ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Western Michigan men's soccer team finishes its longest road swing of the season on Saturday afternoon at No. 23 Cornell.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos struggled facing one of the top teams in the country on Tuesday night. WMU fell to No. 3 Akron on Sept. 9, 4-0 after a tough 90 minute match. Western Michigan registered two shots on offense, spending most of the night on the defensive end.

The Broncos had a close chance to score at the end of the first half with a corner kick in the final 10 seconds. During the kick, the ball did find its way into the net during the scrum after. But a whistle during the play giving possession to the Zips nullified the potential goal. 

FIRST TRIP TO THE BIG RED
Saturday's match at Cornell will be the first meeting between the two soccer programs. The Broncos have not found themselves out on the East Coast often, usually only playing one regular season road match further east than the Ohio border.

Cornell will also be the Brown and Gold's first ever Ivy League opponent in program history. Even in postseason play the Broncos haven't matched up with any of the current eight teams in the academically focused conference. But the Big Red have faced other Missouri Valley teams in their program history with a match against both Bowling Green and Bradley. 

RANKED PLAY
Saturday's match against Cornell will be the third time in six matches that Western Michigan has taken on an opponent in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll. Along with three regular season matches against top teams in the country, two other teams WMU faced have entered the poll. The Broncos played Indiana in an exhibition match in mid-August and the Hoosiers currently hold the top spot in the nation. While the Brown and Gold's first opponent of 2025, Kentucky, has been in the poll for the past two weeks, currently sitting at No. 18.

SCOUTING THE BIG RED
Cornell recently entered the Top 25 on Tuesday, coming in at No. 23 after not receiving votes the prior week. The Big Red are 2-1-0 on the season, with wins against Le Moyne and UC Santa Barbra. The lone loss on Cornell's season came to RV UC Irving on Monday afternoon in a close 1-0 match. 

The Big Red are led on offense by sophomore defenseman Aiden Martin with three points from one goal and an assist. Three other players for Cornell have also registered goals on the season for two points each. In net, the Big Red have relied on senior keeper Ryan Friedberg, who comes into Saturday's match with a 0.33 GAA and a save percentage of 80%.