KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan men's soccer team defeated visiting Alma College 3-1 Sunday in the Broncos' final exhibition match of the preseason. Sophomore midfielder Brandon Bye led the Bronco attack with a goal and an assist on the afternoon.

Western Michigan will open the regular season on Friday, Aug. 28, hosting Marshall at the WMU Soccer Complex at 4 p.m. Admission to all Bronco home soccer games is free.

Kalamazoo native and Loy Norrix high school graduate Jay McIntosh was the first Bronco to find the back of the net against the Scots, doing so six minutes into the contest. Midfielders Sean Conerty and Bye worked a combination on the edge of the 18-yard box on the right side of the field. Holding position at the six, McIntosh took the pass from Bye and chipped it in easily. McIntosh is in his first year at Western Michigan after playing his freshman season at Indiana and transferring to WMU this fall.

Junior Hunter Vandenboom put Western Michigan up 2-0 with a goal in the 18th minute, dancing through the Alma defense and pulling the trigger from 16 yards out. Senior Greg Timmer nearly pushed the score to a three-goal deficit midway through the first half. Timmer got his foot on a close-range volley, however Alma goalkeeper Nick Strait made a fantastic save diving to his left.

The Alma offense capitalized on a WMU defensive breakdown to cut the score to 2-1 at halftime. In the 33rd minute Zach Vandeveer found a gap in the defense off a pass from Spencer Sandow and buried a shot low left from the top of the box.

Bye closed out the victory for Western Michigan tallying the lone second half goal in the 63rd minute, finishing a backside header off a cross from Nick Wysong.

A total of 23 players saw the field for WMU with senior Chase Rau and sophomore Drew Shepherd splitting goalkeeping duties. Western Michigan outshot Alma 29-to-1 and held an 11-to-2 advantage on corner kicks.