CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.- Southeast Missouri will kick off its 2018 season when it hosts Evansville Thursday. Start time is set for 6:30 p.m., CT, at Houck Field. Thursday's matchup is the first of three-straight home games for the Redhawks.
This Week's Promos
Tuesday, Aug. 21
The first 300 fans to the home match against Missouri State will receive a free pocket tshirt presented by Burritoville.
Follow the Redhawks
Follow @SEMOsoccer, the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
Series Histories
Evansville
Despite winning two of the last three matches, SEMO soccer trails Evansville in the all-time series 5-3-4. The home series is on the line as the Redhawks currently lead 2-1-2 at Houck.
Missouri State
SEMO trails in the all-time series against Missouri State 2-7. The Redhawks have lost the last five matchups to the Bears. With the 15th anniversery of the last Redhawk win over the Bears, SEMO looks to come out on top.
Scouting the Opponents
Evansville
Evansville has already taken on two Ohio Valley Conference opponents. The Aces lost to SIUE 0-2 in an exhibition game (Aug. 8), but came back and defeated Eastern Illinois 1-0 (Aug. 12). In 2017, Evansville finished 6-11.
Missouri State
Missouri State has previously lost to Missouri 0-6 in an exhibition matchup (Aug. 7). In 2017, the Bears finished with a 10-9-2 record. MSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they were defeated by no.16 ranked Oklahoma State.
Let's Recap
SEMO finished the 2017 season with an 8-8-4 overall record and 4-3-3 in OVC play. The Redhawks competed in the OVC Tournament but fell short to no.1 seeded Murray State.
Looking Ahead
The regular season progresses looking ahead with Illinois-Springfield coming to Houck field before the Redhawks hit the road. SEMO will travel to Arizona/Arizona State for a couple of matches before heading back to Cape Girardeau for about a month stint.
OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast was picked to finish tied for fourth in the 2018 OVC Predicted Order of Finish, the league announced Tuesday. Murray State was picked to win the league with 15 first-place votes. Two other teams also garnered first-place votes including Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech. Southeast's conference slate begins Sept. 13 against Murray State.
Roster Breakdown
The 2017 roster consists of 24 student-athletes including 17 returners, six of which were regular starters in 2017. Notable players back in 2018 are both 2017 OVC All-Tournament Team senior forward Lauren Kaempfe and junior midfielder Esmie Gonzales.
