Nov. 14, 2008

Story courtesy of McKendree Sports Information

LEBANON, Ill., – The McKendree (Ill.) women’s soccer team defeated William Woods (Mo.) University, 5-0, Thursday night (Nov. 13) to win their sixth-straight American Midwest Conference championship. Their 18 wins this season is a new team season record at McKendree.

No. 17 McKendree, now 18-1-1 overall, advances to the NAIA Championship Opening Round on November 22 at a campus site to be determined. The pairings will be released November 16 at 7 p.m.

McKendree got on the scoreboard in the 7^th minute on a goal by junior forward Sarah Ryan (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) on a pass from freshman midfielder Sulyn Keomanivane (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) . Keomanivane got her second assist of the game in the 27^th minute on a pass to sophomore midfielder Ilana Milkez (Bogota, Colombia) who scored to make the score 2-0. Keomanivane found the back of the net in the 36^th minute on a pass from Ryan to give McKendree a 3-0 lead heading into the half.

Ryan scored her second goal of the game in the 51^st minute on a pass from sophomore Ashley Varns (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) to take a 4-0 lead. Varns found Keomanivane for the Bearcats fifth and final goal of the contest in the 52^nd minute. Ryan and Keomanivane are now tied for the team lead with 20 goals scored a piece this season. They are also both tied for second at McKendree for goals in a single season behind Kasey Stogsdill’s 21 goals in 2002. Ryan also became McKendree’s single season points leader with 49 on the season, while Keomanivane is third with 47 points.

Sophomore Liz Yanko (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) improved to 18-1-1 on the season and had five saves in just under 78 minutes of play. Freshman Sarah Luecking (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) played just over 12 minutes in goal and the duo recorded the team shutout. Yanko’s 18 wins this season is a new single season record at McKendree.