LEBANON, Ill. - 12th-ranked McKendree University women's soccer (7-0-2, 3-0-1 GLVC) returns to Leemon Field for a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games this weekend, hosting Truman State (3-1-5, 1-1-3 GLVC) and WIlliam Jewell (1-7-1, 0-4-1 GLVC) on Friday and Sunday. The Bearcats swept their last weekend out, beating Quincy, 2-1, and UIS, 2-0, while also maintaining a nine-match unbeaten streak to begin the 2022 campaign. McKendree will first host Truman on Friday, September 30, at 5 PM and then WJC will come to Leemon On Sunday, October 2, for a Noon kick.
THIS SEASON
McKendree kicked-off the 2022 season with five non-conference games, leaving the Bearcats 4-0-1 going into league play. The Bearcats began conference outings with a 2-1 win over Lewis at home before drawing with Indianapolis and then defeating Quincy and UIS on the road. McKendree has out-paced its opponents with 17 goals while only giving up five scores and just 25 shots on goal. The Bearcats fire at an on-frame percentage of .467 with 15.2 total shots per game. Leading the offense is junior forward
Anna Stiffler, owning 12 points on six goals this fall. Fellow junior forward
Destiny Johnson is second on the Bearcats in point total with seven behind a pair of scores and three dish-outs, which leads the team. Eight Bearcats have scores while 15 have recorded a point via goal or assist.Â
The net has been held in near-full-time by senior and reigning GLVC defensive player of the week
Abby Tucker. Tucker has a goals allowed average of 0.58 with 20 saves and a save percentage of .800 in her nine appearances and starts. She also owns four shutouts on the season.Â
McKendree has moved up in the United Soccer Coaches national poll each week since entering the ranks, moving to No.12 this week (
9/27 Poll). The Bearcats entered the ranks on September 3 at 16th nationally before moving up to 15th, 14th, and now 12th. In the Midwest Region, McKendree sits second behind reigning National Champion, Grand Valley State.
PREVIEW vs Truman State (3-1-5, 1-1-3 GLVC)
All-Time Series: 7-2-2, TSU | Streak:Â W2, McK
Truman State will enter the weekend after drawing and dropping games last weekend. The Bulldogs last win came over Missouri S&T on September 16 in Rolla on a count of 2-0. TSU has five different goal-scorers this season while Avery Bohnenstiehl leads the team in points with three behind one goal and one assist. Eight Bulldogs have at least one point recorded this fall. Two Keepers have split time this fall with Tatumn Damron and Beth Hopwood each playing 405 minutes. Damron owns a goals allowed average of 0.22 with 20 saves and a save percentage of .952. Hopwood has collected 24 saves with a goals allowed average of 0.67 and a save percentage of .889. The two keepers boast seven shutouts between them.
The last time out between the Bearcats and Bulldogs was a usual battle with McKendree winning its second ever game against Truman. The last eight matchups have featured one goal or less between the programs.
PREVIEW vs William Jewell (1-7-1, 0-4-1 GLVC)
All-Time Series: 11-0-2, McK | Streak: W8, McK
The Cardinals will begin their weekend at Maryville prior to traveling to Lebanon to take on the Bearcats. Jewell dropped its latest games to Missouri S&T and UMSL but drew with SBU the weekend prior. Jewell's offense has been paced by Corrine Hughes, who has fired six goals this fall, which is tied for the league lead with Stiffler. Two more Cardinals have multiple goals while Kate Lawrence leads WJC in assists with three this fall. Jewell has split time in goal with Taylor Thompson and Katie Wagenheim. Thompson has started four games with 28 saves while Wagenheim owns five starts and 34 saves.Â
The last matchup between the Bearcats and Cardinals was October of 2021, which McKendree took in overtime, 3-2. The game-winner was fired by Stiffler in the eighth minute of the first OT period. The Bearcats have score multiple goals against the Cardinals in three of the last four matchups.Â
McK IN THE GLVC
#21 | F |
Anna Stiffler
