KALAMAZOO, Mich -- The Western Michigan Broncos will open conference play against the Ohio Bobcats on Thursday. The game will kick off at 4 pm at Chessa-Field Soccer Facility in Athens, Ohio.

LAST TIME OUT
Western Michigan was upended by Xavier, 3-1, on Sept. 13 in Cincinnati, Ohio. With that, the Brown and Gold closed non-conference play with a 2-2-3 record, including a draw against No. 12 Colorado. Kaiya Stewart produced WMU's lone goal against the Musketeers, while Kate Sheridan stopped two shots in net.

FOUR-PEAT?
WMU has been the gold standard in MAC women's soccer over the last three years, dropping just one game in conference play over that stretch. The Brown and Gold boast a 26-1-7 regular season record against MAC foes over the last three seasons. Expectations are once again high for Western Michigan, as the conference's coaches once again picked the Broncos to finish atop the standings. WMU secured nine first-place votes and totaled 119 points in the preseason poll. Miami (102 points), Bowling Green (101), Buffalo (97) and Kent State (82) rounded out the top five. The Broncos also earned the most votes to win the MAC Tournament, securing four votes.

WHO'S NEXT?
The Broncos have seen five different players account for their seven total goals so far this season. Tessa Fagerson, a transfer from DePaul, leads the pack with two goals alongside sophomore teammate Sophia Bowman. Kaiya Stewart, a transfer from Boston University, notched her first goal as a Bronco this past Sunday. True freshmen Camryn Huhn and Irelyn Sheldon have also shown an early impact with one goal each. All seven goals for the Brown and Gold have been scored by players who did not register a goal for the Broncos last season.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Ohio is off to a 3-3-0 start in 2026, earning wins over UIC, Mercyhurst and Duquesne. OU's losses have come to Northern Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Indiana. The Bobcats lead the all-time series, 14-9-7. However, Western Michigan is unbeaten against Ohio over the last three seasons. That includes a 1-0 victory in Kalamazoo last season. OU knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, as four players have two or more goals through six games. Jaimason Brooker leads the way with three tallies. She's also added one assist. In net, Ayla Rammel has been the go-to option. She has started four matches, holding a 2-2-0 record, 1.78 goals against average and .724 save percentage. Bella Wyatt has seen spot work, starting a pair of matches in 2026. She is 1-1- 0 with a 2.00 GAA and .667 save percentage.