this season but return nine to the starting XI, including 10 All-MIAA selections and reigning MIAA Freshman of the Year,
Minnesota State: The Jennies and the Mavericks are deadlocked in the all-time series, 3-3-1. The Jens previous two meetings against the Mavericks in Warrensburg have proved tough, as they are 0-2-0 at home. The last time the two teams met was in 2006, with the Jennies defeating the then 16th ranked Mavericks in Mankato, 3-1.
The Coaches...
Ali Omar, Winona State University: Omar enters his 18th season at the helm of the Warriors soccer program where he has compiled an impressive 236-77-20 overall record. He has led the Warriors to 11 Northern Sun Regular Season Titles and six NSIC Tournament crowns. Winona State has won the last eight Northern Sun Conference Titles.
Omar is ninth on the all-time NCAA Division II Coaching list for women's soccer.
Omar graduated from Winona State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems. He also works at Winona State as a Systems Administrator.
Peter McGahey, Minnesota State University: McGahey enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Mavericks. During his tenure at MSU, McGahey has compiled a 57-20-8 record, including an 17-3-3 record last season, which was good for a second-place finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. A year ago, the Mavericks went 3-0 in the NSIC postseason tournament and were crowned conference tournament champions.
McGahey played four seasons of men's varsity soccer for the University of Denver from 1992-1996, where he received his bachelors degree in Communications. He would then go on to earn his Masters in Physical Education at Ball State in 2005.
Head Coach Lewis Theobald
Four-time MIAA Coach of the Year,
Lewis Theobald enters his sixth season as head coach at Central Missouri with a stunning 79-16-8 record, one shy of becoming the all-time winningest coach in Jennies soccer history.
He recorded more wins in his first three seasons than any other coach in school history. He was the first assistant at Division I Indiana State, where he was the lead recruiter before coming to UCM.
He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Kansas.
Scouting the week's competition...
Winona State: The Warriors are picked second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for 2012 after finishing 2011 with a 14-4-1 overall record and 12-1-0 conference mark, good for their eighth straight conference title.
Winona State returns six of their 11 starters from last season. Junior Jennifer DeRoo, the NSIC Newcomer of the Year in 2010, was selected as the team's offensive player to watch on the year. DeRoo was limited to just seven games a season ago due to an injury but scored 11 goals during her freshman season.
Rebecca McCoy, a junior defender, was picked as WSU's defensive player to watch. McCoy helped anchor a Warrior defense that allowed just 11 goals last season while also scoring a goal of her own and handing out two assists.
Minnesota State: Minnesota State was tabbed as the favorite in the 2012 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' poll Wednesday. Senior forward Brittany Henry and senior defender Lauren Somers were selected preseason offensive and defensive players of the year respectively.
Henry, a Stillwater, Minn. native, was the 2011 NSIC Offensive Player of the year as she led the league in goals (14), points (34), and game-winning goals (7). She was a member of the NSIC All-Conference First Team and NSCAA First Team All-Central Region.
Somers, a Bloomington, Minn. native, was named to the NSCAA Second Team All-Central Region and NSIC All-Conference Second Team with two goals and three assists anchoring a Maverick backline that allowed a conference leading 0.46 goals per game in 2011.
The Mavericks finished 17-3-3 last season with a 10-1-2 record in the NSIC. They were crowed conference tournament champions and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
History approaching...
Jennies head coach
Lewis Theobald is just one win shy of becoming the all-time wins leader in Jennies soccer history. Currently he is tied with Al lantorno, Jennies' soccer inaugural coach, with 79 victories. Theobald already owns the best winning percentage in Jennies soccer history with a mark of .776. His career record currently stands at 79-16-8 going into Friday's season opener.
Veteran experience...
Copenhaver, Shain, Hanson and Stones will wear the captain's armband this season.
Offensive threat...
Central Missouri also returns the conference leader in assists,
Kayla Shain (10 assists) and
Carly Stanley (8 assists), who was third in the MIAA in assists last season.
Defensive pressure...
Central Missouri returns all but one of its defenders that led the MIAA in goals against average (0.43) and shutouts (14).
However, this season expect to see a different form which means some of the defenders could be moved to new positions.
A new year, a new region...
Central Missouri will no longer be a member of the South Central Region. Beginning this season, the Jennies will compete in the Central Region, composed of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC), Great American Conference (GAC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
Lose one, gain four...
Truman State University, a member of the MIAA since its creation in 1912, will depart the conference next year and join the Great Lakes Valley Conference. While Truman departs the conference, four new teams have been granted membership into the MIAA. University of Nebraska at Kearney, Lindenwood University, Northeastern State University (Okla.) and the University of Central Oklahoma all begin league competition this season and all field women's soccer teams.
