LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's soccer looks back on an outstanding 2021 calendar year which included two seasons with two regular season Great Lakes Valley Conference titles, one GLVC tournament championship, nine All-GLVC selections, a multitude of conference player of the week honors, a freshman of the year award, coach of the year/staff of the year accolades, while also amassing other team accomplishments. 

Head Coach Tim Strange on the 2021 calendar year:
"This year has been unbelievable, just great for this program. These players deserve a ton of credit playing through the spring and turning around to do it right away again this fall. They achieved so much on top of just playing the games."

GLVC Champions (x3):
Between the two seasons, the Bearcats won three of the four possible titles presented by the Great Lakes Valley Conference with two regular season and one tournament championship. In the 2020 season, which was played from February 2021 through April 2021 after being rescheduled due to covid, McKendree collected a 14-2-1 (11-2-1) record while winning both the GLVC regular season and the GLVC Tournament championships. The Bearcats ended the season on a four-game winning streak to capture the tournament title while defeating Southern Indiana in the regular season finale to clinch the regular season championship. 

In the 2021 season, the defending GLVC title-holder collected a fourth-straight regular season title and a fifth-straight NCAA tournament appearance. The 2021 fall had the Bearcats making a charge over the final pair of weekends in the league, winning three-straight matchups to lock up the league. After clinching the 2021 GLVC regular season title with a 3-1 win over UMSL, McKendree women's soccer head coach Tim Strange stated one thing, "We did exactly what we needed to...we won." The title put the Bearcats into position for a berth to the first NCAA national tournament since November 2019 after the 2020-21 tournament was canceled. The two season, 36 game-stretch featured 66 goals (1.83 per game) for McKendree and only 28 (0.78 per game) for opponents. McKendree protected its home pitch winning 14 of a possible 17 (14-2-1) at Leemon Field, also winning 21 of 28 conference matchups (21-4-3). 

All-GLVC Honors (x9):
2021 (Release)
1st Team | Anna Stiffler | Sophomore Forward/Midfielder
2021 Totals: 18-19 game started/played | 8 goals, 5 assists, 21 points, 3 game-winers | GLVC Offensive Player of the Week x2 (9/27 & 10/4) 
1st Team | Emma Knoebel | Senior Midfielder
2021 Totals: 14-17 games started/played | 4 goals, 1 assist, 9 points, 2 game-winners | GLVC Offensive Player of the Week x1 (9/13) 
1st Team | Morgan Bova | Junior Defender
2021 Totals: 19-19 games started/played | 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 points 

2020-21 (Release)
1st Team | Emma Knoebel | Junior Midfielder
2020-21 Totals: 17-17 games started/played | 7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points, 3 game-winners | GLVC Offensive Player of the Week x1 (3/22)
1st Team | Danielle Knutson | Senior Defender
2020-21 Totals: 17-17 games started/played | 2 goals, 4 points, 2 game-winners 
2nd Team | Anna Stiffler | Freshman Forward/Midfielder
2020-21 Totals: 16-17 games started/played | 8 goals, 3 assists, 19 points, 4 game-winners | GLVC Offensive Player of the Week x1 (3/1)
2nd Team | Mercedes King
2020-21 Totals: 11-11 games started/played | 0.48 goals allowed average (5 total), 20 saves, 9-1-0 record | GLVC Defensive Player of the Week x1 (3/1)
2nd Team | Alynnah O'Leary
2020-21 Totals: 17-17 games started/played | 3 goals, 4 assists, 10 points, 1 game-winner 
3rd Team | Morgan Bova
2020-21 Totals: 9-11 games started/played

2020-21 Freshman of the Year:
The then-freshman Anna Stiffler (O'Fallon, Missouri) kicked off her collegiate career with a bang, garnering the GLVC's initial offensive weekly honors in the spring 2021 season. Stiffler, the eventual co-freshman of the year (split honors with forward Maggie Weller of Lindenwood), collected three points behind one goal and one assist in her first collegiate action (1-0 win at UIndy, 3-0 win vs. Lewis). The St. Dominic product amassed four game-winners in her first season (at UIndy, at Rockhurst, vs. Maryville, vs. Southern Indiana) while leading the Bearcats in goals (8 total). 

Stiffler also led the Bearcats offense this past fall with eight goals, five assists, and 21 total points while continuing to garner honors in the league. 

GLVC Coach of the Year/Midwest Region Staff of the Year:
With the 14-2-1 season in the spring of 2021, the Bearcats earned a third-straight GLVC regular season title behind the leadership of 22nd year head coach Tim Strange (23rd season in the fall of 2021) and staff. The league coaches voted Strange GLVC Coach of the Year. McKendree also collected its first Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship since 2017 in the same season. With the pair of titles, McKendree would have punched its ticket to a fifth-straight post-season trip to the NCAA Tournament but the NCAA canceled the post-season tournament in Division II last spring. At the end of the spring, the Bearcats reached a program-high by being ranked fourth in the country (United Soccer Coaches) and began the fall of 2021 as the preseason No. 4. In May, the women's soccer staff was voted as the Midwest Region Staff of the Year by fellow United Soccer Coaches members.

After receiving the honors, Strange said, "It's even better recognition for the players and what they do on the field; it makes me look good. It's the first time I've been coach of the year in this conference and I'm proud to say I'm from McKendree." He continued, saying, "When you win the conference, you hope your team gets noticed. We've built this program through depth, that's been the key and we'll keep pushing for that success every year."

Team Achievements:
- Seventh/Eighth winning season since joining NCAA (2012) | Fifth/Sixth-straight winning seasons
- First GLVC Tournament title since 2017 (2020-21) 
- Third/Fourth consecutive GLVC regular season championships (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2021)
- Five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
          *No NCAA DII Tournament in Spring 2021*
- Only two losses at Leemon Field in 17 matches (14-2-1 overall)
- Combined record of 26-5-5 (21-4-3 GLVC)
____________________________________________________________

UP NEXT:
McKendree women's soccer will be back on the pitch for its spring slate which is currently TBA. The Bearcats will be back at Leemon Field for the 2022 season, beginning in August.

 Be sure to stay updated by following McKendree Women's Soccer on Twitter and Instagram.

For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
#BearcatsUnleashed