KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan women's soccer team heads to No. 7 Iowa for a match on Sunday, Aug. 24. The game is set for 2 PM ET at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
WERTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION
Abby Werthman has proven to be one of the best players in program history, entering Sunday's matchup with 50 points on 18 goals and 14 assists in three seasons with the Brown and Gold.
The Livonia, Mich. native sits eighth all-time in total points, trailing the leader by just 21. She is 12 points away from the top five. Werthman (33 points) and former Bronco
Jen Blitchok (47) each broke the single-season program record for points last season.
Werthman had her skills on full display against No. 2 Notre Dame last week, scoring in the second half to tie the game. She was WMU's lone goal scorer in the season opener.
PRESEASON FAVORITES
For the second consecutive season, Western Michigan opens the year as the preseason favorite in the MAC. The league's preseason coaches poll was released on Aug. 12, with the Brown and Gold leading the way with 135 points and eight first-place votes.
WMU has won back-to-back conference regular season championships and hasn't lost a game in conference play over the last two seasons. In that time frame, the Broncos are 16-0-6.
Buffalo (128 points, 4 FPV), Ohio (123), UMass (114, 1 FPV) and Bowling Green (93) rounded out the top five of the poll. The Broncos beat Buffalo in last year's MAC Tournament championship game.
SUPER SULAVER
The Broncos entered the 2025 season with questions in net, but freshman
Reagan Sulaver displayed strong promise in her first career start at No. 2 Notre Dame on Aug. 14.
In her debut, the Batavia, Ill. native made four stops, including a sprawling save on a penalty kick.
Sulaver took over for
Lauren Boafo, who started nearly every match for the Brown and Gold over the last two seasons. She was the MAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2023.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa is off to a 1-1-0 start, picking up a road win at No. 6 Arkansas before dropping a home match to No. 7 TCU on Thursday night.
The Broncos and Hawkeyes have met three times, with Iowa holding a 2-0-1 advantage. The two teams met last season, tying 1-1 at the WMU Soccer Complex.
Olivia Lebdaoui has led the way for Iowa in the scoring department, posting two goals off the bench. Kenzie Roling, Liana Tarasco and Abby Skiff each have one goal so far this season.
In net, the Hawkeyes have split time between Taylor Kane and Fernanda Mayrink. Kane won the game at Arkansas, making four saves. Mayrink had five saves in Thursday's loss to TCU.
