Michigan to Trek to No. 12 Western Michigan, Host Northwestern

» The Wolverines (4-1-2, 1-1-1 B1G), who are off to their best start to begin a season since 2009 (7-1-0), will take on a ranked opponent for the third straight match, facing No. 12 Western Michigan.
» Michigan is ranked No. 22 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. Additionally, U-M is ranked No. 25 by College Soccer News and No. 8 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
» U-M has outscored teams 9-5 on the season, including a 3-1 margin in the first half. The five goals through seven matches mark the fewest conceded goals in any seven-match stretch since 2012, a year in which U-M made its run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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• Match Day Information: U-M Soccer Stadium | Ticket Information

THIS WEEK
Wednesday, Sept. 20 -- at No. 12 Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 5 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video

Sunday, Sept. 24 -- vs. Northwestern (U-M Soccer Stadium), Noon
Tickets | Live Stats | TV: BTN | Live Video

The 22nd-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team (4-1-2, 1-1-1 B1G) will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to take on the No. 12 Western Michigan Broncos on Wednesday (Sept. 20) at 5 p.m. U-M then follows with a Big Ten matchup to close the week, as the Wolverines host the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday (Sept. 24) at noon from U-M Soccer Stadium.

PROMOTIONS
• Northwestern: Kids Go Blue Club Day, Post-match Autographs [ more promotions ]

WOLVERINE BITES

• The Wolverines (4-1-2) are off to their best start to a season since 2009 (7-1-0). At 1-1-1 in the Big Ten, U-M sits fifth in the conference standings with four points. Sunday's (Sept. 24) opponent, Northwestern, is at the bottom of the table with a 0-3-0 mark (zero points).

• The Wolverines are No. 3 in the Big Ten in shots per game (13.14) and lead the conference in assists (1.57/match). Sophomore Jack Hallahan leads the team in the shot category with 20 (2.86/match).

• U-M has welcomed two of the largest crowds in the history of U-M Soccer Stadium this season. In the Sept. 17 matchup against No. 6 Michigan State, a sellout crowd of 2,637 fans packed the stadium, a number that ranks No. 4 in the stadium's history. On Sept. 8 against Wisconsin, 2,134 fans witnessed a 2-1 win over Wisconsin to mark the seventh-largest turnout.

• Michigan has outscored teams 9-5 this season, including a 3-1 margin in the first half. The five goals through seven matches mark the fewest conceded goals in any seven-match stretch since 2012 when U-M made its run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The program record for goals allowed was set in 2015, when the Wolverines conceded only 20.

• U-M enters the week ranked No. 22 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. Additionally, U-M is ranked No. 25 in the College Soccer News Top 30 National Poll and No. 8 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings. The rise in the TopDrawer poll is an 11-spot improvement from last week's ranking.

• Prior to last week, U-M had never faced a pair of top-10 opponents in back-to-back matches in program history. With Western Michigan coming in at No. 12, the streak is stretched to three matches, marking the first time U-M has faced a trio of ranked opponents in succession since the 2012 campaign.

• In the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, future opponents Western Michigan (12), Notre Dame (1), Omaha (23), Ohio State (25) and Maryland (3) are all ranked.

OPPONENT PREVIEWS

Scouting Western Michigan
The Broncos, who check in at No. 12 in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll, boast a 7-0-1 record, highlighted by a 3-2 win over No. 15 Butler on Sept. 8 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The offense ranks as one of the tops in the NCAA, as WMU is second in the country in assists (24) and fourth in goals (18). Brandon Bye leads the team and is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA in goals (6) and is second in points (16). Additionally, the side has outshot opponents 146-50 on the year. Defensively, WMU has given up only six goals through eight matches. Goalkeeper Drew Shepard boasts four clean sheets on the season, as well as a goals-against average of .730.

Series vs. Western Michigan: Michigan owns a 6-4-1 advantage in the all-time series, with the last win in the series coming in the 2013 season. The last time U-M won in Kalamazoo was during the 2010 campaign.

Scouting Northwestern
Prior to Sunday's matchup, Northwestern will host the UIC Flames on Wednesday (Sept. 20) in Evanston, Illinois. Currently, the Wildcats are 1-6 and sport a 0-3 Big Ten mark. With only four goals scored against 14 conceded, the Wildcats have been outshot 88-66 on the year and have been outscored 10-1 in the first half. In goal, Miha Miskovic and Francisco Tomasino have split time and own a combined 1.99 goals-against average to go along with 23 saves.

Series vs. Northwestern: The Wolverines hold an 11-8-2 lead in the all-time series, with last year's tussle in Evanston, Illinois, resulting in a 2-1 double-overtime defeat.

Tweet of the Week

Checking in at No. 22 in the latest @UnitedCoaches poll...

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— U-M Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) September 19, 2017

Keep Up With the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's soccer on Twitter (@umichsoccer), Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook at 'MichiganSoccer'.

NEXT WEEK
Wednesday, Sept. 27 -- vs. Oakland (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7:30 p.m. (BTN Plus)
Sunday, Oct. 1 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 1 p.m. (BTN Plus)