CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (4-7-3, 1-3-3) and Belmont (9-4-1, 5-2) combined for six goals in the second half of Sunday's soccer match with Belmont coming out on top in the end, 4-2.
 
Southeast was outshot 9-3 in the opening half then came out to top the Bruins in the second half, 13-7. The final shot tally finished with 16 for each squad while each put eight on goal.
 
Esmie Gonzales led the way with five shots while Shelby Beussink scored a goal with three shots. Lexi Grote and Maddy Cornell each had two shots.
 
Sunday's match was SEMO's first multi-goal game since scoring two against Green Bay Aug. 27. Southeast's 16 shots was also the most since putting up 29 against Green Bay.
 
Statistically, the two teams came out evenly matched in shots, shots on goal, and corner kicks (2). Belmont out-fouled Southeast, 9-7.
 
Kindra Lierz allowed all four goals in her 90-minute performance and made four stops.
 
Lily Herman played all 90 minutes in goal for Belmont, allowing two goals and making six saves.
 
The Redhawks and Bruins played to a scoreless stalemate in the opening 45 minutes of the match. The Redhawks trailed in shots 9-3 after the first half but only two of Belmont's shots were put on goal. Gonzales got a pair of shots off, landing one on goal.
 
Sydney Cason netted the go-ahead goal in the 55^th minute. Belicia Mendiola passed to her right to a waiting Cason who fired a point-blank shot into the left side of the goal to put the Burins ahead 1-0 with 35 minutes to play.
 
SEMO and Belmont combined for three goals in a matter of a minute and a half beginning in the 67^th minute.
 
Julie Garst scored to make it 2-0 on a pass from Mendiola. A minute and 13 seconds later, Mendiola scored her ninth goal of the season on a free kick to make it 3-0.
 
Nineteen seconds after that, Paige Blankenheim crossed ahead to Beussink who scored from 20 yards out to narrow the lead to 3-1. The goal was Beussink's first career goal.
 
In the 73^rd minute, Megan Michela scored an unassisted goal off a pickoff to bring the tally to 4-1 in the Bruins' favor.
 
Katie Lever netted her second goal of the season on a header with an assist from Cornell to cut the lead in half, 4-2 in the 79^th minute of the match.
 
Southeast is back in action with a pair of home games next weekend beginning Friday against Eastern Illinois. Kickoff from Houck is slated for 6:30 p.m.