No. 18 Jennies Set for Matches at Harding Friday and Ouachita Baptist Sunday

Andrew Mather | University Photographer

Women's Soccer | 9/10/2026 9:09:00 AM

Scene Setter

No. 18-ranked University of Central Missouri Jennies Soccer (3-1) is scheduled to travel to Arkansas for a pair of non-conference matches at Harding (1-1-1) on Friday, Sept. 11, and Ouachita Baptist (0-2-2) on Sunday, Sept. 13. The Jennies are slated to face the Harding Bisons Friday at 7 p.m. in Searcy before trekking to Arkadelphia on Sunday for a 1 p.m. showdown against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.
UCM went 1-1 in two contests in Mankato, Minn., last week, falling at No. 16 Minnesota State, 1-0, on Sept. 4, and rolling to a 5-0 shutout win over Southwest Minnesota State Sept. 6.
Through four matches, the Jennies are paced offensively by senior midfielder Ryann Clark (2 G, 1 A, 5 Pts., 4 Shots, .500 shot percentage, 3 SOG, .750 SOG percentage, 1 game-winning goal), senior forward Mikayla Ernst (2 G, 4 Pts., 11 Shots, .182 shot percentage, 7 SOG, .636 SOG percentage, 1 game-winning goal), and junior midfielder Kate Ricker (1 G, 1 A, 3 Pts, 3 Shots, .333 shot percentage, 2 SOG, .667 SOG percentage, 1 game-winning goal). Senior goalkeeper Kristen Wright (3-1, 1 GA, 0.29 goals-against average, 5 SV, .833 save percentage, 2 shutouts, 1 combined shutout, 22 shots faced, 315:00 minutes) leads UCM between the posts.
UCM was picked third in the 2026 MIAA Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Weekly Honors

MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week: Kristen Wright, Sept. 1

Jennies in the Rankings

The Jennies are ranked No. 18 in the latest IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Home Sweet Home

Dating back to the 2016 season, the Jennies are 94-9-3 at the South Recreation Complex. During that span, UCM has surrendered just 72 goals.
All-time at the South Recreation Complex, UCM is 169-19-10 under head coach Lewis Theobald and 233-40-11 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

Harding: Friday's match at Harding will mark just the second meeting in the all-time series between the Jennies and the Bisons. UCM won the first meeting last season in Warrensburg, 7-2.
Ouachita Baptist: Sunday's contest against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers will be the third meeting in the all-time series, going back to 2024. UCM leads the series, 2-0. Last season, the Jennies posted a 5-0 victory over the Tigers in Warrensburg.

New Faces for 2026

The Jennies welcome seven newcomers in 2026, including one transfer and six high school freshmen.
UCM's incoming transfer is sophomore midfielder Kylie Richardson (Emporia State transfer), while the incoming high school freshmen are goalkeeper Jamie Ricker, defenders Marley Ford, Annie Slamin, and Savanna Pittman, and forwards Habiba Lamrani and Allie Schroeder.

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 322-58-31 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 hosts the Newman Jets at the South Recreation Complex on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. for its 2026 home and MIAA opener. The match will also be the first official contest on the new state-of-the-art turf installed this summer at the South Recreation Complex.

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