KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's soccer team will have five players in their first year of collegiate soccer on its roster for the upcoming season.

Head Coach Chad Wiseman has announced that the Broncos bring five freshmen to Kalamazoo this summer. The five new players include three Michigan natives, two midfielders, two frontliners, and one defender. WMU begins summer training for the 2026 season in August.

Joshua Nicholson | M | 6'2" | 190 | Brampton, Ontario | Woodbridge SC (Ontario Premier League)
Nicholson was the first member of the 2026 freshman class to sign with the Brown and Gold after eight years in the Woodbridge system in Ontario. Nicholson has earned multiple recognitions during his youth career, including a call-up to the Woodbridge Strikers League 1 Men's (U20) Reserve team. He was also named a PDP Canadian Nationals Third Team All-Star and a Canada Summer Games Second Team All-Star in 2025. Nicholson has also played on international teams as part of the U-15 Canadian National Team and participated in the Jamaica U17 National Team camp.

"Josh will add physical presence to our midfield," says Wiseman. "He possesses the ability to cut out opponent attacks in central areas, and he has the skill to develop attacks with simple one and two-touch distributions, especially in transition. He has a bite to his game and will fit nicely into our way of playing. Our opponents will feel his impact immediately. I believe he is built to be a Bronco and is one of the very best youth players to come out of Canada in 2026."

Nicholson has been a leader throughout his career, captaining the U15 and U16 Ontario Provincial Xcel teams. Also with Ontario Provincial, he helped the team win the 2025 Provincial Xcel Showcase Weekend over Soccer Quebec. Nicholson has also been on teams that won the Black Rock FC CAN-AM Super Cup Showcase and the FTF Fall Showdown Showcase.

Nicholson is the son of Duke and Carol Nicholson and has two siblings, older brother Kaden and younger sister Zoë. While at WMU, Nicholson plans to major in sports management.

Adam Flanders | W | 5'8" | 160 | Rockford, Mich. | Rockford HS | Midwest United FC (MLSNext)
Flanders comes to the Broncos from the Midwest United FC Academy program. Along with his club play, Flanders spent two seasons with his high school team, the Rockford Rams, while also running track.

"Adam is a dynamic winger who has superior athleticism," says Wiseman. "He is fast, dreadfully quick, and his first three steps are so explosive. Adam can play on the right or left side of the front line. He can run at defenders, unbalance them, and create dangerous goal-scoring opportunities."

In Flander's two seasons on Rockford's varsity boys' soccer team, he was named to All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region teams while also making the All-State Second Team in 2023 during the team's run to the MHSAA Division I Championship game. Over the past two years with Midwest, Flanders was twice named to the National League's Best XI Team and was named a 2025 National Academy Championships MLS Next All-Star. Flanders also earned recognition for his performance on the track with the Rams. In 2023, Flanders was named to both the All-Conference and All-State teams as a sprinter.

Flanders is the son of Akiko and Jim Flanders, who rowed collegiately at Michigan State. He has four siblings, older sisters Grace and Emma, and a twin brother, Aiden. Adam will still see his brother occasionally as Aiden is playing collegiate soccer at a fellow MVC school, Bowling Green. Flanders plans to major in exercise science at WMU.

Connor Mangan | F | 6'2" | 175 | Brighton, Mich. | Brighton HS | Michigan Jaguars (MLSNext)
Mangan comes to Kalamazoo after a prolific youth career in the MLSNext system. Mangan has played for three MLSNext teams over the past six years, including the Michigan Wolves, FC Cincinnati, and his current team, the Michigan Jaguars. With FC Cincinnati, Mangan led the 2023 team in goals and was part of the club's 2023 Patterson Cup and 2024 MLS Next Cup victories.

"Connor is a player we have watched for a while, and every time we watch him, he impacts the game with scoring or creating goals for someone else," says Wiseman. "We see Connor as a center striker. He is big, strong, and an ultra-competitor. His hold-up play is solid. He has a strong work ethic and the right attitude to go with it. He is an elite student, and we are fortunate to have him continue his studies here at WMU."

Along with his play in MLSNext, Mangan has earned camp invites across his youth career. He was part of the 2022 US Youth National Team ID Camp and then, in 2023, participated in FC Cincinnati's ID Camp. Mangan has also been recognized for distance running as a USA Track & Field XC All-American in 2019 when he finished 23rd at the National Championships in Wisconsin. Mangan is the son of David and Cassandra Mangan and will be majoring in aerospace engineering.

Adam Berent | D | 6'3" | 185 | Holland, Mich. | West Ottawa HS | Midwest United FC (MLSNext)
Berent joins the Brown and Gold after spending time with Midwest United FC's Academy program. With Midwest, Berent was part of the MLSNext Best of the Best Team East U17 2024. Last year, he was also part of the Olympic Development Program National Team in Texas. Berent is ranked by PrepSoccer as the 33rd best player in his class in the state of Michigan.

"Adam is someone who has wanted to be a Bronco since the recruiting process started for him early in his sophomore year," says Wiseman. "He has had a very successful youth career with Midwest United FC. We believe Adam can play either center back position as he is very composed on the ball.

"Berent is a vocal leader who can organize the players in front of him. He is big and strong, ruthless in the air for 50/50 balls, and we feel that skill set is very important when playing Midwest college matches. As Adam develops within our program, we fully expect that he will be one of the top center backs in the Missouri Valley Conference."

Berent graduates from West Ottawa High School this spring, where he also played basketball for a year. He is the son of Farah and Martin Berent and has two younger brothers, Deen and Zayn. Berent plans to major in accounting at Western Michigan in the fall.

Neo Linus Heyral | M | 5'8" | 145 | Leipzig, Germany | YSC Academy | Philadelphia Union FC (MLSNext)
Heyral enters the Brown and Gold roster following a year just outside Philadelphia at the YSC Academy. While at YSC, Heyral played for the Philadelphia Union U18 team that won the 2026 Snow Bowl tournament.

"Neo is an extremely technical player," says Wiseman. "He has a strong soccer IQ, is very committed to the game, and has played youth soccer at the highest level. He is an attack-ready player who can play both in the attacking midfield position or at the outside back position. We have had some talented German players over the last 10 years, and Neo makes that list a little longer."

Prior to joining the Philadelphia Union in 2025, Heyral was part of the Miami Futbol Academy Rush system. He also spent a season as part of Red Bull Leipzig's U17 team, appearing in four matches for 123 minutes while assisting on two goals.

Heyral is the son of Kaj and Claudia Heyral and has an older sibling. His mother was a national swimmer for East Germany prior to the reunification of Germany in 1990. Heyral plans to study aviation flight science at Western Michigan to become a professional pilot.