The Week Ahead
• The Jennies are on the road this weekend as they get into MIAA play. This weekend they travel to Nebraska and Kansas to take on Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State. Friday's match against the Lopers will kick off at 7 p.m. and Sunday's match against the Tigers is set for a 1 p.m. start.
• The Jennies moved up one spot in the national rankings this week after another 2-0 weekend. They are No. 3 this week's in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after sitting at the No. 4 spot for the past three weeks. UCM has been ranked in the top five every week this season.
• UCM swept the MIAA Athletes of the Week honors after improving to 8-0 on the season.
Baylie Edwards and
Kayla Hamner were the Offensive Player and Defensive Player, respectively, while
Ana Dilkes was the Goalkeeper of the Week.
Series History
Nebraska-Kearney: UCM leads 5-0-1
The Jennies and Lopers have a short history against each other having only played six matches. UCM does have the advantage having won five of the six. In the last three matches, the Jennies have defeated the Lopers by a score of 3-0 each time.
Fort Hays State: UCM leads 7-2-0
UCM and Fort Hays State met twice in 2016, once in an MIAA match and the other in the Central Region Championship. The Jennies walked away with 1-0 wins both times. In the series, UCM has won the last three matches against Fort Hays State.
Scouting the Competition
Nebraska-Kearney
• The Lopers are 3-3-2 and sit eighth in the MIAA standings entering the weekend. Nebraska-Kearney has wins over Montana State-Billings, Western State Colorado, and Fort Hays State this season.
• Entering the 2017 season, the Lopers were preseason picked to finish ninth in the MIAA Coaches Poll with 38 points. They went 4-5-2 in 2016 and finished ninth.
• The Lopers will have experience in their starting lineup this season as they retrun nine starters from their 2016 squad.
• Megan Cook leads the way for the UNK offense with four points and two goals. As a team the Lopers have scored just five goals and tallied six assists for 16 points.
• Defensively, the Lopers have allowed eight goals this season. In net, Ali Hirschman has 29 saves and has posted three shutouts this season.
• Head Coach Chloe Roberts is in her first year leading the Loper team. She spent the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant and assistant coach.
Fort Hays State
• The Tigers have a 4-2-2 mark entering week five of the regular season and were one of five MIAA teams to pick up a conference opening win last week defeating Emporia State, 2-0.
• The Tigers had a solid 2016 season going 15-5-3 and setting a program record for wins and making their first ever appearance in the Central Region Championship. They finished the season ranked 14th in the nation.
• Fort Hays State was slated to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll for the third straight year. The Tigers went 10-1-0 in MIAA action in 2016 to tie for first in the regular season standings with UCM. They have been ranked as high as No. 14 this season.
• Offensively, Eden Stoddard leads the way for the Tigers offense with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Her 14 points and six goals lead the team and are both among the top five in the MIAA. Darby Hirsch leads the way in assists with four, which is tied for second most in the MIAA.
• Blake Reynolds is in his first season as head coach for the Tigers. Prior to joining Fort Hays State he was at Kansas Wesleyan for four years. He is the second coach in the program's history.
The Best Defense is a Good Offense
• The Jennies 34 goals scored through eight games this season are most in Division II.
• The Jennies are averaging 4.25 goals per game this season which also leads Division II in scoring offense.
• With 86 points total on 34 goals scored and 18 assists, the Jennies are tied for fouth in Division II in total points
• UCM's 18 assists this season are tied for 11th most in Division II. In eight games, UCM has outscored opponents 34-0 with a 161-87 shots advantage.
• The Jennies 34 goals scored through eight games is tied for the most under Head Coach
Lewis Theobald. The 2015 squad had 34 through eight games as well, but had allowed two goals.
Numbers Never Lie
• The Jennies have posted eight straight shutouts for the second year in a row. The Jennies are lead the MIAA in shutout percentage (1.000) and are just one of two teams left in Division II that has yet to allow a goal this season.
• The Jennies all around defense in shutouts (8), goals-against average (0.00), and save percentage (1.000) are tied for first in Division II this season.
• The Jennies are the only team left in the MIAA who has yet to allow a goal this season and their 34 saves through eight games are fourth in the conference as well.
• Through eight games, the Jennies have both the best scoring offense in the country and one the best all- around defenses in the country.
There's No Place Like Home
• Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 16-0 at Jennies Field and have allowed just two goals in that span.
• The Jennies have outscored opponents 51-2 in goals at home since 2016, and still have yet to allow a goal at home in four games this season.
• The Jennies last loss at home came in the 2015 season to Northeastern State when they fell 1-0. Since then, UCM has gone 23-0-1 at home and allowed just six goals in that span.
• All-time at Jennies Field, UCM is 126-26-7 with a .815 winning percentage. Under Head Coach
Lewis Theobald, the Jennies are 97-9-5 at home since 2007 and have posted undefeated home records three times.
