WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2019) - The No. 5 Central Missouri Soccer team hits the road this weekend to take on the Tigers of Fort Hays State and the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays is currently tied second in the league with three MIAA wins while Neb.-Kearney has yet to pick of a win in conference play.
Opponents:
Fort Hays State Tigers (7-3-1, 3-1-1 MIAA)
Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (1-6-5, 0-2-3)
When:
Friday, Oct. 20 - 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 22 - 1 p.m.
Where:
Friday -
FHSU Soccer Stadium - Hays, Kan.
Sunday -
Cope Stadium - Kearney, Neb.
The Week Ahead:
• Central Missouri went 2-0 last week, picking up two more MIAA victories. The Jennies shotout Neman 3-0 Friday night at home, then defeated No. 24 Central Oklahoma 2-1 in the NCAA's DII Showcase Game of the Week.
• The Jennies stay at No. 5 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll.Emporia State and Central Oklahoma both dropped out of the top-25 last week, making UCM the only ranked MIAA team.
• Three Jennies were honored as the MIAA Soccer Athletes of the Week for their performances in Week 6.
Makayla Toth was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches DII National Player of the Week for the second time this season. Senior defender
Allysa Gann was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Jennies keeper
Lindsey Johnson and and Tigers keeper Megan Kneefel were named MIAA Goalies of the Week.
• Fort Hays is tired for second in the MIAA with a league record of 3-1-1, while Nebraska-Kearney is the only MIAA team that hasn't picked up a conference win and posts a lead record of 0-2-3.
Series History:
Fort Hays State: UCM leads 10-2-0
The Jennies have won the last six-straight matchups against the Tigers. In the teams last five meetings, UCM has out-scored Fort Hays 8-0. The last meeting between the Jennies and the Tigers resulting in a 1-0 UCM victory last season in Warrensburg.
Neb.-Kearney: UCM leads 7-0-1
The Jennies have never lost to the Loopers in their eight seasons of competing against one another. UCM has outscored Kearney 24-3 in eight matches.
Scouting the Competition:
The Tigers
• The Tigers capped their 2018 season with an overall record of 11-7-2 and went 8-3-0 in conference play to be picked third in the 2019 MIAA Preseason Poll.
• Fort Hays brings back a wealth of experience, returning all but two regular starters from last season, seven All-MIAA performers, All-Region honoree Cailey Perkins, nine goal scorers and seven seniors. The Tigers also brought in five talented newcomers for the 2019 season which include four freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
• Fort Hays went 1-0-1 last week with a 3-0 victory over Missouri Western and a double-overtime 1-1 tie to Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers only MIAA loss was a 2-1 deficet to Emporia State in their conference opener on Sept. 29.
• Senior forward Darby Hirsch leads the Tigers with four goals while Perkins leads their offensive attack with 16 shots. Megan Kneefel has been the Tiger's go-to keeper. Kneefel posts the third-best save percentage in the league at 0.887 and ranks as one of the top-five MIAA keepers with 46 saves on the season.
• Head Coach Blake Reynolds Blake Reynolds enters his third season at Fort Hays. Reynolds is the second coach in the program's history, compiling a 21-13-6 record in his first two seasons. Reynolds holds a career record of 123-55-25 over 10 years. He has led 14 student-athletes to All-MIAA status and has had three All-Region honorees. His winning percentage of .600 at FHSU is the best in program history.
The Lopers
• Finishing their 2018 season with a record of 5-12-1 (3-7-1 MIAA), Neb.-Kearney was selected towards the bottom of the league in the 2019 Preseason Poll.
• After graduating nine seniors last season, Kearney welcomed 15 newcomers to the program. Of the Lopers 9 returning players, they have three 2018 All-MIAA selections in defender Molly WIllis and keeper Allie Prososki.
• Kearney finished in two, double-overtime ties last week against Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western. The Lopers single win of the season came in a 1-0 non-conference victory over Western Colorado.
• Seniors Megan Merkel and Maddie Love, and freshman Cammie Davis are responsible for the Lopers three goals so far this season. Kearney's lone assist of the season was by Emma Wels. Merkel leads the Lopers offense with 39 shots. Kearney's keeper Allie Prososki has the second-best goals against average and save percentage in the league at .578 GaAvg and a .903 percentage.
• Chloe Roberts is in her third season as head coach for UNK. Roberts came to Kearney in August of 2014 and served as the the program's graduate assistant coach for two seasons. In the summer of 2016, she was elevated to assistant coach status and then took over head coach responsibilities the following season. During her time in Nebraska, the Lopers have won 25 games, reached the 2015 MIAA Tournament and had 20 all-conference selections.
Jennies Spotlight:
• The MIAA Offensive Player of the Week and DII National Player of the Week, Toth, was responsible for four of the Jennies five goals last week. Against Newman last Friday, Toth assisted the first goal then scored two second-half goals to win the match in a 3-0 Jennies shutout. Sunday's match against UCO, Toth gave the Jennies an early 1-0 lead, then scored the game-winner in the second half to beat the Bronchos 2-1. Toth has now scored 2 or more goals in 6 of the Jennies 10 matches.
• With her four goals last week, Toth breaks into the top-10 of UCM's single-season goal scorers with 13. Her 13 goals is also now tied for first in the MIAA and ties for third in Division II.
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Kassie Newsom was responsible for the other UCM goal from last week. Newsom also recorded three assist last week and now ties for third in the league with six assists on the season.
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Haley Freeman leads UCM and the MIAA with eight assists. Her eight assists breaks the junior midfielder into the top-10 for most assist in a single season.
• Defensive Player of the Week, Allysa, and the Jennies back line have recorded four shutouts on the season.
• This is Johnson's second time of the season being named the MIAA Goalie of the Week. Johnson and the Jennies have not lost a match since Week 2.
