The Week Ahead
• The Jennies open up the 2017 season at home on Thursday, Aug. 31, as they host the Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Jennies Field at the South Recreation Complex. UCM will then hit the road to Sioux Falls, S.D. to take on the Vikings of Augustana University on Sunday, Sept. 3.
• The Jennies enter the 2017 season ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll (formerly National Soccer Coaches Association of America). UCM is coming off its seventh straight MIAA Regular Season championship, fourth MIAA Tournament championship, third straight Central Region crown, and back-to-back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Elite Eight in school history.
Series History
SW Oklahoma: UCM leads 4-0-0
The Jennies will open up their 2017 campaign against the Bulldogs for the second straight year. UCM downed SWOSU on road last season, 3-0, and are undefeated all-time against them.
Augustana: UCM leads 3-0-0
UCM is undefeated against Augustana and has allowed just one goal in the series. The Jennies handed the Vikings a 3-0 loss in their home opener at Jennies Field last season.
Scouting the Competition
Southwestern Oklahoma State
• The Bulldogs enter 2017 unranked after finishing the 2016 season with a 12-4-3 record. The Bulldogs went 9-3-0 in GAC play to capture their first regular season championship since 2013. Their season came to an end for the second straight year in the GAC Tournament Championship as they fell to Harding University in PK's, 6-5.
• The Bulldogs are the preseason favorites to win the GAC this year after capturing the regular season title last season. They earned four first place votes of the league's seven to take the top spot.
• The Bulldogs return 17 letterwinners in 2017, 10 of which are starters from last year's squad. All-American sophomores Alimata Rabo and Sandra Nabweteme will lead the way for a team that had nine total All-GAC selections in 2016.
• Head Coach Mark Persson will be in his ninth year as the Bulldogs soccer coach and was named the GAC Coach of the Year last season after leading his squad to their third regular season title.
• The Bulldogs are 0-4-0 all-time against the Jennies and have only scored a pair of goals in the series.
Augustana
• Augustana enters 2017 unranked after finishing last season 13-5-3 overall and 10-2-3 in the NSIC to finish fourth in the regular season standings.
• The Vikings made a late run in the postseason last year, upending top seeded Minot State in the conference semifinals, but just missed an NCAA Tournament berth as they fell to Minnesota State-Mankato in the championship.
• Entering the 2017 season, Augustana is preseason picked to finish second behind Mankato in the NSIC and received five first place votes with 210 points.
• Seniors Samantha Tymkowicz and Hannah Keirstead will lead the way for Augustana this season. At forward, Tymkowicz scored five goals and started all but one game for the Vikings in 2016, while Keirstead anchored the defense and scored two goals with one assist.
• The Vikings will open up the season against conference foe Wayne State at home on Thurs., Aug. 31, before playing host to the Jennies. Augustana is 0-3-0 all-time against Central Missouri and has scored just one goal in the series.
Opening Weekend
• The Jennies are 13-8-1 in season openers, and have not lost a season opener since 2009 when they fell to Abilene Christian 1-0.
• Central Missouri has out-scored opponents 44-29 in season openers.
• The Jennies are 7-4-1 in season openers on the road and have not lost a road opener since 2009 when they fell to Abilene Christian 1-0.
• Central Missouri is 15-7-0 all-time in the second game of the season, and they are 5-4-0 all-time when the second game is on the road.
• Under Head Coach
Lewis Theobald, the Jennies are 7-2-1 in season opening games.
Bringing Home the Hardware
• UCM enters the 2017 season with a number of conference and regional award winners returning, including three-time reigning MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year,
Ana Dilkes, Offensive Player of the Year,
Jada Scott, and 2015 Defensive Player of the Year,
Abby Rhodes. The Jennies bring back seven total award winners, five of which were first team selections, one second team selection, one third team selection, and one honorable mention, along with NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year
Lewis Theobald.
• In 2016, returning players Dilkes, Scott,
Kayla Hamner, and
Megan Woolley earned D2CCA All-American Honors. Dilkes was a First Team selection, while Scott and Woolley garnered Third team status, and Hamner was Honorable Mention. Both Dilkes and Scott were also named NSCAA All-Americans, with Dilkes earning first team honors while Scott was named to the third team.
• The Jennies continue to show success off the field in the classroom, as 24 members were named to the Academic Honor Roll, three winners of the Scholar-Athlete Award, and one earning the Academic Excellence Award.
One for the Record Books
• With 21 total wins last season the Jennies tied their record for wins in a season and had their first three straight 20 win seasons, a first for both UCM and for any team in the MIAA.
• As a team, the Jennies set a few of MIAA defensive records including goals against average (0.30), shutouts (19), and tied for fewest goals allowed in a season with seven. Individually,
Ana Dilkes set the single season record for fewest goals allowed with six, goals against average with a 0.27 and shutouts with 17.
Jada Scott's 40 points and 16 goals also rank in the top 10 single season records in the MIAA.
• In addition to her MIAA records, Dilkes set team records in most wins in a season with 21, most shutouts in a season with 17, and is the all-time leader in program history with 43 career shutouts.
