KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan women's soccer team is set to host No. 24 Iowa on Thursday at the WMU Soccer Complex. The game is set for 2:30 PM and will be streamed on ESPN+. 

LAST TIME OUT
Western Michigan dominated Northern Kentucky last Thursday at the WMU Soccer Complex, earning a 3-0 victory in the season opener. 

Jen Blitchok tallied two goals, while Abby Werthman added another. Seven Broncos tallied at least one point in the game. 

PRESEASON FAVORITES
The Mid-American Conference announced its annual preseason poll, with the Broncos being picked as the favorite to win the league for the second straight season. 

WMU received eight first-place votes and topped the poll with 116 points. The Brown and Gold also earned six votes to win the conference tournament. 

Ball State (101 points), Ohio (90), Kent State (88), Buffalo (86), Bowling Green (84), Northern Illinois (60), Toledo (50), Miami (47), Eastern Michigan (29), Akron (23) and Central Michigan (18) rounded out the poll. 

WILBERDING'S WINNING WEEK
After posting a six-save shutout in her first career start in the Brown and Gold last week against Northern Kentucky, junior goalkeeper Ava Wilberding was selected as the MAC's Defensive Player of the Week. 

On the season, Wilberding leads the conference in shutouts, goals against average, save percentage and wins. She is third in the league in saves, trailing the leaders by just one. 

SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa enters Thursday's match ranked among the nation's top 25 with a 1-0-0 record after downing Colorado College last weekend. 

In that lone game, the Hawkeyes scored four goals, two of which came from Berkely Binnggeli. Meike Ingles and Sofia Bush chipped in the other goals for Iowa in the game. 

Ingles and Binnggeli led the team in shots, combining for nine in the game. They put four of those on net. 

In between the pipes, Macy Enneking wasn't too busy throughout the game, saving just one shot. She collected the win and played the full 90 minutes. 

As a team, Iowa was aggressive, outshooting their opponent, 19-5, including a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.