by Brinkley Beever
The University of Central Missouri soccer team improved to 7-1, 1-0 in the MIAA with back-to-back wins against the Missouri Western Griffons on Friday and the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats on Sunday.  Friday’s match was a non-conference contest, so Sunday’s match vs. the Bearcats was officially the Jennies MIAA opener.
Friday’s game started slowly as neither team found the back of the net in the first half. In fact, UCM goalie Lindsey Johnson and Missouri Western’s Anna Mayer each recorded just one save in the first.
The second period, however, proved to be much more eventful. Missouri Western’s Sofia Zwick and Central Missouri’s Lindsay Edmonds both received yellow cards. Johnson snagged two more saves and Mayer answered with three before allowing the Jennies’ Kassie Newsom to score the only goal of the game in the 76th minute. Johnson had one more save in the second half to secure the win for the Jennies. 
Sunday’s game proved to be more exciting for the Jennies with a 4-0 win against the Bearcats. Central Missouri scored three goals in the first period.  The first came from Macy Ruffalo barely two minutes into the game. Newsom and Madi Poertner added to that total with goals in the 33rd and 42nd minutes, both assisted by Haley Freeman.  
Central Missouri finished off the Bearcats on Poertner’s blast from outside the 18 in the 68th minute.  
Northwest Missouri State’s goalie Alex Serna Castillo battled the full 90 minutes, tallying seven saves, while the Bearcats defense allowed the Jennies 23 shots. Johnson had a pair of saves while the Jennies’ defense held Northwest Missouri to just eight shots. 
The Jennies are at Northeastern State at 5 p.m. Friday and at Rogers State at 2 p.m. Sunday.