catholic. Last month, Creek was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Fall High School All-Great Lakes Region team. He is the fourth consecutive Michigan Mr. Soccer award winner to join the Broncos.
Vitale Named Captain for 2019
Senior midfielder Giuseppe Vitale will captain the 2019 Bronco squad. The Washington Township, Mich., product has appeared in 49 games in Brown & Gold with 28 starts and has been appointed by his teammates and coaching staff to lead the Brown & Gold in his final season.
Annual Soccer Fest Set
The Broncos will host their Soccer Fest on Monday, Sept. 2. The annual event will allow fans to tailgate on the WMU Practice Field from 12:30-3 p.m. with kickoff versus Niagara set for 3 p.m. Admission for the tailgate is $20 Adult, $10 (12 & under) or free (3 & under) while game admission is free. At this year's tailgate event, fans are welcome to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet, including adult beverages (a selection of beer & wine), bubble soccer, face painting, a soccer dart board, a team meet and greet and the opportunity to dress up like a bronco.
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