Weekly Notes (PDF)

McKendree University (0-0) vs.
Madonna University (Mich.) (0-0)
Thursday, August 30, 7 p.m.
Leemon Field

The men's soccer team will be the first team to take the field or court for McKendree University in 2012 when they host Madonna University (Mich.) at Leemon Field tonight at 7 p.m. The Bearcats are coming off of a school record 17 wins last season and are hoping to keep the momentum going in 2012.

The Crusaders are coming off of their third NAIA National Tournament appearance in the last five seasons in 2011 after capturing the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament championship with a double overtime win against Aquinas.

SERIES INFO: McKendree and Madonna have only met one previous time. The Bearcats defeated Madonna, 5-0, on September 21, 1995. On that date, freshman midfielder Eddie Wilding was only 1 year, 3 months, and 11 days old.

GRAND OPENING: The Bearcats are 9-1 in season openers over the past 10 seasons. The last time they lost a season opener was on September 1, 2002 in a 3-2 loss to Aquinas College (Mich.) .

GREAT LAKES VALLEY CONFERENCE: McKendree is playing its first season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) this season. The men's soccer team is not eligible for NCAA postseason play, but can qualify and compete in the GLVC tournament following this season due to the GLVC not having an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament in men's soccer.

SHEEHAN'S DEBUT: Tonight marks head coach Donny Sheehan's first game as head coach at McKendree. Sheehan was an assistant for both the men's and women's teams at McKendree for the past 10 years.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: The Bearcats roster is home to 26 players hailing from three different states, and six different countries. The player furthest from “home?” Junior forward Blessing Tupiri is 8,639 miles from his hometown of Harare, Zimbabwe.