LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University men's water polo program announced its full schedule for the upcoming 2021 fall season on Friday. The Bearcats played a shortened season in the winter of 2020-21 and posted a perfect 7-0 record.

This season, the Bearcats, who will be playing its sixth season of men's collegiate water polo in 2021, are scheduled to play 18 regular season games, including participating in two in-season tournaments at the Air Force Academy and at the Gary Troyer Invitational in Southern California.

McKendree will open its 2021 campaign on Sept. 4-5 as they travel to the United States Air Force Academy to compete in their Rare Air Challenge. At the two-day event, the Bearcats will open on Sept. 4 against both Cal Lutheran and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and will face Ottawa University Arizona and Air Force Academy on Sept. 5.

Following the trip to Air Force, the Bearcats will remain on the road as they play three games in two days (Sept. 25-26) at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. At Mercyhurst, McKendree will open MAWPC play against Washington and Jefferson College on Sept. 25 and then will face Mercyhurst on Sept. 25 and Gannon University on Sept. 26.

McKendree, who is coached Colleen Lischwe, will then travel to California for six games over a span of four days as they open their trip to the Golden State with a game on Sept. 30 in Irvine, Calif., against Westcliff University, before facing Biola University, Concordia (Calif.), Fresno Pacific and Santa Clara on Oct. 1-2 at the Gary Troyer Invitational. The games against Biola and Santa Clara will be held in La Verne, Calif., while the other two game will be played in Claremont, Calif. The Bearcats will complete the California trip with a game on Oct. 3 at the University of La Verne.

After playing their first 13 games on the road, the Bearcats will play their home scheduled regular season home games on Oct. 9-10 at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O'Fallon, Ill. McKendree will open the home schedule with an MAWPC game against Salem University on Oct. 9 at 9 a.m., before facing Augustana (Ill.) College at 12 p.m. and closing the day with a 7 p.m. MAWPC game against Gannon University. The Bearcats will close its home schedule with a 10:30 a.m. MAWPC game on Oct. 10 against Mercyhurst University.

The 2021 postseason begins on Oct. 23 with the CWPA Division II Championships in Erie, Pa., with the Mid-Atlantic West Region Championships set for Nov. 6-7 on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. The CWPA Mid-Atlantic Championships taking place on Nov. 19-21 on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

McKendree's final regular season match is scheduled for Nov. 13 as the Bearcats travel to Rock Island, Ill., for a game against Augustana College. The game will be played after the Mid-Atlantic West Region Championships and before the CWPA Mid-Atlantic Championships.