KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Western Michigan men's soccer head coach Chad Wiseman announced the addition of three transfers on Monday, January 13 – incoming senior forward Jonathan Stout, junior forward Henrik Boer, and sophomore midfielder Braden Stevanovic.
"We have added three elite college soccer players in the January window. They are elite on the field and in the classroom. Most of all, they are elite in the community. "This class comes with great leadership traits, and my staff and I look forward to them instilling those traits into our program," said Wiseman on the incoming transfers.
Jonathan Stout | F | 5-10 | Michigan State
The Broncos add an impactful forward to their ranks in Stout, who has captured 13 career goals and six assists over his 45 games (39 starts) at Michigan State University.
Last season, Stout performed exceptionally in the month of September, scoring in four of five games, including a run of three consecutive games with a goal against Washington, Penn State, and UCLA from September 13 - September 27.
"Stout is one of the best transfer portal landings in the nation. He is an attacking player who, when playing with confidence, can score and create opportunities against anyone," praised Wiseman. "On the dribble, running at defenders is where I feel he is best in the attack. He is so gifted at unbalancing defenders."
During the 2023 season, Stout earned a plethora of honors and accolades: On the field, the forward was named First-Team All-Big Ten, a United Soccer Coaches All-North Region recipient, and earned United Soccer Coaches All-North Region honors. In the classroom, Stout captured Third-Team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American accolades and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Behind his career-high 12 points in 2022, Stout notably became the first Spartan to garner Freshman of the Year honors since All-American Giuseppe Barone in 2016 en route to earning a spot on the All-Freshman team (fourth Spartan to earn the award). As a freshman, Stout led the Spartans with four goals, while his four assists ranked second on the team. In comparison to the Big Ten, Stout ranked fifth in the entire conference with a total of 12 points as a freshman.
"Stout is a leader on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community. It's not every day that a program can add an Academic All-American, First Team All-Big Ten, and Hermann Trophy Watch List player. Stout has a following that has a long reach for many different reasons, and I look forward to that following now joining Bronco Nation! Buckle up Bronco Nation, because Stout isn't about to waste any time. His impact will be felt immediately."
Henrik Boer | F | 6-1 | New Hampshire
"Henrik is an attacking player that can play any of the positions across the front line. He has both speed and power – a winning formula possessed by some of the attacking players we have had the last few years," noted Wiseman. "He brings with him a little international flare, which will be welcomed within the roster."
Boer played for KVV Quick Boys (2018-21) and VV Katwijk (2021-22 and 2022-23) located in Katwijk aan Zee, Netherlands, and Katwijk, Netherlands, prior to joining the University of New Hampshire in the fall of 2023.
Boer performed phenomenally during the 2021-22 season for VV Katwijk. In 27 starts (28 appearances), he paced his squad with 22 assists, while scoring 12 goals offensively. As part of Boer's success, he was a part of three championships during his time in Holland. Additionally, he was a member of the senior first team and played in numerous friendlies against teams from second-tier Eredivisie (the highest level of professional soccer in the Netherlands).
With the University of New Hampshire, Boer was named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll for his excellence in the classroom during the 2023-24 academic year. Boer was a member of New Hampshire's Sweet 16 team in 2023, in which UNH earned a record of 13-3-4 and concluded the 2023 season ranked ninth in the entire country.
"Henrik has watched us score just shy of 100 goals in the last two seasons and is eager to open up his account. His soccer IQ stood out to us, he makes tremendous runs, very unselfish runs – runs that open up the game for him and others."
Braden Stevanovic | MF | 5-11 | West Virginia
"Braden joins Bronco Nation with three years of eligibility remaining. His primary position is attacking midfield, but he also has the versatility to play on either wing. As he develops in our program, Bronco fans can expect his role to grow." said Wiseman.
Stevanovic joins Western Michigan after appearing in seven games as a freshman during the 2024 season for West Virginia University. Stevanovic was a member of a WVU team that concluded 2024 with a record of 13-2-7 and was ranked 16th in the nation after earning a Round of 32 berth in the NCAA Tournament.
On August 26, 2024, Stevanovic made his collegiate debut against Saint Francis and logged eight minutes. Later, on October 19, the midfielder tallied a personal best of 26 minutes against South Carolina. During his match against the Gamecocks, Stevanovic tallied a career-high two shots in WVU's 1-0 victory.
"Braden is a technical player who is very sound on the ball and never gives it away cheaply," praised Wiseman. "He can create on the dribble, through combination play, and also has a special left leg. He fits exactly what we look for when we speak about our culture here at WMU."
For all things WMU men's soccer, make sure to follow the team on Instagram, @wmu_menssoccer, X, @WMUMensSoccer, and Facebook at @westernmichiganuniversitymenssoccer.
