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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri soccer team heads to Martin, Tenn., to begin its run in the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament this week.

The Redhawks (6-9-4, 5-3-2 Ohio Valley), who enter play as the fourth seed in the tournament, square off against Belmont (8-8-2, 4-4-2 OVC) on Thursday at 4 p.m. If Southeast advances, it will take on tournament host and regular season champion UT Martin (11-5-3, 8-1-1 OVC) on Friday at 4 p.m. The OVC Tournament Championship match is on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Quick Kicks
•Southeast is riding a season-best five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1), outscoring opponents 9-2 in that span.

•Southeast is 9-7-3 all-time in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, winning the tournament in 2006 and 2007.

•The Redhawks have not won an OVC Tournament match since defeating UT Martin, 1-0, in the semifinal round on Nov. 9, 2007.

•Southeast is facing Belmont in the Bruins' first OVC Tournament match in school history.

•The Redhawks went 1-2-2 against the OVC Tournament field this season with every match decided by one goal or ending in a tie.

News and Notes:

Last Week ­– Southeast extended its unbeaten streak to a season-high five matches after winning at Tennessee Tech (5-1) and Jacksonville State (1-0) over the weekend. After dropping their first six matches away from Houck Stadium, the Redhawks are now unbeaten (2-0-1) in their last three road contests as well. Torey Byrd and Kasey Crowden each scored two goals while Hayley Abbott tallied a goal and an assist to lift Southeast past TTU on Friday to secure its third-straight trip to the OVC Tournament. On Sunday, Amy Harrington struck for her second goal of the season late in the first half and Renee Kertz made nine saves to help that goal stand up against JSU.

About Belmont – The Bruins are the fifth seed in the OVC Tournament following their first season in the conference. After dropping a 2-1 overtime decision at Eastern Illinois to temporarily fall out of a tournament spot on Friday, Belmont rallied to defeat SIU Edwardsville 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to qualify for the tournament. Laura Harris scored with 9:14 left to force overtime and Lauren Paynter tallied the winner in the 94th minute. Southeast and Belmont played to a scoreless tie in Nashville two on Oct. 19. Harris led Belmont with four goals and eight points. Nicole Berner started every match in goal, posting a 1.21 goals against average and three solo shutouts.

About UT Martin – The Skyhawks won their second regular season OVC championship in school history, the first in outright fashion, after going 11-5-3 with an 8-1-1 record in the OVC. UT Martin led the conference in scoring (2.21 goals per match) and finished third in the league with a 1.01 goals against average. Freshman Saphyra Coombs-James led UTM with 24 points (second in the conference) on 10 goals and four assists, she tallied seven goals and two assists for 16 points (second) in OVC play. Six players on the Skyhawks have scored four or more goals this season. Defensively, Mariah Klenke posted a 1.07 goals against average, four solo shutouts and an .808 save percentage.

Southeast vs. 2012 OVC Tournament Qualifiers:
vs. UT Martin – T, 1-1 (2OT) (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
vs. Austin Peay – L, 0-1 (Cape Girardeau Mo.)
vs. Eastern Kentucky – W, 1-0 (OT) (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
vs. Belmont – T, 0-0 (2OT) (Nashville, Tenn.)
vs. SIU Edwardsville – L, 0-1 (Edwardsville, Ill.)

Abbott Plays a Lot – Senior defender Hayley Abbott has been a rock of durability in her time with the Redhawks. Abbott has started all 74 matches Southeast has played since she arrived on campus, a new school record. She has also played a school-record 6,609 minutes on the pitch.

Kertz Closes Strong – The Redhawks got stellar play out of senior goalkeeper Renee Kertz this season, who is playing soccer for the first time since high school after finishing up her softball career at Southeast last spring. Kertz started 13 of Southeast's 19 contests and posted a 0.78 goals against average, an .880 save percentage and five shutouts. Her save percentage leads all OVC keepers while her goals against average is second. She has been even better in OVC play, boasting a 0.59 goals against average (second in the OVC) and a.917 save percentage (first). She has allowed one goal or less in 13 of 14 appearances, including 12 of her 13 starts.