(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 8) – The McKendree University women's soccer team will kick off Great Lakes Valley Conference play this weekend at Leemon Field. The Bearcats will host Truman State University on Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on Quincy University Sunday at noon.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Truman State enters GLVC play with 1-0-1 overall record and received votes in this week's NSCAA national coaches poll. In 2015 the Bulldogs tallied a 15-3-5 overall record while finishing 11-1-3 in GLVC play. Truman State enters conference play as the reigning GLVC tournament champions, which was followed up by a second-round showing in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Mike Cannon enters his 24^th season at the helm of Bulldog program with a career record of 305-109-49. Truman State returns one of their top goal scorers in junior Allison Lockett, who netted seven goals last season,  and enters the weekend with a goal and assist. In the net returning starter Katie Mattingly, a 2014 NSCAA First Team All-American, has a shutout under her belt after picking up 12 last year. Mattingly also posted a 0.55 goals-against average which ranked 14^th among NCAA keepers.

Last meeting:  The Bearcats and the Bulldogs met last year on October 25 in Kirksville, Mo. Truman State shut out the Bearcats 3-0 after scoring all their goals in the first half.

All-Time Record vs. Truman State: 0-3
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS: Quincy enters the weekend in search of the first win in the 2016 season. Picked to finish third in the GLVC pre-season polls, the Hawks finished 14-4-4 in 2015 with a 9-3-3 record in conference play. The Hawks posted a postseason run by reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament in which they would lose to eventual NCAA champions from Grand Valley State University. Quincy returns their second-leading goal scorer from 2015, Abby Pulliam, who netted 11 goals. Pulliam enters the weekend as the Hawks' only goal scorer in 2016.  Quincy returns a familiar face in goal as junior Megan Swanson is back after posting a 12-4-3 record last season with 12 shutouts.

Last meeting: McKendree and Quincy met last year on October 23 in Quincy, Ill. A lone goal by Quincy's Mackenzie Rief in the 86th minute proved to be the deciding factor as the Hawks took the match 1-0.

All-Time Record vs. Quincy: 2-6-1
 
RECORD-SETTING DAY: McKendree returns to the pitch after a record setting day defeating Oakland City 11-0 this past Sunday. McKendree recorded a program-best 48 shots while scoring 11 goals for the fourth time in program history. Junior midfielder Chelsea Whittaker (Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand/St Hilda's Collegiate School) tallied four assists, an accomplishment that has only been done by three other Bearcats in a match. Head coach Tim Strange also picked up career win 230.