KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's soccer team will begin its 2024 NCAA Tournament run at WMU Soccer Complex against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday, November 21, at 1:00 PM on ESPN+. Tickets are available at wmubroncos.evenue.net. Adult tickets are $10 and youth tickets are $5.
ALL WMU STUDENTS WILL GAIN FREE ADMISSION WITH VALID ID. Students can also claim digital tickets through their ticket account.
Last Time Out
The Brown and Gold look to bounce back from their loss to the University of Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinal round on Sunday, November 10. In the defeat, sophomore forward Noah James scored a team-leading seventh goal in the 74th minute of the contest to lead the Brown and Gold into overtime with the Purple Aces.
Scouting SIUE
SIUE enters the match with a 12-4-3 record after wins over Incarnate Word and Houston Christian in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Cougars enter the NCAA Tournament on fire, boasting a record of 10-1-1 over their last 12 games. In the OVC tournament final SIUE defeated Huston Christian 3-2 in overtime behind goals from Jacobo Sanfeliu, Pavel Dahin, and Wes Gibson. In the final third, the Cougars boast three individuals with over 10 points: Yasha Schaerer (15), Jacobo Sanfeliu (12), and Nacho Abeal (11), who have combined for 38 of SIUE's 83 points on the season.
Ready For Another Run
The men's soccer team has reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons, continuing a program-best streak. The Brown and Gold enter the tournament with an 11-2-6 record after wins over #14 University of Vermont, #9 University of New Hampshire, and #9 Northwestern University. This year, WMU has dominated defensively and has conceded only 17 goals this season – marking the fewest goals allowed by WMU in a campaign since 2008 (15 goals).
Series History
Since 2017, the Broncos have led the Cougars 2-1-2 in the overall series. On Thursday, The Brown and Gold will be in search of their second straight win over SIUE: In their last contest on April 4, 2020, the men's soccer team defeated the Cougars 3-2 at WMU Soccer Complex behind goals from alumni Noah Brumels, Mike Melaragni, and Daniel Nimick.
For all things WMU men's soccer, follow the team on Instagram, @wmu_menssoccer, X, @WMUMensSoccer, and Facebook, @wmumenssoccer.
