This week the Jennies will kick-off MIAA play with another lengthy roadtrip. Friday the Jennies will travel to Hays, Kan. for a 6 p.m. showdown with Fort Hays State University at the FHSU Soccer Stadium while Sunday they will trek north to Kearney, Neb. for a 1 p.m. tussle with new MIAA member Nebraska-Kearney at Cope Stadium at Foster Field.
Nebraska-Kearney: Sunday's afternoon match against the Lopers will be the first ever MIAA match between the two teams. However, the Jennies and Lopers have met before, playing in Kearney last season, with the Jennies coming away with a 3-1 win.
Four-time MIAA Coach of the Year,
Lewis Theobald is in his sixth season as head coach at Central Missouri and currently has an impressive 82-16-9 record.
With the Jennies 4-2 win over Winona State August 31st, Theobald became 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.
The Coaches...
Craig Shaw, Fort Hays State: Craig Shaw is in his second season as head coach of the women's soccer program at Fort Hays State University. In its first season in school history, Shaw led FHSU to a 6-11-1 record and three Tigers garnered All-MIAA honors. Shaw came to the program from Ottawa University in Kansas, where he served as the head coach for three years.
Shaw played soccer for the Nerang Soccer Club of the Gold Coast Premier League in Australia from 1996 to 2001. He then played collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division II level at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee from 2001 to 2004. While at Carson-Newman, he helped the team to conference championships in 2003 and 2004. Carson-Newman qualified for the Division II National Tournament in each of those years, making the Elite 8 in 2003 and the round of 16 in 2004. Carson-Newman held top-ten national rankings each of those seasons and was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in 2004. He and his wife, Alexandra, have one daughter, Torey.
John Maessner, Nebraska-Kearney (Interim Head Coach): John Maessner was named the Nebraska-Kearney interim head women's soccer coach in July 2012.
Maessner, who lives in Broken Bow with his family, comes to UNK after a decorated playing career as well as several successful coaching stints at his alma mater, D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS) and over the past two seasons assisting with the Kearney H.S. girls program.
The University of Virginia graduate and New Jersey native also holds the USSF A coaching license and the USSF youth license.
Scouting the week's competition...
Fort Hays State: The Tigers enter the week with an overall record of 3-1-0. Fort Hays is a perfect 2-0-0 at home, winning matches against McPherson College and Midland University last week.
The Tigers are led by Alexis Aiman, Jordan Hester and Kylie Watson, who each have contributed two goals. As a team, FHSU averages 2.25 goals per match while limiting its opponents to only 0.25 goals per match. The Tigers have accumulated three yellow cards so far this season. They led the MIAA in cautions issued last season.
The Tigers starting goalkeepers are Nicole Barnaba and Rachel Schaad. Barnaba has played 184:44 minutes with 11 saves and two shutouts for a 2-0-0 record. Schaad has played 180:00 minutes and has five saves with one shutout and a 1-1-0 record. The Tigers goals-against-average is 0.25.
Nebraska-Kearney: The Lopers enter the beginning of MIAA conference play with a 4-1-0 overall record. Nebraska-Kearney is 2-0-0 at home, winning home matches against Midland University and Northwestern Oklahoma. The Lopers open their MIAA campaign against Southwest Baptist at home Friday before hosting the Jennies Sunday.
The Lopers are led by McKinzie Rieber on the offensive side of the ball with three goals. Also notable contributers are Tara Knowlton and Montanna Hosterman who each have three assists so far in 2012.
The Lopers starting goalie is Marissa Niday. Niday has played 381:50 minutes in goal with 14 saves and one shutout. Her overall record in-goal is 4-1-0. The Lopers goals-against-average is 1.00.
History made...
After the 4-2 victory over Winona State August 31st, Jennies head coach
Lewis Theobald recorded victory number 80, making him the all-time winningest coach in Jennies soccer history. Theobald's career record now stands at an impressive 82-16-9 in six seasons.
I've been everywhere...
The Jennies are all too familliar with long road trips after last week. After traveling a combined 1,881 miles last week from Warrensburg to Bismarck, N.D. to Minot, N.D. then back to Warrensburg. That's a total of 30 hours spent on the road. The Jennies face another long road trip this week, traveling a combined 852 miles from Warrensburg to Hays, Kan. to Kearney, Neb. and back to Warrensburg. Driving time for this trek isn't quite as bad as the North Dakota trip the previous week, only 14 hours and 24 minutes.
The combined total travel mileage for Jennies soccer the past two weeks will be: 2733 miles (45 hours total traveling time).
It's a draw...
The Jennies 0-0 draw with Minot State last Saturday marked the first draw for Jennies soccer since October 1, 2009 when the Jennies and Northwest Missouri State tied 0-0 after playing two extra periods in Maryville.
Limiting goals...and stellar defense...
The Jennies have only allowed three goals in their first four matches this season. Jennies goalkeepers
Jessica Grindstaff and
Morgan Hartzler have combined to make 14 saves in the first four matches with a goals-against-average of 0.71. Grindstaff has one shutout, the 0-0 draw against Minot State last Saturday.
The Jennies' defense combined for two shutouts in last week's action, not allowing a goal in either match.
Veteran experience...
Copenhaver, Shain, Hanson and Stones will wear the captain's armband this season.
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).
