Written by Megan Melone
Photography and Scores from McKendree Athletics
It was another busy week for McKendree Athletics as teams brought home victories and more Bearcats began their seasons.
Men’s Hockey
The McKendree men’s hockey team opened their 2024-25 season at Maryville University. Goalkeeper Dyllan Dallaire greatly supported the team, blocking 42 of 46 shots by Maryville. Still, McKendree lost the match with a score of 4-0. The team played again on the 13th against the University of Illinois and saw a loss of 3-7. But the Bearcats will return on the ice on September 20th against Missouri State University in Springfield.
Women’s Golf
The McKendree women’s golf team opened their season at the Midwest Ladies Collegiate in Peru, Indiana on September 9th and 10th. Freshman Alba Camps Pascual placed 9th in the tournament and broke a new record for the team by one stroke with a 67 in the second round. This is the record that was previously set by Wartisara Rungrojanaluk in the fall of 2023. The women’s golf team will compete again at Smithville, Missouri on September 23rd.
Women’s Soccer
The McKendree women’s soccer team competed in three matches this week. The first match was an absolute win by McKendree against Kentucky Wesleyan University with a final score of 6-0. The team worked together on the win, and a different player scored each goal. The Bearcats played their second match at home against Union University and secured a win with a final score of 2-0. Goalkeeper Maicy Mueller protected her team with a lockdown defense at the goal, and senior Anna Stiffler and sophomore Maggie Gleckler scored McKendree’s goals. The women’s team played again against Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, and won with a final score of 3-2.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team traveled to Columbus on September 11th to face Ohio Dominican University. The Bearcats secured the win with a final score of 3-0. Paul Moodie and Henry Poll both scored their first collegiate goals for McKendree. The final goal was scored by senior Philipp Schmidt in the second half of the match. The men’s soccer team played again at Rockhurst University in Kansas City on September 15th, earning a win with a final score of 5-1.
Women’s Volleyball
The McKendree women’s volleyball team played two matches on Friday the 13th at the Oklahoma Baptists Invitational in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The first was a 3-1 loss against Southwestern Oklahoma State University, while the second match was a 3-0 win against Cameron University. On Saturday, the Bearcats played another two matches in Oklahoma. The first was a 3-0 loss against the University of Texas at Tyler, and the second was a 3-2 loss against Oklahoma Baptist University.
Football
McKendree football traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri on September 14th to face Lincoln University. The Bearcats came out on top with a win of 34-19. Quarterback Ty Michael secured his first passing touchdown for McKendree with a touchdown pass to Chase Wells. Eddie Clark also scored for the Bearcats with a touchdown run of 17 yards. This victory is also Jason Rejfek’s first win as a head coach. The Bearcats will play again next Saturday at noon against Minnesota State University Moorhead for their first home game of the season.
For more information about upcoming athletic events, visit: McKendree University Athletics – Official Athletics Website (mckbearcats.com)
