CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri soccer team's group of defenders and goalkeepers are a mix of veteran experience and youthful enthusiasm this season.

A year after finishing with the third-best goals against average during Ohio Valley Conference play, the Redhawks are looking for the right mix to step up and fill the void of a pair of all-conference center backs and a stellar goalkeeper. Two starters return to the back line and Southeast also has a former all-conference goalkeeper entering her senior season this fall.

Goalkeepers

In her lone season with the Redhawks, Renee Kertz etched her name into the record book. The converted softball player tied the school record with an .882 save percentage, the sixth-best figure in the country, while her 0.75 goals against average ranked fifth in school history.

With Kertz graduated, the focus shifts back to experienced senior Ashton Aubuchon. Aubuchon has started 39 matches in three seasons. Her name appears in the Redhawks' career records in solo shutouts (t-2nd; 15), wins (3rd; 21), goalkeeper minutes played (3rd; 3,625) and saves (4th; 153).

While the 2012 season was a bump in the road for her performance wise, she earned OVC All-Newcomer and first-team All-OVC honors in her freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively. She started 32 of 37 matches in her first two seasons and went 20-12-2 with a 0.99 goals against average and 14 solo shutouts.

"Expectations are very high for Ashton this year," Southeast head coach Heather Nelson said. "She spent the summer improving herself athletically. I anticipate this year will be the best performance of her collegiate career. Overall, I think our goalkeeping position is strong with quality depth."

Supporting Aubuchon in goal is freshman Lauren Meyer. Meyer backstopped her North Shore United club team to two state titles and was a two-time all-conference pick at the prep level. Meyer saw 135 minutes of action in Southeast's three exhibition contests and stopped all six shots she faced.

Defenders

A year ago, both ends of the eligibility spectrum made an impact on a defense that finished third in the OVC in goals against average (0.85) during conference play while posting seven shutouts overall (t-3rd). Returning starters Amy Harrington and Paige Luehmann return to the back line trying to build on strong freshman campaigns.

In addition to forming the nucleus of a strong defense, the duo's skill level was a vital cog in the Redhawks' attack. Both finished the year with four points. Luehmann led the team with four assists and earned a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team while Harrington tallied two goals and was named to the OVC All-Tournament Team.

"Amy and Paige had excellent freshman seasons," Nelson said "They will be counted on heavily to provide guidance and leadership to our central defenders. They both have a solid tactical understanding and are technically strong players who have gained considerable experience."

The focus entering fall camp will be on replacing departed All-OVC seniors Hayley Abbott and Ali Bauer in the middle. Abbott was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year and finished her career as the school record holder in career starts (76) and minutes played (6,789) while Bauer earned second-team All-OVC honors last fall.

Two returners make up a portion of the competitors looking to anchor the middle of the Redhawks' defense. Sophomore Ashley Brendel saw the field in 13 matches after joining the team as a walk-on last fall. Ellie Hight has battled injuries in her first two seasons, but appeared in five matches and started once in 2012.

Brendel transitioned to defense from forward during the spring with promising results. At 5-11, she possesses ideal size to clear away dangerous opportunities through the air and her heavy shot can still be a weapon on the attack from this position.

Brendel isn't the only forward who is transitioning to the back line. After three years on the attack, senior Jacey Boyko is pressing for minutes as a defender. Boyko tied for the team lead with seven points a year ago. Her recovery speed and possession skills provide another weapon on the back end. Fellow senior Stephanie Palmer is also in the mix for playing time on the back line and at midfield, where she played all 21 contests (15 starts) a year ago. Those two started all three of the Redhawks' exhibitions at outside back.

Another player to keep an eye on is junior Kylie Seyer, who transferred to Southeast in the spring after a two-year career at Kaskaskia College. She logged heavy minutes for a team that went a collective 30-6-2 in that time, earning second-team all-region honors last year. Her play at Southeast during the spring season provided a chance to learn the Redhawks' system as they try and sort out the defense.

Talented freshmen Christina Rohde and Bridget Sankey will also compete for playing time, if not an outright starting spot. Rohde is a former regional defensive player of the year at Notre Dame High School while Sankey has a wealth of international playing experience going back to 2009. Rohde started the Redhawks' exhibition opener against Saint Louis while Sankey started each of the last two exhibitions.

"Our positions in central defense are wide open due to the graduation of Hayley and Ali," Nelson said. "The center back spots will be highly contended between two returning players in Ashley (Brendel) and Ellie. We envision Kylie contributing there after joining us in the spring. We also have two technical and talented incoming freshmen in Christina and Bridget."

Southeast has one more newcomer on defense who could make an impact down the road in Amber Cholevik. An injury derailed her senior year at Granite City High School and will be redshirted this fall, but she was a key player in her high school's state championship run during her sophomore season.

The Redhawks have one more option on the back line in sophomore Storm French, who appeared in 17 contests a year ago. French was a former state defensive player of the year in high school, but she transitioned to forward at the end of last season and is projected to stay with the attacking unit entering fall camp.