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The goal of every women's soccer team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference is to make the league's eight-team post-season tournament field, and then see what happens ... except the Drury Panthers are tired of merely seeing what's been happening.

Coach Alf Bilbao's Panthers have qualified for the GLVC tourney field seven times in his previous nine seasons on the DU sidelines, including each of the last three seasons, only to fall in the opening round each time in a tough road contest.

Last year's DU squad lost 1-0 at Truman State as the No. 5 seed, wrapping up the season with a 10-5-3 overall mark (after an 8-4-3 record in GLVC regular season play).

Much of that 2014 squad returns for Bilbao's 10th edition of the Panthers, including three of their top four scorers as Drury opens its '15 campaign by taking on Missouri Southern in a non-conference matchup at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Cooper Soccer Complex.

"Obviously, we really want to try to get ourselves in the top four in the conference, because home games are huge for the conference tournament," says Bilbao, who enters his 10th season at DU with a 93-59-23 record. "We have a lot of experience returning, so hopefully since those girls have been through it, they now understand the importance of positioning yourself for a home match to open the league tourney."

Bilbao will lean on a trio of veterans for offense, led by senior All-GLVC First Team forward Emily Cline (six goals, eight assists, team-high 20 points) and redshirt-junior forward Mariah Gove (six goals, two assists). Senior Ciara O'Brien will roam the midfield once again for DU after putting up four goals and an assist last season, when she earned Third Team All-GLVC honors.

"Ciara is the one who controls the pace of the game in terms of what we do," Bilbao says, "so she's going to be awfully important for us to get to where we want to go this season."

As will be Cline, the fifth-year senior who enters her final campaign with 18 goals and 16 assists (sixth on the all-time DU list) for her career. 

"Emily is a big, strong, powerful forward who holds the ball up well so we can get other people in the play," Bilbao says. "She can finish with her feet, she's strong in the air ... obviously we want her to stay healthy, because she's a big part of what we want to do."

Gove has compiled 11 goals and two assists in her first two seasons at Drury after missing her true freshman campaign in 2012 due to injury. Cline and Gove will have plenty of help up front from the likes of sophomore Kerri Morris and freshman Uxoa Bertiz Ayuso. Sophomores Gabby Menendez and Paige Townsend give the Panthers plenty of depth in the attacking category.

Joining O'Brien in the midfield are senior Emma Huggett and sophomore Rachel Krueger, with freshmen Gabbe Millot and McKenzie Robbins and sophomore Morgan Piotraschke challenging for time as well.

The defensive line is solid with senior All-GLVC returnee and four-year starter Paige Westbrook joined by senior Ashley Morefield, with sophomores Taylor Vaughn and Bailey Pesek and senior Jaden Flores also challenging for key minutes.

"Paige is just stable, very consistent,'' Bilbao said. "You always know what you're going to get from her. She organizes everything there in the back."

Sophomore Tina Haberberger and senior Taylor Pemberton are battling for the starting keeper role, with sophomore Gabrielle Klingaman providing depth for a Drury team that hopes to continue its winning ways at the Harrison Stadium/Curry Sports Complex, where Drury went 8-0-2 last season.