SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The GLVC Women's Soccer Championship begins this weekend as Drury travels to McKendree for a first-round matchup Sunday, Nov. 1, in a rematch of last season's conference championship match.
Drury enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed after clinching a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season. The Panthers travel to face second-seeded McKendree after the Bearcats earned a 4-2 win in the regular-season meeting on Sept. 16 in Lebanon.
The match will stream on GLVCSN. Single-game passes are $15, monthly passes are $32 and annual passes are $145. Drury students can receive 10 percent off any pass using their university email and code GLVC@EDU27.
SERIES HISTORY
- McKendree leads the all-time series 11-9-3.
- The series is tied 5-5-0 in matches played in Lebanon.
- McKendree has won 10 of the last 14 meetings.
- Under head coach Justin Olson, Drury is 1-7-2 against the Bearcats.
- The two programs have met in the postseason in each of the last three seasons, with Drury holding a 0-2-1 record.
- Despite that mark, the Panthers won the most significant postseason meeting, defeating McKendree 3-2 in a shootout to capture the 2025 GLVC Championship.
- Keira Love is the lone current Panther with a postseason point against McKendree, recording an assist in the 2024 meeting.
- Katy Fitzler has allowed just one goal in two postseason appearances against the Bearcats.
STORYLINES
- Drury enters the postseason with a 6-6-6 record, while McKendree is 14-2-2.
- The Panthers are 2-4-2 on the road this season, with both victories coming in their last two road matches. McKendree is 7-1-1 at Leemon Field, most recently playing Missouri-St. Louis to a 0-0 draw.
- Drury finished the regular season 4-1-2 in October and recorded four shutouts during the month.
- Under Olson, Drury is 5-3-3 in GLVC Tournament play and 8-6-3 in all postseason matches, winning conference championships in 2021 and 2025.
- Katy Fitzler has allowed just seven goals and made 40 saves in nine career postseason appearances.
- Keira Love has totaled two goals and three assists in postseason play. Bella Hernandez has scored one goal, while Elli Davison and Leah McDonald have each recorded an assist.
- During last season's run to the GLVC title, Anna Harris, Baylea Davis, Caroline Dinnon, Leah McDonald and Love all converted penalty kicks during semifinal and championship shootout victories.
- Drury went 1-3-3 during the regular season against the other seven GLVC Tournament qualifiers. The Panthers were outscored 10-7 in those matches, while Melissa Higgins led the team with two goals against tournament qualifiers.
- In the regular-season finale, Katy Fitzler recorded the 30th shutout of her career, becoming just the third goalkeeper in program history to reach that milestone. She also owns 32 career wins, the third-most in program history.
- Keira Love leads Drury with five goals, including three game-winners.
- Leah McDonald and Mia Smith share the team lead with three assists each.
- Justin Olson is one win away from 120 career victories.
- Drury is two wins away from 300 victories in program history.
- McKendree is unbeaten in its last five matches and has not lost since a 3-2 setback at Missouri S&T on Oct. 7. During that stretch, the Bearcats have allowed just two goals.
- Head coach Tim Strange, in his 28th and final season at McKendree, has guided the Bearcats to four GLVC Tournament championships, most recently in 2023.
- The Bearcats are led by Maddie Mauch, who has totaled 17 goals and six assists this season, including involvement in three of McKendree's four goals against Drury in September.
- Aubrey Andrews has added 11 goals, including two against the Panthers this season.
- In goal, McKendree has primarily relied on Peyton Baker, who owns a 0.62 goals-against average and 36 saves this season after facing Drury in last year's GLVC Championship match.
- The Panthers faced Alyse Day in the regular-season meeting. She recorded three saves while allowing two goals.
- Other first-round matchups include Lewis at Missouri-St. Louis, Maryville at Quincy and Rockhurst at Missouri S&T.
- The GLVC semifinals and championship matches for both the men's and women's tournaments will be played at Drury's Lake Country Soccer Complex beginning Nov. 6.
LOOKING AHEAD
The winner of Drury vs. McKendree will face the winner of Missouri S&T and Rockhurst at Lake Country Soccer Complex in Springfield on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
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