Women's Soccer | 11/15/2023 8:16:00 AM
2023 NCAA-II Central Regional First Round
Match 22: No. 5 Central Missouri (15-4-2) vs. No. 4 Minnesota State (11-3-5)
Friday, Nov. 17 | 3 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. (Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl)
Live Video (PPV) |
Live Stats |
Tournament Central
2023 Jennies Soccer Roster |
2023 Minnesota State Soccer Roster |
NCAA-II Women's Soccer Championship Bracket
Scene Setter
- No. 15-ranked and fifth-seeded Central Missouri Jennies soccer (15-4-2) is scheduled to face No. 20-ranked and fourth-seeded Minnesota State (11-3-5) in the first round of the 2023 NCAA-II Central Region Tournament Friday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. at Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl in Topeka, Kan.
- The Jennies are coming off a narrow 3-2 setback to Emporia State in the MIAA Women's Soccer Champioship match Saturday, Nov. 11, in Wichita, Kan.
- Friday's match will mark the 13th straight and 16th overall appearance in the NCAA-II tournament for Jennies soccer.
- Central Missouri is ranked No. 15 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll and finished second in the MIAA during the regular season with a conference mark of 8-1-2.
- Through 21 matches, UCM is paced offensively by junior forward Ashleigh Martin (5 G, 8 A, 18 pts., 32 shots, 12 SOG, .375 SOG%, 2 GW), redshirt junior midfielder/forward Caroline Cole (6 G, 3 A, 15 pts., 48 shots, 21 SOG, .438 SOG%, 3 GW, 1-1 PK), junior midfielder Lexie Ruf (7 G, 1 A, 15 pts., 23 shots, 16 SOG, .696 SOG%, 3 GW), freshman midfielder Ryann Clark (6 G, 3 A, 13 pts., 45 shots, 27 SOG, .600 SOG%) and freshman forward Mikayla Ernst (5 G, 3 A, 13 pts., 38 shots,17 SOG, .447 SOG%, 3 GW).
- With 21 matches in the books, Central Missouri's leading goalkeeper is freshman Kristen Wright (14-3-2, 1653:23, 9 GA, 0.49 GAA, 51 SV, .850 SV%, 9 SHO, 126 SF). Wright leads the MIAA in goals-against average (0.49) and save percentage (.850).
- As a team, the Jennies are averaging 2.00 goals per game while limiting opponents to a MIAA-low 0.48 goals per game. UCM has outshot its adversaries through 21 matches, 337-135, and is averaging 16.0 shots per game while holding opponents to 6.4 shots per game. In addition, Central Missouri has controlled set pieces through 21 matches, taking 149 corner kicks compared to just 44 for opponents.
UCM in the NCAA-II Tournament
- The Jennies are making their 16th overall and 13th consecutive appearance in the NCAA-II tournament starting Friday in Topeka.
- UCM is 21-11-3 overall in its 16 tournament appearances.
- In first round matches, Central Missouri is 10-5-0.
- The Jennies have won six regional championships and one national championship (2017) in program history.
Nine Jennies Earn All-MIAA Honors
- UCM Jennies soccer team nine student-athletes garner All-MIAA honors for their performances on the soccer pitch during the 2023 MIAA conference season, the conference office announced Wednesday, Nov. 1.
- Defender Emma Burden and midfielders Caroline Cole and Andree Orcutt received First Team All-MIAA accolades, goalkeeper Kristen Wright, defender Gracie Knight and forward Ashleigh Martin were named Second Team All-MIAA, midfielders Ryann Clark and Lexie Ruf earned Third Team All-MIAA recognition, and midfielder Aspen Patterson received Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors.
Weekly Honors
Last Time Out for the Jennies
- No. 15-ranked and second-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies soccer fell to fourth-seeded Emporia State, 3-2, in the 2023 MIAA Women's Soccer Championship match Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Stryker Soccer Complex.
- All five goals in the match occurred in the second half.
- Lexie Ruf put UCM ahead, 1-0, with her team-best seventh goal of the season off an Ashleigh Martin assist in the 47th-minute. Emporia State had an immediate answer, though, as Hadlie Lowe and Mackenzie Dimarco netted goals in the 48th and 50th minutes to take a 2-1 lead.
- The Jennies found an equalizer in the 82nd-minute when Emilee Person netted her first goal of the season off a corner kick from Aspen Patterson, knotting the contest, 2-2.
- Dimarco scored what proved to be the game-winning goal for the Hornets in the 88th-minute.
- For the match, UCM outshot Emporia State (12-5-4), 12-6, but the Hornets edged the Jennies in shots on goal, 5-4.
- Central Missouri goalkeeper Kristen Wright (14-3-2) suffered the setback between the posts after allowing three goals while making two saves in 90 minutes.
- Emporia State goalkeeper Mackenzie Goen (11-3-3) picked up the win, giving up two goals and making two saves in 90 minutes.
Home Sweet Home
- Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 79-4-2 at the South Recreation Complex. During that span, UCM has surrendered just 59 goals.
- All-time at the South Recreation Complex, UCM is 154-14-9 under head coach Lewis Theobald and 218-35-10 in overall program history. The Jennies have compiled undefeated home records five times.
New Faces in the 'Burg
Series History
- Minnesota State: Central Missouri and Minnesota State will meet for the 19th time in the all-time series Friday afternoon in Topeka. The Jennies lead the series, 10-6-2, but fell to the Mavericks earlier this season in Mankato, Minn., 1-0, on Sept. 8. In NCAA-II tournament play, the Jennies are 3-3 against Minnesota State. The last time the two teams met was in the second round of the 2021 Central Regional in Warrensburg, with UCM posting a 4-3 victory.
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 289-45-25 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 135 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
- If the Jennies win Friday, they will advance to the NCAA-II Central Regional Second Round and will face the winner of the No. 1 seed Washburn vs. No. 8 seed Ouachita Baptist first round match Sunday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. in Topeka.
