KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- It was a hard fought battle for the Western Michigan University men's soccer team in the program's first ever home night game against the 23rd ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
For the first time this season, the Broncos weren't able to find the back of the net in a close 1-0 match with the Badgers. A last minute set piece in the bottom of the first half resulted in the lone goal of the night for Wisconsin. WMU had two close opportunities on net to even the game in the second half from junior forward
Vitor Geromel and sophomore defender
Dan McHale. But it was senior forward
Joseph Min who led the Brown and Gold defense with two shots on the night.
"The first night game at The Farm did not disappoint!" Head Coach
Chad Wiseman exclaimed after the match. "Thank you to all the alumni, friends, and supporters as your trust and commitment to our soccer programs is truly special. The fans were treated with a great match tonight. I thought we were very good on the ball, moved well, and worked ourselves into some good spots. We just weren't able to reward ourselves with a goal tonight."
Western Michigan attacked the offensive zone early on Thursday night, recording three corner kicks and a shot in the first four minutes of the match. The Broncos dominated possession in the first half, controlling the ball for over 25 minutes. But Wisconsin's defense proved difficult to get around as WMU didn't put a shot on target in the first 45 minutes. "Coach Jones teams are always very strong defensively, and we saw that again tonight," says Wiseman. The Badgers were able to break the draw with five seconds left in the first half, scoring off a corner kick to head into halftime.
While Wisconsin recorded the first shot of the second half, it was the Brown and Gold who had the best early opportunity. In the 50th minute. Geromel forced a diving save from Badgers goalkeeper Michel Judewellin on a free kick opportunity just outside the box. It soon became a defensive and chippy battle in the second half with multiple stoppages and two separate VAR reviews.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper
Alex Lindewirth made two straight saves for Western Michigan before the team returned to the offensive zone. The Broncos other on target attempt in the half came in the 77th minute as McHale brought the ball up through the middle from the center circle to the 18. He then ripped off a quick shot with his right foot, putting it square in the middle of the net and into Judewellin's arms. The Broncos had two more attempts in the final 10 minutes of the match with a near miss in the final five seconds from freshman midfielder Neo Heryal that went just over the crossbar.Â
"Wisconsin was willing to travel when many programs aren't these days and our community came out for it. It's good for college soccer to have games like these. We are playing some talented teams here early in the season. We are getting better with every match and the signs are there." remarks Wiseman.
WMU returns to the road for the team's longest trip of the season out to the East Coast. The Brown and Gold will first make a stop at UConn for the first meeting between the two programs on Sunday, August 30. Western Michigan then begins the month of September with a game at RV Bryant on Wednesday, September 2. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. kickoffs.
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