. This group will be counted on to replace the departed 2012 Ken B. Jones winner and 2012 MIAA Soccer Player of the Year
Minnesota State: The Jennies lead the all-time series, 4-3-2. The Jens' previous three meetings against the Mavericks in Warrensburg have proved tough, as they are 1-2-0 at home. The last time the two teams met was in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, with the Jennies falling to the Mavericks in a PK shootout, 5-4.
The Coaches...
Ali Omar, Winona State University: Omar enters his 19th season at the helm of the Warriors soccer program where he has compiled an impressive 252-82-20 overall record. He has led the Warriors to 11 Northern Sun Regular Season Titles and six NSIC Tournament crowns. Winona State has won eight of the past nine Northern Sun Conference Titles.Â
Omar is inside the top 10 on the all-time NCAA Division II Coaching list for women's soccer.Â
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.
Brian Bahl, Minnesota State University: Brian Bahl was named the head coach of the Minnesota State women's soccer program in the spring of 2013, becoming the fourth head coach in the program's history. He had previously served as the head coach for the men's and women's soccer teams at Upper Iowa University for the last six seasons. Â
During his six seasons at the helm of the women's soccer program at UIU, the Peacocks qualified for five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournaments and amassed 64 wins and 17 draws. The men's team also boasted 46 wins and five draws during the same time frame. His won-loss record in his six seasons as head coach of the women's soccer program at UIU was 66-43-17.
Scouting the week's competition...
Winona State: The Warriors are picked first in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for 2013 after finishing 2012 with a 16-5-0 overall record and 13-2-0 conference mark, snapping their streak of eight consecutive conference titles.Â
Winona State returns 10 of their 11 starters from last season. All-region defenders Morgan LeFebvre, Rebecca McCoy and Kelsey Foss highlight a defense that allowed just 14 goals a season ago. Offensively, ten of the 11 players who scored at least two goals in 2012 are back, led by the team's leading scorers Caitlin Lilly and Mehan Bolton.
Senior forward Jennifer DeRoo was named the Warriors' Offensive Player to Watch while Rebecca McCoy earned the honor for the WSU defense. DeRoo missed time with injuries in both of the last two seasons, but scored 11 goals and was named the NSIC's Newcomer of the Year in 2010. She has 13 career goals and five game-winning goals.
Minnesota State: Minnesota State was ranked sixth in the 2013 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll.
Senior midfielder Tori Meinhardt and junior goalkeeper Molly McGough were named to the 2013 NSIC Players to Watch list.
Coach Bahl will have the tall task of finding new scoring threats following the graduation of Nicole Dooher, the 2013 Female Athletics Medal of Honor winner.Â
The Mavericks posted a 17-1-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight a year ago. They are the only team from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the top-25.
Cementing a coaching legacy...
Jennies head coach
Lewis Theobald  broke Al Iantorno's record of 79 wins last season and enters 2013 with the best winning percentage in Jennies soccer history with a mark of .806. His career record currently stands at 95-18-13 going into Friday's season opener.Â
Veteran experience...
Offensive threats...
The Jennies return just two players who scored at least five goals last season, including seniors Becky Lackey (7) and Carly Stanley (5).
Lackey finished 2012 tied for 10th in the conference with 18 points (7 goals, 4 assists), while Stanley (6 assists) was sixth in the MIAA in assists last season and finished tied for 13th with 16 points.Â
Blanking the opponent...
With this tandem, the Jennies finished tied with Truman for the conference lead with 13 goals allowed all season.
Defending her turf...
Central Missouri is returning its goalkeeper from last season, sophomore
Morgan Hartzler. As a freshman, Hartzler made her defensive presence felt, finishing with the lowest Goals Against Average (0.48 - seven goals in 1319 minutes) in the MIAA. Her seven goals allowed tied the conference record for fewest in a season.Â
Farewell, Truman...
The Jennies and the MIAA said goodbye to Truman State University following the conclusion of the 2012 season as the Bulldogs became the newest member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Truman's departure brings the MIAA Conference total to 12 schools.Â
Jennies Soccer (By the numbers)...
The Jennies in season openers are 10-8-0 overall and 4-2-0 under Coach Theobald. When starting the season on the road, the Jennies are 6-4-0 all time and 2-2-0 under Coach Theobald.
When matched up against Minnesota schools, UCM is 16-6-2 all-time. The Jennies are 3-1-1 when playing in the state of Minnesota.
