Finally Home: No. 8 Jennies Soccer Set to Host Rogers State Friday, Northeastern State Sunday

Match 11: No. 8 Central Missouri (7-2-1, 2-0-1 MIAA) vs. Rogers State (4-4-2, 1-2-0 MIAA)
Friday, Oct. 6 | 7 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (South Recreation Complex)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Stats | Buy Tickets

Match 12: No. 8 Central Missouri vs. Northeastern State (2-4-4, 0-2-1 MIAA)
Sunday, Oct. 8 | 1 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (South Recreation Complex)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Stats | Buy Tickets

2023 Jennies Soccer Roster | 2023 Rogers State Roster | 2023 Northeastern State Roster | MIAA Women's Soccer | United Soccer Coaches Poll

---

Scene Setter

• After playing nine of its first 10 matches on the road, No. 8-ranked Central Missouri Jennies soccer is finally scheduled to return home to the South Recreation Complex in Warrensburg for a pair of MIAA matches against Rogers State (4-4-2, 1-2-0 MIAA) and Northeastern State (2-4-4, 0-2-1 MIAA) Friday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. and 1 p.m.
• Central Missouri is ranked No. 8 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll and is the favorite in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Jennies are coming off a 1-0-1 week, playing to a 0-0 draw at Central Oklahoma Sept. 29, before shutting out Newman Oct. 1, 2-0. 
• Through 10 matches, UCM is paced offensively by freshman forward Mikayla Ernst (5 G, 1 A, 11 pts., 31 shots,15 SOG, .484 SOG%, 3 GW), redshirt junior midfielder/forward Caroline Cole (2 G, 2 A, 6 pts., 28 shots, 8 SOG, .286 SOG%) and junior forward Ashleigh Martin (3 G, 1 A, 7 pts., 16 shots, 6 SOG, .375 SOG%). Ernst is tied for second in the MIAA in total goals through six contests. 
• With 10 matches in the books, Central Missouri's leading goalkeeper is freshman Kristen Wright (6-1-1, 720:00, 2 GA, 0.25 GAA, 19 SV, .905 SV%, 6 SHO, 53 SF). Wright leads the MIAA in goals-against average (0.25), save percentage (.905) and shutouts (6). Wright ranks fifth in NCAA Division in goals-against average (0.25), sixth in shutouts (6) and eighth in save percentage (.905). 
• As a team, the Jennies are averaging 1.60 goals per game while limiting opponents to a MIAA-low 0.30 goals per game. UCM has outshot its adversaries through 10 matches, 166-59, and is averaging 16.6 shots per game while holding opponents to 5.9 shots per game. In addition, Central Missouri has controlled set pieces through its first 10 matches, taking 70 corner kicks compared to just 15 for opponents. 

Weekly Honors

• MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week: Mikayla Ernst, Sept. 19
• MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week: Kristen Wright, Sept. 19, Sept. 26

Preseason Picks

• Jennies soccer was voted preseason No. 1 in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll for the 2023 season.
• UCM received 119 points and nine of 12 possible first-place votes in the poll.

Last Time Out for the Jennies

• First half goals from Ashleigh Martin and Emma Burden lifted No. 10-ranked Central Missouri Jennies soccer to a 2-0, shutout win over the Newman Jets Sunday afternoon, Oct. 1, at Wilkin's Soccer Field.
• Martin got UCM on the scoreboard after finding the back of the net in the 28th-minute for her third goal of the season.
• Burden doubled the advantage to 2-0 with her first goal of 2023 right before halftime in the 45th-minute.
• For the match, the Jennies outshot the Jets, 16-1, including an 8-0 lead in shots on goal, and tallied six corner kicks while holding Newman to zero.
• UCM goalkeeper Kristen Wright (6-1-1) earned the victory and her sixth shutout of the season between the posts after going the full 90 minutes and not allowing a goal.

Home Sweet Home

• Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 73-4-1 at the South Recreation Complex. During that span, UCM has surrendered just 56 goals.
• All-time at the South Recreation Complex, UCM is 148-14-8 under head coach Lewis Theobald and 212-35-9 in overall program history. The Jennies have compiled undefeated home records five times.

New Faces in the 'Burg

• The Jennies welcome 10 newcomers to their 2023 squad, including nine high school freshmen and one transfer.
• Incoming high school student-athletes include Emilee Person (D), Aspen Patterson (MF), Ryann Clark (MF), Mikayla Ernst (F), Hadley Lockhart (F), Kristen Wright (GK), Sophia Campbell (MF) and Hayleigh Martin (GK) while goalkeeper Maddie Meehan is the lone incoming transfer. 

Series History

• Rogers State: UCM and Rogers State will meet for just the fourth time all-time Friday night in Warrensburg. The Jennies lead the series, 2-0-1. Last season, Central Missouri posted a 3-0 win over the Hillcats in Claremore, Okla. 
• Northeastern State: Central Missouri and Northeastern State will meet for the 18th time in the all-time series Sunday afternoon. UCM leads the series, 14-2-1. Last season, the Jennies tallied a 2-1 victory over the RiverHawks in Tahlequah, Okla. 

Head Coach Lewis Theobald
Lewis Theobald, now in his 16th year, has transformed the Jennies Soccer program into one of the premier programs not only in the MIAA, but in all of NCAA Division II.

The 11-time MIAA and five-time region Coach of the Year has an impressive 282-43-24 record. He recorded more wins in his first three seasons than any other coach in school history and is the all-time winningest coach in both Jennies soccer and MIAA women's soccer history. He brought home the program's first ever National Championship in the 2017 season.

Theobald entered the 2023 season as the winningest active coach in Division II women's soccer with an .845 winning percentage, among coaches with at least five years on the sidelines. He also is the all-time D-II leader among coaches with at least 10 years and is fifth all-time in all NCAA Divisions. 

During his tenure, Theobald has coached 20 All-Americans in Lindsay Edmonds, Julia Kristensen, Kassie Newsom, Caroline Cole, Ana Dilkes, Emily Eldridge, Baylie Edwards, Randi Fernsler, Allysa Gann, Kayla Hamner, Julie Ireland, Becky Lackey, Cindy Lackey, Abby Rhodes, Alyssa Rhodes, Jada Scott, Carly Stanley, Jenna Stones, Makayla Toth and Megan Woolley and has led 55 players to All-Region status. He also coached Dilkes, a goalkeeper, to a National Player of the Year honor during the 2017 season.

He has coached 126 All-Conference players, including Most Valuable Players Melanie Hall, Kayla Shain and two-time Player of the Year Alyssa Rhodes; Offensive Players of the Years Carly Stanley, Julie Ireland, Jada Scott, Kassie Newsom and Julia Kristensen; Freshmen of the Year Alyssa Rhodes, Stanley, Hannah Pyle, Alexis Robbers, Nicki Wisnasky, Caroline Cole and Julia Kristensen; Defenders of the Year, Emily Eldridge, Allysa Gann, Cindy Lackey and Abby Rhodes; two-time Goalkeeper of the Year Lindsey Johnson and four-time Goalkeeper of the Year Ana Dilkes.

A 1999 graduate of the University of Kansas, Theobald received his bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in physical education.

On the Horizon
Central Missouri travels to MIAA foes Emporia State and No. 25 Washburn for conference road matches Oct. 13 and 15 in Emporia, Kan., and Topeka, Kan.