Match 17: Central Missouri (10-4-2, 7-2-1 MIAA) at Missouri Southern (1-10-4, 0-7-2 MIAA)
Friday, Nov. 1 | 6 p.m. | Joplin, Mo. (Hal Bodon FIeld)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Stats

Match 18: Central Missouri at Pittsburg State (7-6-2, 3-4-2 MIAA)
Sunday, Nov. 3 | 2 p.m. | Pittsburg, Kan. (Gorilla Soccer Pitch)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Stats

2024 Jennies Soccer Roster | 2024 Missouri Southern Roster | 2024 Pittsburg State Roster | MIAA Women's Soccer

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Scene Setter

• Central Missouri Jennies soccer (10-4-2, 7-2-1 MIAA) is scheduled to conclude its 2024 regular season schedule with a pair of MIAA road matches at Missouri Southern (1-10-4, 0-7-2 MIAA) and Pittsburg State (7-6-2, 3-4-2 MIAA) Friday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 3. UCM will face Missouri Southern at 6 p.m. Friday in Joplin, Mo., before battling the Gorillas at 2 p.m. Sunday in Pittsburg, Kan.
• The Jennies went 1-1 last week, falling to No. 15 Washburn Oct. 25, 1-0, before shutting out Emporia State Oct. 27, 2-0.  
• Through 16 matches, the Jennies are paced by forwards Ashleigh Martin (7 G, 3 A, 17 Pts, 26 Sh, .269 Shot%, 15 SOG, .577 SOG%, 1 GW, 3-3 PK), Izzy Joyce (6 G, 3 A, 15 Pts, 38 Sh, .158 Shot%, 15 SOG, .395 SOG%, 2 GW) and Mikayla Ernst (3 G, 6 Pts, 13 Sh, .231 Shot%, 7 SOG, .538 SOG%), and midfielders Caroline Cole (7 G, 5 A, 19 Pts, 32 Sh, .219 Shot%, 16 SOG, .500 SOG%, 3 GW) and Lexie Ruf (3 G, 4 A,  10 Pts, 24 Sh, .125 Sh%, 9 SOG, .375 SOG%, 2 GW).
• Through 16 matches, Martin is tied for fourth in goals (seven) and tied for third in points (17) in the MIAA, Cole is tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals (three), tied for fourth in goals (seven), tied for second in assists (five) and ranks fifth in points (19).
• In goal through 16 matches, Central Missouri paced by Kristen Wright (10-4-2, 10 GA, 70 SV, 0.73 GAA, .875 Save%, 5 SHO). 
• Wright is second in the MIAA in save percentage (.875), third in goals-against average (GAA) at 0.73 and fifth in shutouts per game at .313. 

Weekly Honors

• MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week: Caroline Cole, Sept. 10; Ashlegh Martin, Oct. 8; Izzy Joyce, Oct. 22
• MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week: Kristen Wright, Oct. 22

Preseason Picks

• Jennies soccer was voted No. 2 in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll for the 2024 season.
• UCM received 131 points and three first-place votes in the poll.

Home Sweet Home

• Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 86-6-2 at the South Recreation Complex. During that span, UCM has surrendered just 65 goals.
• All-time at the South Recreation Complex, UCM is 161-16-9 under head coach Lewis Theobald and 225-37-10 in overall program history. The Jennies have compiled undefeated home records five times. 

Series History

• Missouri Southern: UCM and Missouri Southern will meet for the 41st time in the all-time series Friday in Joplin. The Jennies lead the series, 29-8-3. Last season, Central Missouri went 2-0 against the Lions, defeating MSSU in Joplin, 2-0, before rolling to a 5-0 win in Warrensburg. 
• Pittsburg State: This will be the first-ever meeting in women's soccer for UCM and Pittsburg State. The Gorillas are in their first season as a women's soccer program. 

Last Time Out for the Jennies: UCM Shuts Out Emporia State on Senior Day, 2-0

• Redshirt senior Caroline Cole netted two goals leading the Central Missouri Jennies soccer team to a 2-0, shutout win over the Emporia State Hornets in the final home match of the regular season Sunday, Oct. 27, at the South Recreation Complex.
• Cole scored just six minutes into the match when she blasted a deflected ball into the back of the net, putting Central Missouri up, 1-0.
• Cole doubled UCM's lead in the 28th-minute to 2-0, netting her second goal of the contest and seventh goal of the season off an Aspen Patterson assist.
• For the match, the Jennies outshot the Hornets (5-7-2, 3-5-1 MIAA), 22-3, including a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. UCM also bested ESU in corner kicks, 10-3.
• Central Missouri goalkeeper Kristen Wright (10-4-2) earned the win after making two saves and allowing no goals in 80 minutes between the posts. She combined with fellow goalkeeper Sydney Beck, who gave up no goals in the final 10 minutes of the match, securing the shutout for UCM.
• Prior to the start of the match Sunday, the Jennies honored their 2024 seniors: Beck, Cole, Ashleigh Martin, Andree Orcutt, Natalie Wilson, Molly Ricker, Lexie Ruf, Ellie Rogers and Maddie Meehan. 

Head Coach Lewis Theobald
Lewis Theobald, now in his 17th 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 301-50-27 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 enters the 2024 season as the winningest active coach in Division II women's soccer with an .838 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 21 All-Americans in Andree Orcutt, 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
Central Missouri will compete in the 2024 MIAA Women's Soccer Tournament. The first round of the tournament is slated for Sunday, Nov. 10, at a to be determined location and time.