by JACOB WOETHER
Sports Editor
(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) — Jennies soccer Head Coach Lewis Theobald said that the first game of the season always makes him nervous; the Jennies season opener against the Southwest Oklahoma State University was no exception. Luckily for coach, his team put him at ease with a 4-0 victory Thursday afternoon at the South Rec Complex at the University of Central Missouri.
Abby Rhodes settled Theobald’s nerves early in the contest with a goal in the 12th minute. Courtney Killian crossed the ball through the penalty box to an awaiting Rhodes. The redshirt senior sent the ball into the right side of the net for the Jennies first goal of the afternoon
“We’re pretty lucky,” Theobald said. “Abby is a big difference maker and in games like this, people like that make a big difference.”
After an offsides call spoiled a potential goal from Rhodes and assist from Makayla Toth, Toth duplicated the pass in the 26th minute, this time connecting with Jada Scott for the Jennies second goal of the game.
The second-half began in similar fashion as the first with a goal from Rhodes. An assist wasn’t necessary on the score as Rhodes dribbled through multiple Bulldog defenders and set up her own shot.
The Jennies fourth and final goal of the game came as a result of a Bulldog handball in their penalty box. Freshmen Mallory Broady successfully executed the penalty kick.
Broady is just one of many freshmen that the Jennies hope to incorporate into their lineup this season.
“We have a really big freshmen class and they are people who are going to be game changers,” Rhodes said. “So making sure they feel welcome, and integrating them into our system and what we have here at UCM, is really important.”
With the emergence of new talent, Coach Theobald is faced with the challenge of constructing a starting lineup and figuring out what spots best fit a player’s abilities.
“There’s competition for positions than we’ve had in the past,” Theobald said. “Today we had people playing that I didn’t think would play as many minutes. We’re still trying to sort it out and we have a lot of development to do.”
Coach Theobald will have plenty of time to consider his roster on Sunday, as Jennies will make the long drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on the Agustana Vikings. The game will take place at 1 p.m.