In the Fall of 2019, two 18-year-old incoming freshmen on Western Michigan University's men's soccer team were about to get their first taste of the college game.

And, understandably, they were both very nervous, even though neither would start against Butler University in the first game of the season.

''When coach (head coach Chad Wiseman) called my name to go in, I just pointed to myself and said, 'Me?' '' Dylan Sing said.

Charlie Sharp had about the same reaction when Wiseman told him to go into the game.

''I was very nervous, coming in as a little 18-year-old and playing against guys that are four years older than me,'' he said. ''It was nerve wracking and something to get used to that first year. And to be honest, in that first game, I didn't expect to play.''

Now, five years and a WMU-record 82 matches later, the two seniors are crafty veterans who are the two top goal scorers in the Missouri Valley Conference, a new league this season for the Broncos, who joined the MVC after the Mid-American Conference dropped men's soccer after last season. In the past two seasons, WMU has an amazing won-loss record of 26-4-5.

''Going into the final games of my Western Michigan career, I wish I had time to look back and go through the memories, but I'm as locked in this season as ever,'' Sharp said. ''This squad is really clicking right now and we are in our best form of the season.''

During their first season, it's easy to see what Wiseman saw in the two forwards when he was recruiting them, Sharp from Brighton and Sing from Stevensville Lakeshore. Sharp would wind up leading the Broncos in goals scored with seven.

While Sing had just one goal that season, it may be part of an odd record no one will ever match. Sing had his lone goal on his only shot on goal for the season and it was a game-winning goal in overtime to boot.

''I played midfield when I was a freshmen, but in that one game (vs. Detroit Mercy), I played up front,'' he said. ''The shot didn't come off my foot like I wanted it to, but it still went in and I was really excited. It was the first celebration I'd ever had.''

Sharp also had a goal he recalls in his freshman year.

''The turning point for me was when I scored a goal against Michigan State (a 1-0 WMU win),'' he said. ''That was one of the biggest goals I've ever scored. Once I knew I could do it on the big stage against a team like that from the Big 10, I knew I could continue to score.''

Sing has already set another WMU record and Sharp is also close to another one, too. During this season, Sing scored at least one goal in eight straight games. Sharp has 32 career goals and is just two behind Randy Wojtala's career record set from 1991-94.

''It's very challenging for any freshman on any team to jump into the starting lineup right away,'' Wiseman said. ''We were coming off a championship season and a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, so we had some talented players on the team.

''But I knew these two guys weren't going to do well sitting on the bench and they figured out a way to get on the field.''

For Sharp, it was scoring goals. For Sing, it was being flexible, starting his career in the midfield before being moved to other positions before finding a home up front.

It hasn't been all good times for both of them, though.

While Sharp has scored 32 career goals, it's incredible to see that he didn't have any goals and just one assist in his sophomore season. That was also the Covid season where soccer was switched from the Fall of 2020 to the Spring of 2021.

''It was a weird season and maybe I went through a couple of tough games and my confidence went down,'' Sharp said. ''I think that's one thing about being a player in the program is that you will have ups and downs, but to appreciate the ups, you have to go through the downs to know what it's like.

''You can't let your emotions get the best of you and just stay level headed and locked in.''

The senior did just that, scoring five goals with three assists in the Fall of 2021 and then rocketing 11 goals with eight assists last season.

''We just chalked that 2020 season to the sophomore slump,'' Wiseman said. ''But he worked himself out of it the next season."

''Charlie is an ultra competitor no matter if he is playing foosball, cards, disc golf, whatever. He's always going to look for the edge on how he is going to win.''

While the first season for Sing was a struggle on how to play the college game, he rallied to score five goals in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons before netting six goals last season and scoring 12 this season for a career total of 29. His season goal total has him tied for second nationally and he's tied for first with six game-winning goals.

Sing's scoring streak started on Sept. 10 when WMU defeated Dayton, 5-4, where Sharp had a hat trick. And he kept going, and going, and going, finally getting to eight straight before being shut out in a 5-0 win over Drake. That goose egg didn't bother him as he scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Northern Illinois.

''In previous seasons, I went on three or four-game streaks and that's how I play,'' he said.

There is a comradery both on and off the field for the two.

''Whenever we can catch up and give each other a tip or two on what we are seeing on the field is great,'' Sharp said. ''We can give and take advice on the field."

''If I see something that I think he could be doing, or he sees something I should be doing, we'll listen to each other because you can't always see everything yourself. Sharing opinion is very crucial with not just him, but everyone on the team and the coaching staff.''

Added Sing: ''During set pieces, I talk with Charlie to see what runs we want to take. And we also try to find each other as much as possible, whether I'm out wide or he's in the middle or vice versa, telling each other what ball we would like.''

Wiseman has loved how they know each other after being teammates for five years.

''They feed off each other,'' he said. ''One team might try to take Charlie away which gives Dylan more room and vice versa.''

Off the field, the two have also been standouts in the classroom. Both were named Academic All-Americans in 2022 and both won Academic All-MAC awards as both juniors and sophomores.

''Dylan and Charlie are everything you could want in a student-athlete,'' Wiseman said. ''They are phenomenal competitors on the field and unbelievable competitors in the classroom."

''When the game ends for them and they enter the workforce, they will be successful people and leaders in a company. The five years with them have gone too quickly.''