Men's Soccer Hosts Fourth-Ranked Western Michigan Sunday Afternoon

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a strenuous three-match road stretch, the Belmont University men's soccer team returns to the comforts of home Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins (2-2-2, 0-0-0 MVC) begin Missouri Valley Conference play by hosting fourth-ranked Western Michigan. Kickoff from the Music City is slated for 1 p.m.
 
The conference opener will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Spencer Boehme on the call. Live stats of the home affair can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
Belmont-branded soccer scarves will be available to all fans in attendance on a first come, first serve basis.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins secured their second tie of the season this past Tuesday evening at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, earning a 1-1 road draw. It was Belmont's second road result of the young season.
• Senior captain midfielder AJ Chastonay scored in the 59th minute to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead before the host Knights evened things up in the 86th. With the draw, Chastonay improved to 3-0-2 against his father's program.
• Chastonay's goal Tuesday from well outside the 18-yard box was his third against his father's team. The Louisville, Kentucky (Saint Xavier HS), native has scored in four of the last five matches, tallying a team-best five goals. Finding the back of the net in both of Belmont's last two matches, Chastonay also leads the team in points (11).
• Chastonay has scored 18 goals in five seasons. With his strike Tuesday, Chastonay surpassed Niccolo Dagnoni (2018-21), Will Moorad (2008-11) and Jeremy Littlejohn (1995-98) for the third-most goals in program history.
• Sophomore defender AJ Elliott made his first career start and junior midfielder Lashawn Brown made his Bruin debut Tuesday at Bellarmine.
• Belmont is 2-0 at home this year after shutting out Southern Indiana 3-0 in its home opener on Aug. 25 and defeating Northern Kentucky 2-1 on Aug. 29.
• The Bruins own a six-match home unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 1, 2023.
• Belmont was undefeated through its first three matches for the second consecutive season.
• Both Chastonay and fellow senior midfielder Eric Stiles are the winningest players in school history. They have helped lead the Bruins to an impressive 37 match wins over five seasons.
• Belmont went 8-7-3 overall last fall, finishing in the top 90 of the NCAA RPI (Rating Percentage Index) for the fourth-straight season. It also marked the Bruins' fourth consecutive winning season.
• In its second year back in the MVC after being an affiliate member of the Valley for the 2000 season, Belmont tied for fifth place with a 3-4-1 league record.
• The Bruins were picked fifth in the 2024 MVC Preseason Poll.
• Junior defender Dylan Steely was tabbed Preseason All-MVC after earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Third Team honors last season. The Hoover, Alabama (Hoover HS), native was an All-MVC Second Team pick last year and garnered MVC All-Tournament Team and MVC All-Freshman Team accolades in 2022.
• Head coach David Costa has led Belmont to 42 match wins and 17 draws, including two conference tournament championship match appearances, over six seasons.
• The Bruins challenge themselves against some of the nation's best this season, facing eight top-100 programs from a year ago including four NCAA Championship teams.

Against Nationally-Ranked Opponents

• Ranked No. 4 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25, the Broncos are the highest-ranked team to ever play at Rose Park.
• Western Michigan was ranked No. 23 last October when Belmont took on the Broncos in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Bruins also traveled to ninth-ranked Missouri State last September.
• Belmont last defeated a nationally-ranked opponent in the 2021 Southern Conference Championship semifinals when the Bruins knocked off 25th-ranked UNC Greensboro 2-1 on the road.
• Belmont's last result against a nationally-ranked opponent was Oct. 23, 2022, when the Bruins earned a scoreless home draw against 18th-ranked Missouri State.
• Belmont owns five wins over nationally-ranked opponents in program history – at No. 25 UNC Greensboro (2-1) on Nov. 7, 2021; versus No. 16 UNC Greensboro (2-1) on Oct. 16, 2021; at No. 25 Furman (3-1) on April 9, 2021; versus No. 22 ETSU (3-1) on Sept. 29, 2011; at No. 16 Furman (2-1, OT) on Nov. 2, 2007.
• The Bruins have also tied a nationally-ranked opponent three times in program history – versus No. 18 Missouri State (0-0) on Oct. 23, 2022; versus No. 17 Lipscomb (0-0) on Sept. 6, 2022; at No. 22 Lipscomb (1-1) on Sept. 14, 2021.

Bruins at Home

• Belmont has gotten a result in 30 of its last 32 matches at Rose Park, outscoring its opponents 51-20 during that stretch.
• Since the start of the 2018 season, the Bruins are 27-8-10 at home.
• Belmont has finished .500 or better at home each of the last six seasons.

Versus Western Michigan

• Sunday will be only the second-ever meeting between the two programs.
• Western Michigan won last season's matchup 5-0 in Kalamazoo. The Broncos scored in the opening 30 seconds and punched in four goals in the first 31 minutes of the contest. Two different Western Michigan players recorded braces, including junior midfielder Tanner Hodgson.

About the Broncos

• The Broncos (5-0-1, 0-0-0 MVC) are one of seven teams in the nation with five match wins already this season and one of 32 unbeaten teams in the country.
• Western Michigan owns three top-15 victories this year with home wins over then 14th-ranked Vermont (3-1) on Aug. 22 and then ninth-ranked Northwestern (1-0) on Sept. 6. The Broncos also defeated then ninth-ranked New Hampshire 1-0 on the road on Aug. 25.
• Akron is the only team to get a result against Western Michigan this season, earning a 1-1 road draw on Aug. 30.
• The Broncos have scored five goals in a match twice this season, routing both Villanova and Air Force at home, 5-1.
• Western Michigan leads the nation in assists (23) and assists per match (3.83), while ranking third nationally in points (55) and sixth in points per match (9.17). The Broncos' 16 goals thus far are tied for eighth-most in NCAA Division I men's soccer.
• Graduate midfielder Owen Smith leads the country with six assists.
• Hodgson is the reigning MVC Offensive Player of the Week, while sophomore defender Carter Cormier is the reigning MVC Defensive Player of the Week.
• Hodgson was named Preseason All-MVC and earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders Watch List after garnering second-team all-region and All-MVC Second Team honors last fall.
• Forward Greyson Mercer, a Michigan State graduate transfer, leads Western Michigan with four goals and three assists, while sophomore midfielder Noah James has registered a trio of goals.
• Despite receiving four first-place votes, the Broncos were picked second in the MVC Preseason Poll.
• In its first year as an affiliate member of the MVC in 2023, Western Michigan won both the regular season and conference championship. The Broncos went 7-0-1 in the Valley and 17-1-4 overall last year.
• Led by 12th-year head coach Chad Wiseman, Western Michigan has reached the third round of the NCAA Championship the last two seasons.

Up Next
The Bruins return to road action next weekend, traveling to Drake for a 1 p.m. kickoff next Sunday, Sept. 22. The MVC matchup at the new Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media – @BelmontMSoccer on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontmsoccer on Instagram and Belmont University Men's Soccer on Facebook – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.