BETHANY, Okla. | Wes Harmon Field - No.24 McKendree University men's soccer (1-0-0) battled through a top-25 matchup to open the 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory, defeating No.23 Southern Nazarene during a true road contest. The Bearcats defeated the Crimson Storm 1-0, mirroring their NCAA Tournament victory over SNU from last November, with freshman defender Philipp Muehlhans scoring his first collegiate goal as the game-winner in the 33rd minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Christian Herluf added another shutout performance to his resume in the win, collecting three saves while now totaling 15 career clean sheets. McKendree remains on the road for its next non-conference contest as the Bearcats head to Claremore, Oklahoma on September 7 to battle Rogers State.

McKendree and SNU faced off to open the season with the first match up between the programs coming in the NCAA Tournament last November, which saw the Bearcats claim the contest in overtime. SNU pushed early but McKendree came back with a multitude of attempts before breaking through late in the first half. The Bearcats fired six shots in the first half with the eventual winner being scored in the 33rd minute by Muehlhans following a deep cross by senior midfielder Philipp Schmidt. The goal marked Muehlhans first collegiate goal, points, and game-winner. 

The second half continued to be a back and forth bout between the two squads with nine shots being fired and multiple corner kicks by the Bearcats, who attempted to find an insurance score. 

Herluf held net for the full 90 minutes of action, adding a 15th career shutout to his resume while collecting three saves. The performance marked a third-straight clean sheet performance dating back to the end of the 2023 campaign, which saw the now-sophomore put up two shutouts in the NCAA Tournament.