Southeast Missouri (4-3-0, 2-0-0) at Austin Peay (1-4-3, 0-0-1)
 
Date: Friday, September 27, 2019
Time: 7 p.m., CT
Location: Clarksville, Tenn. (Morgan Brothers Soccer Field)
Series: SEMO leads, 11-6-4
 
Southeast Missouri (4-3-0) at Murray State (4-5-0, 1-0-0)
 
Date: Sunday, September 29, 2019
Time: 1 p.m., CT
Location: Murray, Ky. (Cutchin Field)
Series: Series tied, 11-11-1
  
Quick Kicks
Southeast Missouri opened Ohio Valley Conference play with a pair of victories over Belmont (2-1) and Eastern Illinois (1-0) last weekend. The Redhawks continue OVC play when they travel to Austin Peay (Sept. 27) and Murray State (Sept. 29). Watch the Redhawks against the Racers live on ESPN+. Live stats will be available for both games at GoSoutheast.com. 

No OVC school had a winning record entering the start of conference play. SEMO won its first two league contests to get six points. The Redhawks are first in the OVC standings and rank two points ahead of UT Martin, Tennessee Tech and Morehead State. The Redhawks improved to 8-8-5 all-time in OVC openers and are off to a 2-0 start in conference play for the first time in eight years.
 
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 and select away games. 
• Live stats for every game are available at GoSoutheast.com
 
Series History vs. Austin Peay
The Redhawks lead their all-time series against Austin Peay, 11-6-4. The last meeting between the Governors and Redhawks was in Cape Girardeau when SEMO defeated APSU, 2-1, to clinch a spot in the 2018 OVC Tournament. The Redhawks are 4-2-2 in Clarksville, Tennessee with their last victory there coming on Sept. 23, 2011 (3-1).

Scouting Austin Peay
Austin Peay is currently 1-4-3 this season with a 0-0-1 mark in OVC play. A total of five different Governors have scored thus far. Goalkeeper Mary Parker Powell has 32 saves and allowed 12 goals so far in her senior campaign. APSU's lone win, came against Evansville (2-0) on Sept. 15. APSU tied SIUE, 1-1, in its conference opener. Opponents have outshot the Governors 121-80 this year.

Series History vs. Murray State
The Redhawks and Racers are tied 11-11-1 in their all-time series. Murray State won the last meeting by a score of 4-1 on Sept. 13, 2018 in Cape Girardeau. SEMO is 6-8 at Cutchin Field and looks to snap a four-game losing streak in Murray, Kentucky.

Scouting Murray State
The Racers are 4-5 overall this season with one win in conference play. Senior Miyah Watford leads Murray State with eight goals on 37 shots. Abby Jones follows with three goals and six assists, four of which came in the conference opener. Murray State defeated SIUE (5-0) on Sept. 22 in Murray, Kentucky. MSU averages 2.33 goals and 14 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, 198) and shots on goal (3rd, 96). 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 three goals and an assist on 13 shots. She leads the team with seven points. 
 
Let's Recap
The Redhawks are 4-3 with wins over Southern Mississippi (3-2), Evansville (2-1), Belmont (2-1), and Eastern Illinois (1-0). SEMO dropped matches to SEC opponents Ole Miss (2-0) and Arkansas (5-0), and 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 host SIUE on Oct. 3 and rival Southern Illinois on Oct. 6. 

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.