The University of Central Missouri’s Jennies Soccer fell 1-0 to Minnesota State in the second overtime of the NCAA-II Central Regional Championship on Dec. 1. This loss ended the 2024 season in which the Jennies won the MIAA Tournament and went 17-5-2 in the regular season and 9-2-1 in the MIAA.
“I mean, they’re great kids, and the university should be really, really proud of them,” said Coach Theobald.
Jennies Soccer was the one seed and home advantage in the Central Regional Championship following their victory in the MIAA Tournament. They advanced past the first two rounds of the tournament, beating Ouachita Baptist and the University of Central Oklahoma 2-0 and 1-0 respectively.
A key part of the Jennies team this year was the bond the team felt with each other. This bond was an important part of the team’s plans to improve this season. According to team captain and redshirt senior Andree Orcutt, the team worked together to build their relationships with each other.
“We spent a lot of time working on our relationships with each other and our coaches off the field,” said Orcutt. “I just hope that they keep that up, because I saw a major shift in a lot of people’s attitudes and I think it translated to on the field and how we want to play for each other.”
The Jennies also benefited from hosting the NCAA-II Central Regional Championship at home this year. Hosting the championship was yet another boon for the team according to team captain and redshirt senior Caroline Cole.
“Playing at home is super special,” Cole said. “We like to say that we don’t lose at home. So I mean having the energy, not only from the fans, but just knowing that everybody around you is cheering for you, is something different. And also outside of that, being able to sleep in your own bed, being able to eat what you need is also very beneficial.”
The Jennies also played with a consistent style throughout the year. According to Jennies Soccer head coach Lewis Theobald, the Jennies style relies on three specific things.
“We’re high possession, high press and high control,” said Theobald, “so when we don’t have the ball, we’re pressing immediately trying to get it back. And when we do have it, we want to keep it and dictate the tempo of the game by having possession of the ball. And then high control. We want to play in the other team’s half.”
