Two of the best players in University of Evansville women’s soccer history will be on the field Tuesday night, but Krista McKendree and Krissy Meek Engelbrecht won’t be high-fiving like they did a decade ago. They’ll be on opposite benches–McKendree as the UE head coach and Engelbrecht as head coach of the USI Screaming Eagles-when Evansville plays USI at 7:00 at UE's Black Beauty Field. It will be the final pre-season contest for both squads prior to their season openers on Sunday, when USI plays at Belmont University, and Evansville heads to Southeast Missouri.
The McKendree-Meek combination was nearly unbeatable in Missouri Valley Conference play during their combined six years in Evansville uniforms. With Krissy (1996-99) or Krista (1998-01) on the field, the Aces won MVC regular season titles in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000; MVC Tournament titles in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001, and reached the NCAA Tournament in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Meek-Engelbrecht was the number one fan choice in voting for the MVC All-Centennial Team in 2006. That elite squad also includes McKendree, who is the only All-American in Aces’ women’s soccer history. Meek-Engelbrecht is the second leading scorer in Aces’ history, and McKendree spent her career as a defender. Both will be looking for improvement from their teams at both ends of the field Tuesday after they lost on Saturday–-USI 2-1 at SIU Edwardsville and Evansville 1-0 at Black Beauty Field against Kentucky.
ACES’ UPDATE
McKendree used 18 players in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Kentucky, including seven who made their UE debuts. Freshmen Olivia Robinson, Dani Langness and Kristen Davis started, along with sophomore Kaitlin Oldfield, a transfer from Brandeis University. Freshman Chaviel Harrison played the entire second half between the pipes, making six saves and allowing just one goal.
"It was good for us to play such a fast paced game for our first scrimmage," said McKendree afterward. "We were composed for the most part on defense, and I thought the offense looked good when we were able to put together three or four passes."
