KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan men's soccer concluded its spring season with a 6-1-1 record and as champions of the first annual spring Michigan Cup. Teams are allowed a set amount of training days in the shortened spring training season as well as competition against other universities.

All five Division I men's soccer programs in Michigan, plus Division II Saginaw Valley State came together to compete for the first annual Michigan Cup. The Broncos defeated Detroit 1-0 and Michigan 2-0 on its way to the champioship game before holding off Oakland 3-1 in the title match. WMU began the spring with a 10-0 win over FC Durham Academy on Feb. 21.

“This spring was the most successful and most fun I have ever had as a collegiate coach,” said WMU head coach Chad Wiseman. “The guys worked incredibly hard all spring on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom as well. We took some immense steps forward as a program, gained valuable experience against some very good opponents, and continued to build momentum and confidence in our systems and style of play. Every single player on the roster has improved from the fall, and we are very excited about what is to come this fall.”

WMU v Detroit (3/21/15): The Broncos kicked off their 2015 Michigan Cup schedule against Detroit at the Legacy Center in Brighton and came out with a convincing 1-0 victory. The Broncos controlled the pace and possession of the game for 90 minutes, holding Detroit to no shots on goal for the entire match. The lone goal was scored by junior captain Nick Wysong. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Drew Shepherd recorded the shutout.

WMU v Michigan (3/28/15): WMU sent Big Ten foe and in-state rival Michigan home with a loss 2-0 in the the showcase game of the Grand Rapids Crew Spring Classic. All of the proceeds from the match were given to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a foundation that supports young children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Western Michigan controlled huge portions of the match and dictated the manner in which the game was going to be played. Fantastic goals were recorded by Nick Wysong and sophomore Edu Jimenez. Drew Shepherd kept a clean sheet in goal against the Wolverines.

WMU v Oakland Michigan Cup Championship Game (4/11/15): The Broncos completed a fantastic spring run by being crowned the first ever champions of the Michigan Cup defeating Oakland by a score of 3-1. Goals on the day were scored by Greg Timmer, Cam Jensen and Sean Conerty. Winning this tournament was the main goal for Western Michigan this spring, and they reached it with flyer colors via some top class goals and stout defending, as well as earning some state-wide bragging rights along the way.

“The Michigan Cup was a fantastic addition to our spring schedule,” Wiseman said. “Even though we play most of the teams involved in the tournament just about every spring regardless, putting a trophy on the line for the guys to compete for helps make the games mean something a little extra. It also helps break up what can seem like such a long season as we just don't have many games in the spring per NCAA rules. It brings a certain level of state-wide bragging rights into play which are currently in our favor after winning the tournament.”

WMU v Notre Dame, Kalamazoo College & Spring Arbor:
After being crowned the Michigan Cup Champions, the Broncos continued their great run of form to close out the spring season with the two more victories and a draw. On April 19, in a split squad match, the Broncos headed to South Bend to face the 2013 NCAA Champions, Notre Dame. WMU played the Irish extremely tough and fought the No. 1 ranked team in the ACC from 2014 to a 1-1 draw. The lone goal was scored by sophomore Brandon Bye off a great header. The draw proved once again that the Broncos can compete with the best teams in the nation, as the Irish were the last team in 2014 to defeat the eventual NCAA Champions Virginia in the second Round of the ACC Tournament.

On April 25, the Broncos traveled across the railroad tracks to Kalamazoo College, where again in a pair of split squad games, the Broncos took on Kalamazoo College and Spring Arbor University.  In the first match, the Broncos recorded a 3-0 win over Kalamazoo. Brandon Bye netted two goals and junior Connor Furgason scored the third. Junior goalkeeper Chase Rau recorded the shutout. The Broncos then turned around and defeated Spring Arbor 1-0 with junor Sean Hazen getting the lone tally while Drew Shepherd recorded the clean sheet.

“Every year we look forward to our annual spring match down in South Bend against the Irish,” assistant coach Josh Ross added. “It is a chance to line up against a program who is typically one of the best in all of college soccer. They are just two years removed from a National Championship, and this past year they were the No. 1 overall seed going into the ACC Tournament and were also the last team to defeat Virginia. We played them very tough in the 1-1 draw and controlled several portions of the match. I know our guys gained a great deal of confidence moving forward, showing once more that we are capable of competing with the best college soccer has to offer.

“The derby match with Kalamazoo College was a game we were all looking forward to. It was a chance to prove that we are indeed the pinnacle of soccer in Kalamazoo.  Our guys played very well and did exactly what we expected them to do in a very convincing 3-0 win. The Spring Arbor game was another great opportunity for our younger players to gain valuable experience and get some time to show exactly where they are at in the development process against someone not wearing a WMU shirt.  We were very pleased with their performance on the day. As a unit they defended well and created several scoring opportunities leading to a 1-0 win.

“When you look at this spring season from start to finish it was a tremendous success. I think Coach Wiseman put together a perfect schedule for what we needed as a team to continue to raise the bar for this program and to keep moving forward. Wins against Michigan, Oakland and Detroit combined with a draw against Notre Dame, means that we are ready for the challenges that lie ahead in the fall. Our younger players were also able to get quality minutes against solid opponents to aid in their overall growth. We are very excited for the incoming class to join us come August to rejuvenate the squad and add more depth as well.

“We also recently found out that the team posted another fantastic semester in the classroom with a spring Semester Team GPA of 3.42, showing that they are still putting the time in on their studies. Now the guys will scatter across the country on their summer teams, and continue to work on their individual games, stay fit, and learn from different coaches which is very important in overall player development.  All signs are pointing to another tremendous fall for our program. We have all the pieces in place to have a really special season, and I can't wait to have the guys back in camp to get back to work.”