Southeast Missouri (2-3-0) vs. Belmont (1-4-2)
 
Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
Time: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Houck Field)
Series: SEMO leads, 6-2-5
 
Southeast Missouri (2-3-0) vs. Eastern Illinois (1-4-0)
 
Date: Sunday, September 22, 2019
Time: 2 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Houck Field)
Series: SEMO leads, 11-10-4
  
Quick Kicks
Southeast Missouri (2-3-0) opens Ohio Valley Conference play when it hosts Belmont (Sept. 20) and Eastern Illinois (Sept. 22) this weekend. Watch both games live on ESPN+. Live stats will be available at GoSoutheast.com. 

No OVC school has a winning record entering the start of conference play. UT Martin (2-3-3) currently tops the standings with a .438 winning percentage. SIUE (2-3-1, .417) and SEMO (2-3-0, .400) follow. The Redhawks are 7-8-5 all-time in OVC openers.
 
Family Weekend
This weekend is Family Weekend at SEMO and features a pair of soccer games and a football matchup. Former Redhawk Meg Herndon will be honored during the team's annual Green Up game Friday. The east end zone of Houck Field will be open for tailgating at Sunday's game against Eastern Illinois.

Meg Herndon Green Up Game
The Redhawks will wear their special Mid-America Transplant green and blue uniforms to support organ and tissue donation for Friday's OVC opener against Belmont. There will be information tables at the game for those interested in learning more. Meg Herndon's family will also be in attendance. 

Follow the Redhawks
• @SEMOsoccer, the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, will feature live in-game updates.
• Watch SEMOsoccer live on ESPN+ for all home games. 
• Live stats for every game are available at GoSoutheast.com
 
Series History vs. Belmont
The Redhawks lead their all-time series against Belmont, 6-2-5. The last meeting between the Bruins and the Redhawks was in the first round of the OVC Tournament. Although the match ended in a tie, the Redhawks advanced to the quarterfinals on penalty kicks. Lexi Grote and Jordan Nelson were among those who made their kicks to help SEMO  move on. In the regular season, the Redhawks lost at Belmont by a score of 2-1.
 
Scouting Belmont
Belmont is currently 1-4-2 this season as it heads into OVC play. The Bruins fell to Western Kentucky (1-0), Lipscomb (2-1), Southern Illinois (1-0) and IUPUI (3-1). Belmont also tied Georgia (0-0) and Indiana State (1-1), and defeated Evansville (4-2).  The Bruins average 10.4 shots per game. Julie Garsthas recorded three goals and 22 shots this season. Garsthas earned All-Newcomer, Second-Team All-OVCand First-Team All-OVC accolades during her career at Belmont. 

Series History vs. Eastern Illinois
The Redhawks lead their all-time series against Eastern Illinois, 11-10-4. The last meeting between the Panthers and the Redhawks was in the Quarterfinals of the OVC Tournament in Charleston, Illinois. The match ended in a 1-1 tie, with the Panthers advancing to the Semifinals on penalty kicks. In the regular season, the Redhawks defeated the Panthers, 1-0, at Eastern Illinois. 

Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers are 1-4-0 overall this season with losses to Ball State (6-0), UMKC(2-1), Milwaukee (5-2) and Purdue Fort Wayne (1-0). EIU defeated Chicago State, 3-1, for its first win last weekend. Goalkeeper Sara Teteak recorded 31 saves and a .674 save percentage, while allowing 15 goals this season. Teteak was named Second-Team All-OVC at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Panthers have been outshot, 87-38, and average 7.6 shots per game. 
 
Record Year
Esmie Gonzales earned First-Team All-OVC honors in back-to-back seasons. Gonzales ranks among Southeast Missouri's top five career leaders in goals (4th, 25), game-winning goals (2nd, 11), shots (1st, 194) and shots on goal (3rd, 93). The Fort Worth, Texas native is also tied for fifth in points (56). The 2019 campaign marks the final season for Gonzales.
 
Heisserer Hot Start
Freshman Megan Heisserer is off to a hot start in a Redhawks uniform. In exhibition play, the Scott City, Missouri native had a goal and an assist. So far this season, Heisserer had a pair of goals and an assist on nine shots. She leads the team with five points. 
 
Let's Recap
The Redhawks are 2-3 with wins over Southern Mississippi (3-2) and Evansville (2-1). SEMO dropped matches to SEC opponents Ole Miss (2-0) and Arkansas (5-0), and recently fell to Arkansas State (1-0). The Redhawks went 3-0 in exhibition play with wins over Memphis (1-0), Missouri State (3-0) and Southern Illinois (2-1). Senior Esmie Gonzales was named to the OVC Preseason Player Watch List. 

Looking Ahead
After this weekend's contests, the Redhawks continue OVC play when they travel to Austin Peay (Sept. 27) and Murray State (Sept. 29). 

2018 Recap
The Redhawks finished 2018 with a 5-8-5 record. SEMO made the OVC Tournament for the 17th time, advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to Eastern Illinois on penalty kicks. The trio of Esmie Gonzales, Morgan McCourt and Bailey Redden earned All-OVC honors at the conclusion of the season. Gonzales was named First-Team All-OVC for the second-straight season, while Redden and McCourt were both named All-Newcomer. 
 
OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO was picked to finish tied for seventh in the 2019 OVC Predicted Order of Finish. Murray State was voted to win the league with 18 first-place votes. Two other teams also garnered first-place nods, including UT Martin and Eastern Kentucky. 
 
Roster Breakdown
The 2019 roster consists of 24 student-athletes including 16 returnees, nine of which were regular starters a year ago. Notable players back this season are both 2018 OVC All-Newcomer Team sophomores midfielder Morgan McCourt and goalkeeper Bailey Redden. Senior Esmie Gonzales is also back after being named All-OVC in 2018. There are eight freshmen on this year's roster, including Scott City native Megan Heisserer.