Women's Soccer | 10/1/2026 9:15:00 AM
Match 10: No. 18 Central Missouri (8-1, 3-0 MIAA) at Missouri Western State University (5-1-4, 2-1-1 MIAA)
Friday, Oct. 2 | 7 p.m. | St. Joseph, Mo. (Spratt Stadium)
Live Video (PPV) |
Live Stats
Match 11: No. 18 Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State (1-7-1, 1-3 MIAA)
Sunday, Oct. 4 | 1 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Pitch)
Live Video (PPV) |
Live Stats
2026 Jennies Soccer Roster |
2026 MoWest Roster |
2026 Northwest Missouri State Roster
Scene Setter
- No. 18-ranked University of Central Missouri Jennies Soccer (8-1, 3-0 MIAA) is scheduled to trek to St. Joseph, Mo., on Friday, Oct. 2, and Maryville, Mo., on Sunday, Oct. 4, for a pair of MIAA road matches at MoWest (5-1-4, 2-1-1 MIAA) and Northwest Missouri State (1-7-1, 1-3 MIAA). The Jennies are slated to face the Missouri Western State University Griffons on Friday at 7 p.m. at Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph before taking on the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bearcat Pitch in Maryville.
- UCM is coming off a pair of 4-0 shutout wins at Fort Hays State and Nebraska Kearney on Sept. 25 in Hays, Kan., and Sept. 27 in Kearney, Neb. Central Missouri has won six consecutive matches, including five straight by 4-0 final scores, entering Friday's match at MoWest.
- Through nine matches, the Jennies are paced offensively by senior midfielder Ryann Clark (4 G, 1 A, 9 Pts., 8 Shots, .500 shot percentage, 6 SOG, .750 SOG percentage, 2 game-winning goal), sophomore midfielder Coryn Jespersen (3 G, 10 A, 16 Pts., 18 Shots, .167 shot percentage, 10 SOG, .556 SOG percentage, 2 game-winning goal), and senior forwards Hadley Lockhart (3 G, 6 Pts., 11 shots, .273 shot percentage, 8 SOG, .727 SOG percentage) and Mikayla Ernst (3 G, 6 Pts., 17 shots, .176 shot percentage, 10 SOG, .588 SOG percentage, 1 game-winning goal). Senior goalkeeper Kristen Wright (8-1, 1 GA, 0.12 goals-against average, 14 SV, .938 save percentage, 5 shutouts, 3 combined shutouts, 54 shots faced, 745:21 minutes) leads UCM between the posts.
- Through nine matches, the Jennies lead the MIAA in scoring with 27 goals and rank second in goals allowed, giving up just one goal on the season so far. Individually, Coryn Jespersen leads the MIAA and is tied for the NCAA Division II lead with 10 assists. She also paces the conference with 16 points. Kristen Wright is second in goals-against average at 0.12, saves (.933 save percentage), and shutouts per game (.556).
- UCM was picked third in the 2026 MIAA Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Jespersen Earns MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week Accolades for Second Time in 2026
- Coryn Jespersen was voted the MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week for the second time in 2026 for her performance on the soccer pitch during the week of Sept. 21-27, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
- Jespersen, a sophomore midfielder from Olathe, Kan., helped then No. 19-ranked Central Missouri to a pair of 4-0 shutout wins at Fort Hays State on Friday, Sept. 25, and at Nebraska Kearney on Sunday, Sept. 27, to up the Jennies' winning streak to six consecutive matches.
- In UCM's 4-0 victory at Fort Hays State on Friday, Jespersen scored what proved to be the game-winning goal just 16 seconds into the match while also dishing out two assists. Sunday, in the Jennies' 4-0 triumph at Nebraska Kearney, Jespersen posted what turned out to be the game-winning assist on Hazel Douglas-Trotman's game-winning goal in the fourth minute. In addition, she tallied her second goal of the week in the 88th minute.
- On the week, Jespersen compiled two goals, three assists, and seven points, and placed all three of her shots on goal for a 1.000 shots on goal percentage.
- Through nine matches, she leads NCAA Division II in assists per game (1.11) and is tied for the lead in total assists (10).
Previous MIAA Weekly Honors
Record Watch
- Coryn Jespersen is already tied for third in Jennies single-season history with her 10 assists this season. She is six assists from tying the program single-season record of 16 set by Kassie Newsom in 2021.
- Kristen Wright is third in career saves with 244 in 73 career contests.
Jennies in the Rankings
Last Time Out: Jennies Up Winning Streak to Six, Defeat Nebraska Kearney, 4-0
- No. 19-ranked University of Central Missouri Jennies Soccer upped its winning and shutout streak to six consecutive matches with a 4-0 victory over the Nebraska Kearney Lopers on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 27, at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.
- Central Missouri opened its scoring four minutes into the match when Hazel Douglas-Trotman scored her first goal of the season off a feed from Coryn Jespersen.
- With just five seconds remaining in the first half, Ryann Clark doubled UCM's advantage to 2-0, heading a corner kick from Kara Robinson into the back of the net for her team-best fourth goal of 2026.
- The Jennies increased their lead to 3-0 in the 82nd minute after Alexandra Hofbauer scored her first goal of the season on a left-footed shot from 10 yards out. Jespersen provided the final goal of the contest for UCM, converting her third goal of the season off a Loper deflection in the 88th minute.
- Central Missouri goalkeeper Kristen Wright (8-1) secured her fifth solo shutout and eighth overall clean sheet after giving up zero goals while making three saves in 90 minutes.
- For the match, UCM outshot UNK (2-5-3, 0-3-1 MIAA), 11-7, including a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal, and bested the Lopers in corner kicks, 8-2.
Home Sweet Home
- Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 95-9-3 at the South Recreation Complex. During that span, UCM has surrendered just 72 goals.
- All-time at the South Recreation Complex, UCM is 170-19-10 under head coach Lewis Theobald and 234-40-11 in overall program history. The Jennies have compiled undefeated home records five times.
- The 2026 season will mark a new era for Jennies Soccer at the South Recreation Complex, as UCM will play on a new, state-of-the-art turf playing surface that was installed during the summer of 2026.
Series History
- MoWest: The Jennies and Missouri Western State University will meet for the 38th time in the all-time series on Friday in St. Joseph. UCM leads the series, 34-2-1. Last season, Central Missouri posted a 1-0 shutout win over MWSU in Warrensburg on Oct. 12.
- Northwest Missouri State: UCM and Northwest Missouri State will meet for the 49th time in the all-time series on Sunday in Maryville. The Jennies lead the series, 39-3-6. UCM posted a 2-1 win over NWMSU in Warrensburg last season on Oct. 10.
New Faces for 2026
Head Coach Lewis Theobald
Lewis Theobald, now in his 19th year, has transformed the Jennies Soccer program into one of the premier programs not only in the MIAA but also in NCAA Division II.
The 11-time MIAA and five-time region Coach of the Year has an impressive 327-58-31 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 2026 season as the winningest active coach in Division II women's soccer with an .822 winning percentage, among coaches with at least five years on the sidelines. He is also 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 23 All-Americans in
Mikayla Ernst,
Ashleigh Martin, 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 63 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 148 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, Julia Kristensen and
Izzy Joyce; 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 finally returns home to the South Recreation Complex in Warrensburg for a pair of MIAA matches on Friday, Oct. 9, vs. Central Oklahoma and Sunday, Oct. 11, vs. Northeastern State.
