Matchday Information – Butler vs. Western Michigan
DATE:                          Thursday, August 25 / 5 PM
LOCATION:                 Indianapolis, Ind. / Sellick Bowl
LIVE STATS:                butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO:                FloSports/ButlerPlus
SERIES RECORD:      Western Michigan leads, 4-3-0
LAST MEETING:         September 16, 2021 - Kalamazoo, Mich. - Western Michigan 2, Butler 0
 
Full Notes

The Butler men's soccer team opens its season on Thursday, August 25, when Western Michigan comes to Indianapolis for a 5 pm kickoff. The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-9-3 season, while the Broncos were 10-8-2 in 2021.

Bulldog Bits

• Senior forward Wilmer Cabrera, Jr. was chosen the 2022 Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year.
• Butler's 2022 schedule includes five teams who received recognition in the United Soccer Coaches 2022 Pre-Season poll (#2 Georgetown, #13 Indiana, #14 Marshall, #16 Providence, and RV St. John's).
• Butler newcomers include players from France, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as Indiana's Mr. Soccer.
  • Joost de Schutter and Vygo Verkooijen both hail from the Netherlands. De Schutter has represented his country in 19 matches at various youth levels, and his 2019 U17 team was crowned European Champion.
  • Lou-Kent Bosc played for Paris Saint-Germain in France, and Jacob Jansen's club team, Fc Köln, was the 2018-19 German U17 Bundesliga champion.
  • Palmer Ault was the 2021 Indiana Soccer Coaches Association State Player of the Year and completed with Indy Eleven's USL team over the summer.

The Matchup

• Western Michigan won last season's matchup, 2-0, in Kalamazoo, Mich.
• The Broncos won the previous two meetings and have won four of the past six.
• The opening match of the series was a 2-1 Butler win in 2013.

Scouting Western Michigan

• In 2021, Western Michigan had an overall record of 7-6-5 and finished 2-3-1 in MAC play.
• In 18 matches, the Broncos scored 24 goals compared to 21 for their opponents.
• Western Michigan outshot its opponents, 209-166.
• Nine Broncos notched a goal and 12 also tallied at least one assist.
   
• Returning offensive standouts for Western Michigan include:
  #25 Charlie Sharp (5g, 3a)
  #6 Dylan Sing (5g, 3a)
  #21 Mike Melaragni (3g, 2a)
  #9 Eric Conerty (1g, 1a)
  #8 Daniel Nimick (3a)
• Graduate-transfer Hunter Morse was the primary goalkeeper for Michigan State during the 2019, spring 2021, and fall 2021 seasons.