SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 2026 Drury women's soccer season opens Thursday evening against Emporia State at the Panthers' new home, Lake Country Soccer Complex.
The defending Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) champions open their campaign with MIAA foe Emporia State. Drury and Emporia State opened the 2025 season against each other in Springfield, with Drury winning 1-0.
The match can be streamed behind a paywall on GLVCSN with
Ed Beach on the call. Single-game purchases are available for $15, monthly passes for $32, and a full-year pass for $145. Drury students can use their university email to receive 10 percent off any pass using code GLVC@EDU27.
SERIES HISTORY
- Drury holds a 3-2-1 record against Emporia State all-time.
- The two teams have played the previous two seasons, with Drury winning the 2025 game 1-0 and the 2024 meeting ending in a 1-1 draw.
- While playing in Springfield, Drury is 2-1-0 against the Hornets.
- In the most recent meeting, Drury was lifted to a win by a Kadence Krempges goal in her first career game in the Scarlet and Gray.
STORYLINES
- Thursday opens Drury's 36th women's soccer season and seventh under Justin Olson.
- The Panthers finished the 2025 season 10-3-8 with their second consecutive berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
- Under Olson, Drury is 5-1-0 on opening day, outscoring opponents 9-2.
- Drury returns 27 players from its 2025 GLVC Championship team, 14 of whom played in the conference final.
- Key returners include GLVC and Midwest Regional Goalkeeper of the Year Katy Fitzler, all-conference defender Anna Harris, fifth-year midfielder Leah McDonald, forward Bella Hernandez, midfielder Keira Love, and defender Haley Inscoe.
- Fitzler posted a 0.57 goals-against average, recorded 93 saves, and had 10 shutouts last season.
- Entering the season, Fitzler ranks in Drury career records: goals-against average (0.57, 1st), save percentage (.853, 1st), shutouts (24, 3rd), and saves (145, 9th). Among active Division II goalkeepers, her 0.57 career GAA is third best.
- Harris returns after earning third-team all-conference and third-team all-Midwest honors.
- McDonald enters her final season as a steady presence in the midfield, earning GLVC All-Tournament honors last year.
- Hernandez, Drury's single-season record holder for game-winning goals, returns after missing 2025 with injury.
- Love led Drury with six assists last season despite missing three matches.
- Inscoe, the only freshman to play all 21 matches in 2025, looks to build on her GLVC All-Tournament honor.
- In the GLVC preseason poll (Aug. 26), Drury was picked fourth behind Missouri–St. Louis, McKendree, and Maryville. Despite the fourth-place spot, the Panthers received the second-most first-place votes (three), behind UMSL's 10. McKendree and Maryville each received one.
- This will be Drury's first season at Lake Country Soccer Complex.
- Drury is eight wins away from reaching 300 in program history.
- Emporia State posted a 9-6-5 record in 2025.
- The Hornets return their top two scorers, Ella Favort (17 points) and Megan Kephart (17 points).
- The Hornets' question mark is in goal. Only one player on the roster has college experience: Terra Rybuck, a transfer from Southwestern Oklahoma State, who owns a 9-13-2 career record between SWOSU and Houston Christian.
LOOKING AHEAD
The opening week continues with a home match against Central Missouri on Aug. 30 at 5 p.m.
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