ROCHESTER, Mich. – In what will be their first non-Horizon League match since traveling to Bowling Green, Ohio to tangle with the Falcons on September 23 and their final out-of-conference tilt of the regular season, the Golden Grizzlies will welcome the Mid-American Conference's (MAC) Western Michigan Broncos to the Oakland Soccer Field on Tuesday, October 18 at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of a 54^th-minute goal by senior midfielder Ville Ahola, the Golden Grizzlies defeated the Wright State Raiders, 1-0, in their Homecoming match on October 15, moving their record to 3-7-3 (3-1-2 Horizon League), good for fourth place in the conference and just a lone point back of the Detroit Mercy Titans in third.

Led by 10-year veteran head coach Chad Wiseman, Western Michigan is 9-2-1 (3-1-1) and in second place in the five-member MAC men's soccer standings. The Broncos were bested 1-0 in Kalamazoo by the Akron Zips, the only team ahead of them in their league, in their last action on October 13.

All-time series and last meeting
First clashing just over 23 years ago on October 14, 1999, Oakland has battled Western Michigan 16 times, with the Golden Grizzlies departing victorious in 11 of those matches.

The Broncos, however, have won four straight in the series, dating to September 13, 2017.

In the last meeting, which came on October 6, 2021 at the Western Michigan Soccer Complex, the Broncos edged Oakland, 1-0, in double overtime.

Scouting the Broncos
Owning an impressive 5-1-1 mark away from home this season, Western Michigan has outscored the opposition, 28-5, an average of 2.33 goals-per-match.

Pacing the MAC in points (21), goals (8), shots (41) and shots on goal (18), 6-foot-5 senior forward Charlie Sharp, a Brighton Bulldog, is the Broncos' premier offensive player.

Fellow seniors Eric Connerty and Dylan Sing are also productive, experienced pieces of Western Michigan's attack, registering 11 and 12 points, respectively.

In net, graduate student Hunter Morse, a Michigan State Spartans transfer, has played every minute for the Broncos, posting eight shutouts and 26 saves thus far in 2022.

Television and social media coverage
Tuesday's action will air live on ESPN+ (subscription required). Interested viewers and listeners can follow this link to access the feed.

Live tweets will also be provided @OaklandMSOC.