FINAL SCORE: No. 12 Vermont 2, Western Michigan 0
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Twelfth-ranked Vermont (1-0) opened the 2023 season with a 2-0 victory over Western Michigan (0-1) on a rainy Thursday night at Virtue Field. Carter Johnson and Yaniv Bazini each tallied a game-high three points in the win.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"I think we realized pretty quick in the game that it wasn't going to be comfortable," head coach Rob Dow said. "In the match, we got a really physical opponent, that felt very America East-like, which took some time to make adjustments with tracking their wide backs. In the second half, it gave us space to counter. I really like to see that this team continues to be a second-half team."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mujtaba Mirhasan nearly potted Vermont's first goal of the season in the second minute when he whistled a shot past the right post from inside the 18-yard box.
• The Broncos almost found the back of the net in the 19th minute when Jonathan Robinson's shot sailed through traffic, narrowly missing the far post.
• Max Murray was close to breaking the scoreless tie in the 41st minute when he pressured WMU's goalkeeper, Ethan Brandt (7 saves). The senior forced a turnover from outside the 18-yard box, but missed the frame.
• Vermont attacked the Western Michigan net in the second half and almost pulled ahead on a rocket from long range by Adrian Schulze Solano in the 57th minute that was denied by Brandt.
• Bazini notched the first goal of the 2023 campaign in the 59th minute. The Catamounts attacked with numbers and Johnson found Bazini inside the 18-yard box, where he paused and directed a shot in the lower right corner for the 1-0 lead.
• Johnson doubled the UVM lead in 78th minute with his first goal as a Catamount. Jacob Vitale found Johnson in the midfield, sending him on a sprint towards the WMU net. The graduate student finished his shot with a defender on his back to put Vermont up 2-0. Bazini was credited with a secondary assist on the insurance marker.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Catamounts outshot the Broncos 20-9 on the night. Vermont held Western Michigan to just one shot on goal.
• Owen Jack recorded a clean sheet in his first start as a Catamount.
• Johnson also made his UVM debut in the win. The graduate student tallied three shots in his three-point outing, scoring one of his two shots directed on goal.
• Bazini's goal marks the second-straight season that he's tallied the Catamounts' first goal at Virtue Field. The forward struck first in Vermont's 1-1 tie against No. 15 Syracuse in 2022.
• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to King Street Center as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $80,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.  

UP NEXT
Vermont returns to action on Monday (Aug. 28) when it visits No. 22 Akron at FirstEnergy Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on FloSports.
 
New England Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's soccer.