Sept. 27, 2000
By Student Assistant: Jason Haney
Women's Soccer Team Hosts It's First 2000
MIAA Game Thursday
Date: September 28, 2000
Time: 3 p.m. Thursday (CST)
Location: Truman Soccer Park, Kirksville, Mo.
Game: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats (MIAA/NCAA Division II).
Truman: The Bulldogs were busy last weekend collecting wins over Winona State (Minn.) 2-0, and North Dakota State, 1-0. Freshman Stephanie Cepicky (St. Louis/Lindbergh) has three team-leading goals. Junior Melissa Miller (Olathe, Kan./South) leads the Bulldogs with three assists.
Truman vs. Winona State: A strong first half was the Bulldog's key to success. Truman attacked on all sides with six different players taking shots on the goal. In the 20th minute junior Kelli Best (Urbandale, Iowa) picked up her first assist when sophomore Anna Smith (Jefferson City, Mo.) took a pass and found the net. Sophomore Jessica Pohren (Omaha, Neb./Duchesne) paired up with Cepicky 12 minutes later and the Bulldogs were on top for good 2-0. Junior goalkeeper Emily Huyck (Omaha, Neb./Westside) played 90 minutes posting 15 saves.
Truman vs. North Dakota State: The Bulldogs expected a tough defensive game against a pair of North Dakota State goalkeepers with two shutouts each. However, Truman surprised the stingy goalkeepers in the 10th minute as transfer Molly Adams (Omaha, Neb./Marion Tulsa Univ.) found senior Meredith Hartle (Mehlville, Mo.) for a goal. The Bulldogs held off NDSU's second period surges and claimed a 1-0 win. Huyck had five saves.
This Week's Opponent: Northwest Missouri State has had a difficult season earning only three wins over Saint Mary (Neb.) 2-0, Morningside (Iowa) 4-1, and Graceland (Iowa) 2-1. Northwest owes its eight losses to Rockhurst 2-0, Southern Indiana University-Edwardsville 4-0, Quincy (Ill.) 3-0, Huron (S.D.) 2-0, Missouri-Rolla 4-0, Wayne State (Neb.) 5-0, Central Oklahoma 5-0, and Northeastern State (Okla.), 4-0. Rory Okey has four team-leading goals and goalkeeper Kathie Leach has 91 saves in 11 games.
Series Record: Truman holds a 2-0 series lead over Northwest. Lasy year the Bulldogs won their season-opener over the Bearcats 2-0. 1999 was Northwest's first year in the MIAA.
Head Coach Mike Cannon: Truman head coach Mike Cannon is in his eighth season with the Bulldogs. He is the winningest coach in Truman history and was ranked 17th by percentage and 20th by victories among NCAA Division II active coaches with a 76-40-13 (.640) all-time record at the start of the 2000 campaign. He is now 81-43-13 (.638) during his collegiate career at Truman.
Truman in the MIAA: Truman has the best win percentage in the MIAA and is third in team offense. Huyck, the stingiest goalkeeper in the conference allowing only 1.31 goals-per-game, leads the Bulldogs the No. 1 defense. Miller is sixth in scoring averaging 0.88 pts/gp and Adams is ninth averaging 0.75. Cepicky's 0.38 g/gp lands her the sixth position in the goals per game category. Truman's teamwork shines as five of the 10 assists-per-game positions are held by Bulldogs. The a/gp averages and positions are: Miller, second with 0.38; Smith, fourth with 0.29; Adams and Pohren, fifth with 0.25; and Ell, 10th with 0.17.
Women's Div. II Central Region Rankings:
1. Northern Kentucky
2. Minnesota State-Mankato
3. Minnesota-Duluth
4. Nebraska-Omaha
5. Southern Indiana
6. Truman State
6. SIU-Edwardsville
8. Northern Colorado
9. Wayne State
10. Missouri-St. Louis