Wisconsin Badgers
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Western Michigan
Men’s soccer to play first road match of the season
August 24, 2026 | Men's Soccer
The Badgers face off against the Western Michigan Broncos
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin men's soccer team will hit the road for its first away match of the season against Western Michigan. The kickoff in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is set for 6 p.m. CT on Aug. 27.
Here are five things to know ahead of Thursday's match.
1 – DOMINATING THE PITCH – The men's soccer team earned 5-0 victories over Saint Mary's (CA) and Oakland during the first week of the season. On Thursday, the Badgers bested the Gaels, converting on two penalty kicks and adding three other goals en route to an opening day victory. The offense maintained an impressive pace, scoring five more goals on Sunday against the Golden Grizzlies. The 10-0 goal differential is the second-best through the first two games in program history.
2 – MAKING A SPLASH – Senior transfer Luke van Heukelum immediately made an impact on Wisconsin's offensive attack. He scored his first goal as a Badger (11th career goal) during Thursday's home opener on a pass from Aidan Martinez. The forward added three assists on Sunday, bringing his season point total to five (tied for team-best). His three assists tied a career-high from his freshman year at Maryland.
3 – MICHEL MASTERCLASS – Sophomore goalkeeper Judewellin Michel impressed in his first two games as a Badger, posting two shutouts. In Thursday's game against Saint Mary's, Michel faced six shots (one on goal), and on Sunday he faced five shots. The keeper's save percentage is a perfect 1.000.
4 – SCOUTING REPORT – Wisconsin will face Western Michigan for the eighth time in program history on Thursday. The teams played last season in Madison, where the Badgers earned a 1-0 victory and improved to 5-1-1 in the all-time series against the Broncos. WMU is 0-1-1 to start the season, and junior Vitor Geromel leads the team with four points on two goals. Alex Linderwirth started both games in goal for the Broncos, posting a 0.714 save percentage.
5 – HOW TO FOLLOW – Thursday's match will be played at the Broncos' WMU Soccer Complex. The game will stream on ESPN+ and live stats can be found at wmubroncos.com. Live updates will also be given on @BadgerMSoccer on X, as well as @badgermsoccer on Instagram.
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