Emergency rooms must love Jenny Kehl. No one has burnt more people or broken more ankles. And she’s only played two seasons.
Kehl emerged as one of the top scoring threats in Conference USA last season, after moving from the midfield, her position as a freshman, to forward. She tallied nine goals and added seven assists for 25 points in her sophomore year.
After the season Kehl was picked for the first team All Conference and the second team NSCAA All-Region team. This season, Kehl was selected for the preseason All- Conference team.
“I wish I had moved her earlier,” said coach Tim Champion. “She’s a legitimate threat to score any time she touches the ball. She has an amazing ability to beat people.”
Her new offensive punch wasn’t completely unexpected. As a freshman, Kehl started all 20 matches and ranked fifth on the team with 11 points, on three goals and five assists. Her efforts earned her a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team.
Kehl realizes the differences in the positions, but she maintains a philosophical approach to the game.
“As a midfielder, you always get support behind you,” said Kehl. “As a forward, you have to check back to the ball. You don’t mark one person. Instead of marking one-on-one, it’s two-on-four. You try not to get beat and try for any pickoffs you can get. But soccer is still soccer, regardless of where you play. I played a lot of positions in high school. Now I’m used to it, and it’s fine.”
Playing forward is nothing new for Kehl. She moved from wing to forward in her freshman year of high school. Kehl has embraced the idea of switching.
“I like it. The defenders are bigger than in high school,” Kehl said. “If I can be quicker than the defense, I can keep from getting taken out.”
Kehl showed throughout last season that she has a knack for beating defenders, using both her open-field speed and her arsenal of moves along the endlines. She repeatedly used her quick feet to force defenders to make a move.
Kehl then easily slid around the defenders, who were generally sprawled on the ground after falling over their own feet.
“I just get in a zone. I go, and it just feels right,” Kehl said. “I think that sometimes my feet are quicker than my head. If I can’t beat them with moves, I try to beat them with speed. If they’re on their heels, I sprint right at them and try to beat them.
“I’ve played long enough to just know what to do,” said Kehl. “Sometimes, in a game, I’ll do something and wonder where that came from. I know that’s from all the preparation.
When I begin thinking, that’s when I’m in trouble. When I can just play, I’m fine. The more you practice a move, your body just does it.’
Kehl knows that, as a preseason All-Conference pick, teams will be gunning for her and trying to create ways to rein her in.
“Last year, after I moved from halfback, people saw that I could do well,” Kehl said. “But now there’s some pressure. People expect me to score and will be looking for me. But I look forward to the challenge.”
While Kehl has become a pivotal player for the Billikens, her individual goals come second to the team’s success.
“Of course I want to score. But I really just want to make an impact,” Kehl said. “If I don’t score, but can create something for someone else, I’m happy. I’d rather assist on a goal in a 1-0 game than score a hat trick in a game we win 10-0.”
Champion knows that Kehl will have a major impact on the offense, whether she’s scoring or not.
“With a full season up top, I expect her to surpass last year’s totals,” Champion said. “But even if she doesn’t, she opens up so much for the other players and creates so many opportunities.”
