WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Sept. 11, 2019) - The No.4 Central Missouri Jennies Soccer team travels to Mankato, Minnesota this weekend to take on two Top-25 teams.
Opponents:
No. 25 Minnesota State (1-0-0)
No. 18 Bemidji State (1-0-0)
When:
Friday, Sept. 13 - 4 p.m. CT
Sunday, Sept. 15 - 11 a.m. CT
Where:
Friday and Sunday - The Pitch Field - Mankato, Minn.
The Week Ahead:
• The Jennies will look to carry their momentum from week one into week two as they hit the road to take on a pair of ranked Minnesota teams from the NSIC. UCM takes on the Minnesota State Mavericks Friday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. CT. The Jennies will stay in Mankato, Minn. to face Bemidji State on Sunday, Sept. 15, for an 11 a.m. kickoff against the Beavers.
• The Jennies moved up three spots in the United Soccer Coaches first regular-season poll to No. 4 after being preseason ranked No. 7. The Jennies went 2-0 on opening weekend.
• UCM's junior forward
Makayla Toth totaled 12 points week one with five goals and two assists. Toth was named the National DII Player of the Week and the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week.
Series History:
Minnesota State: UCM leads 7-4-2
The Jennies have won their last three matches against the Mavericks. Last season UCM shutout Minnesota State 1-0. Toth scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute.
Bemidji State: UCM leads 1-0-0
The Jennies and the Beavers competed for the first time last season. The match resulted in a 2-0 UCM shutout.
Maria Wilder and Toth were the Jennies goal scorers. Jennies keeper
Lindsey Johnson recorded 10 saves in the goal.
Scouting the Competition:
No. 25 Minnesota State
• Last season, the Mavericks finished with a 19-3-1 overall record and went 13-1-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games. Minnesota State, which went undefeated in the NSIC tournament in claiming the league postseason tournament championship, made its eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA DII tournament where it advanced to the second round.
• The Mavericks were picked first in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and are currently ranked 25th by the United Soccer Coaches.
• MSU won its opening regular season match over Missouri Southern 6-0 on Sunday, Sept. 8, in Kansas City, Mo. Sophomore Brynn Desens totaled five points on the day with a goal and three assists. Five different Mavericks scored their six goals: sophomore forward Jenny Vetter (2), sophomore forward Desens, senior forward Dakota Wendell, sophomore forward Cassidy Joyce and freshman forward Allie Williams.
• Returning for his seventh season as the Mavericks head coach is Brian Bahl. Bahl has had 44 Mavericks earn All-NSIC honors in his time at Minnesota State. In his seven seasons with the Mavericks, he is 109-14-11 overall and 80-5-5 against NSIC opponents.
No. 18 Bemidji State
• After back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament, a 2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Regular Season Championship and an 18-1-2 overall record last fall, the Beavers hold down the No. 18 spot in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Preseason Poll.
• BSU was selected third in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and are currently ranked 18th by the United Soccer Coaches.
• The Beavers opened their 2019 season with a 2-1 victory over Winona State last Thursday, Sept 5. Senior forward Emily Kos scored in the 51st minute to tie the game and fellow senior Melanie Peltier booted the game-winner in the 66th minute. Defensively the Beavers goalkeepers combined for six saves, including two game-saving stops by Alyssa Stumbaugh to allow BSU to cling to the lead late in the match.
• Jim Stone in entering his 18th season as head coach of the Beavers with an overall record of 185-118-31, 213-70-20 in the NSIC. Stone is the winningest coach in Bemidji State University soccer history. The 2018 NSIC Coach of the Year, returned 19 players for the 2019 season, along with the addition of 11 newcomers. The roster includes four players who earned All-NSIC honors during the 2018 season, eight of BSU's top 10 scorers and one goalkeeper.
Jennies Spotlight:
• Claiming half of the Jennies 24 points opening week was the National and MIAA Play of the Week, Toth. The junior forward was responsible for an assist and two goals against SWOSU and recorded her first collegiate hat trick, scoring three of the Jennies five goals against Augustana. Toth also recorded an assist and led the Jennies with four shots, all of which were on goal. Toth leads the MIAA with 12 points and five goals.
•
Haley Freeman scored in both matches last week. Freeman as only taken three shots, each one falling on goal.
• Freshman
Macy Ruffalo and
Nayeli Gallo each scored their first collegiate goals last week.
• Starting keeper
Lindsey Johnson and the UCM defense have allowed four goals and only 14 opponent shots.
