LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University men's soccer is back on the road for a third-straight matchup against a top GMAC program in Cedarville on September 1 with a 5PM ET/ 4PM CT kick.The Bearcats return to Ohio after going 2-0-0 during its opening week, defeating the host in Ohio Dominican at Panther Stadium and then calming the 15th-ranked Lake Erie Storm in a neutral site battle at ODU. The week wraps-up for the Bearcats back at Leemon Field on Saturday, September 3 for its home opener at 2:30 PM.
McKendree owns its best start to a season since 2013 with its undefeated record after week one, collecting shut outs in both of its opening contests. This week, McKendree will look to post its best start since joining the NCAA Division II ranks. The Bearcats have not only shutout its two opponents but also out-shot (22 to 18) with eight shots being on-frame and doubled the amount of corners earned by opposing teams (10 to five).
All four goals this year have been scored by freshmen and have also all been assisted goals. The scorers the Bearcats are headlines by forward
Stephan Stuebbe (2), who fired both goals against the Panthers on August 25, with one assisted on by sophomore midfielder
Philipp Schmidt and the other by defender and fellow freshman
Rhys Davies. In the Lake Erie contest, freshman midfielder
Gabe Hallsten fired the eventual game-winner in the 27th minute while freshman forward
Dayton Strattman added an insurance score in the 74th minute. Both scores against the No.15 Storm were assisted on by Schmidt (3). Following the first week of action, Bearcats sophomore goalkeeper
Anthony Swenson earned GLVC Defensive Player of the Week (
Release) behind his first two collegiate starts and wins, two clean sheets with four saves and 18 shots faced. The award marked the first defensive player of the week earned by a Bearcat since the 2019 season.
PREVIEW @ Cedarville (9/1)
All-Time Record: 0-0-0
Thursday's matchup will be the first between the Yellow Jackets and Bearcats with both clubs entering the game unbeaten. Cedarville began its season on August 27 with a 2-0 shutout of Wheeling on its home turf before a crowd of 1,200 fans. The Yellow Jackets rank among the top of the GMAC in the No.2 slot this year in the preseason poll (
GMAC poll). Cedarville finished second in its league last season with a 10-3-1 mark in the conference while going 14-5-1 overall. They made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.
The Yellow Jackets bring back their number two and three scorers from the 2021 campaign in Jackson Isaacs (12p/5g/2a) and Andy Volk (10p/4g/2a). In the first game, Cedarville was led by Michael Payne and Mauri Ochoa Vazquez, who each landed a goal, as well as Victor Pomelli, who dished-out two assists against Wheeling.
PREVIEW vs. Christian Brothers (9/3)
All-Time Record: 0-0-0
McKendree and Christian Brothers will meet for the first time during the Bearcats' 2022 home opener at Leemon Field on September 3. CBU remains unbeaten (1-0-1) through its first week of action, defeating Harding, 4-1, on August 27 while it tied Ouachita Baptist during the season opener, 1-1, on August 25. Christian Brothers fired five goals in two games as Lucho Galizzi was responsible for three of the scores, earning GSC Offensive Player of the Week for the Buccaneers. Three players has tallied a score for CBU as Galizzi (3) leads and two others, Paul Bobai and Ruben Neubauer, each have one goal so far. Bobai is also responsible for one assist, tying for the team lead at one with Jonathan Muller and Elias Mulen.
Prior to coming to Leemon, the Buccaneers play at Maryville on September 1 with a 5 PM kickoff in St. Louis, Missouri.
