FAYETTE, Iowa | Harms-Eischeid Stadium - McKendree University women's soccer (1-0-0) collected its first win of its 2023 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Winona State on Friday afternoon. This was the first meeting between the Warriors and Bearcats as they played at a neutral site via Upper Iowa. Senior forward
Anna Stiffler fired both goals in the season-opening win, continuing her efforts from the 2022 season where she scored 14 goals on the season. McKendree plays its next game on neutral ground in Iowa, taking on Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, September 3.
The Bearcats and Warriors jostled early with no scores in the opening parts of the game. McKendree broke the ice in the 29th minute as
Anna Stiffler got in behind the defense, receiving a pass from graduate defender
Morgan Bova and firing it in for the first goal of the year. Only five minutes later, in the 34th minute of action, the Bearcats found the back of the net once again with Stiffler blasting another goal. The senior forward got the dish-out from senior midfielder
Katie Spotanski.
At the halftime horn, McKendree led Winona State, 2-1.
The second 45 minutes of play led to a battle between the two squads but the game held at 2-1 in favor of the Bearcats.
Senior
Abby Tucker held net for full time in the victory, grabbed four saves in total.
NOTES
McKendree tallied back-to-back season opening wins, beating Upper Iowa in 2022 and Winona State on Friday.
The Bearcats out-shot the Warriors, 15 to 7, while also earning more corner kicks, 6 to 0.
Senior forward
Anna Stiffler recorded both goals in the victory, picking up where she left off in 2022 when she totaled 14 and won the GLVC's Offensive Player of the Year.
Both goals for the Bearcats featured an assist as graduate defender
Morgan Bova dished-out the helper on the first goal and senior
Katie Spotanski made the assist on goal number two.
UP NEXT
McKendree will take on Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, September 3 at 2:30 PM in Fayette, Iowa in a neutral site contest. The first meeting between the Bearcats and CSP programs was a 1-0 win for McKendree last season, again played at Upper Iowa.
