KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Butler men's soccer team and Western Michigan were still level through 80 minutes, but the Broncos (1-4-1) used a late goal to win their first match of the season. The Bulldogs (0-5-1), who saw three shots glance off the post and played a man down for more than a half, put five shots on frame in the contest compared to four for WMU.
On the Record with Head Coach Ian Sarachan
"I'm incredibly proud of our group for that performance. We were the better team with 11 players on the field, and, also, when we went down to 10. Unfortunately, we didn't take our chances and that's the game sometimes. The results hurt right now, for everyone, but we will grow as a group from performances like this. We won't let outside noise or people's opinions of our group affect us. It's a work in progress."
Key Moments
- 16' | Butler's Hayden Neale has the ball on the right side and sends it into the area. Jaden Hancock flicks the ball on, and Brendan Cunningham collects in front of the goal. His shot around a defender hits the right post and deflects across the face of the goal, but it is picked up by the Western Michigan keeper.
- 24' | A Western Michigan foul leads to a Butler free kick from 24 yards out. Hancock's shot hits the left post and deflects out of play.
- 34' | A long service finds Cunningham sprinting past the defensive line. Cunningham is fouled and a penalty kick is awarded, but the attempt from the spot is saved.
- 44' | Neale attempts to slide into a shot but collides with the Broncos keeper. A red card is issued, and the Bulldogs will play down a man for the remainder.
-- HALFTIME --
- 69' | Western Michigan works the ball up the pitch. Several passes create a shot on frame from 20 yards out, but Brooks Boersma makes the save.
- 74' | Cunningham is served and battles his defender, one-on-one. His contested shot from 12 yards sails over the crossbar.
- 81' | The Western Michigan keeper punts over the half line, into a crowd of players. The Broncos settle, and a give-and-go sets up a shot from just outside the area. Vitor Geromel's shot slides inside the left post, giving WMU a 1-0 lead.
Bulldog Bits
- Butler's five shots on frame were spread among five different Bulldogs.
- BU and WMU were equal at 11 shots each.
- Butler played a man down for 46:06.
Up Next
Butler remains on the road, traveling to Dayton on Sept. 12. The Saturday match kicks off at 7 p.m.
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