It was a very rough start of the season for Western Michigan University's women's soccer team and its first-year coach Lewis Robinson.
Four losses and three ties in its first seven game is about as rough as it gets.
But the learning experiences from playing several of the nation's top 25 teams finally paid off in a four-day stretch last week when the Broncos downed Northern Illinois, 2-0, on the road before earning a 2-2 team with perennial Mid-American Conference powerhouse Bowling Green at home. BG has won the previous three MAC tournament titles.
Those four losses don't look too bad when WMU is now tied for third in the MAC with a 1-0-1 record.