WC Missouri News

No. 9-ranked Central Missouri Jennies Soccer will host two home matches this weekend at the South Recreation Complex in Warrensburg. The team faces No. 24 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats on Friday, October 10 at 6 p.m., followed by a game against Missouri Western State University Griffons on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. Both matches are part of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) schedule.

The Jennies currently hold a record of 5-2-3 overall and 2-0-2 in conference play. Last week, they secured a 4-0 win over Fort Hays State and had a scoreless draw with Nebraska Kearney. The team is led offensively by forwards Mikayla Ernst, Izzy Joyce, Maryn Clement, and midfielder Coryn Jespersen. Ernst has scored 10 goals and made five assists this season, leading the MIAA and ranking third nationally in NCAA Division II for both goals and points.

Goalkeeper Kristen Wright has recorded four shutouts so far this season, allowing only six goals across ten matches for a goals-against average of 0.63. The team averages 2.50 goals per game while conceding just 0.60 to opponents.

Mikayla Ernst recently became the third player in program history to score four goals in a single match during Central Missouri’s victory over Harding on September 21. She joins Jada Scott and Sarah Bourn as co-holders of the school’s single-match scoring record.

Central Missouri was selected as No. 1 in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll for the current season, receiving four first-place votes out of all coaches polled. The Jennies are ranked ninth nationally according to the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 Poll released October 7.

At home, Central Missouri has maintained a strong record since the start of the 2016 season with a tally of 92 wins, seven losses, and three draws at South Recreation Complex under head coach Lewis Theobald. In total, Theobald holds a career record of 313-53-30 at UCM and is recognized as “the winningest active coach in Division II women's soccer with an .833 winning percentage.” He guided Central Missouri to its first national championship in 2017.

Coach Theobald said he has coached “22 All-Americans” during his tenure at UCM, along with numerous players earning all-region or all-conference honors.

This year’s roster includes ten newcomers: eight freshmen from high schools and two transfer students—goalkeeper Hannah McFarlane from Pacific and defender Acacia Weis from Lamar University.

In series history against their upcoming opponents, UCM leads Northwest Missouri State with a record of 38 wins, three losses, and six draws; last season included both a tie (4-4) and a tournament win (3-2) over Northwest Missouri State. Against Missouri Western, UCM holds an advantage with 32 wins, two losses, and one draw; last year saw each team claim one victory apiece.

Following these home games, Central Missouri will begin a four-match road trip with games against Central Oklahoma on October 17 in Edmond and Newman on October 19 in Wichita.