2021 OVC Championship First Round
Game #17
#7 Southeast Missouri (5-9-2, 2-4-2 OVC)
vs. #6 Morehead State (4-9-4, 2-4-2 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Oct. 29, 2021
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: E.S. Rose Park
First Kick: 6 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads 14-6-6
Last Meeting: 0-0 Tie (2OT) | Oct. 17, 2021 | Morehead, Ky.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 

Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
Game Notes: Morehead State
 
#7 Redhawks Face #6 Morehead State to Open 2021 OVC Championship Friday in Nashville, Tennessee
No. 7-seeded Southeast Missouri women's soccer (5-9-2, 2-4-2 OVC) will take on #6 Morehead State (4-9-4, 2-4-2 OVC) Friday in the First Round of the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Championship. First kick is set for 6 p.m., CT at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
With a win over Morehead State, SEMO would then face #3 Belmont in the quarterfinals Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday's game on SEMORedhawks.com
• Friday's game will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOSoccer, the official Twitter page of Redhawks soccer, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
•  The 2021 Southeast Missouri women's soccer media guide is a source of information for the news media covering the Redhawks. 
 
Series History
Golden Eagles
SEMO leads the all-time series with Morehead State, 14-6-6. The Redhawks are unbeaten in the last eight games between the two schools.
 
The two teams played to a 0-0 draw during the 2021 OVC regular season after a pair of overtime periods.
 
Bailey Redden made five saves for her third straight shutout in 2021.
 
Katelyn Miller paced the Redhawks with two shots including one on target. The freshman from Jackson, Missouri, competed in 69 minutes as a substitution. Lexi Grote also had a shot in overtime.
 
Morehead State outshot SEMO, 10-3, in the game including 5-1 on goal. The Redhawks registered the lone shot in the two overtimes.

Belmont
SEMO leads the all-time series with Belmont, 8-3-5.
 
Belmont beat the Redhawks, 1-0, in the 2021 OVC regular season meeting. Maci Pekmezian registered the golden goal in the 103rd minute to conclude the match and provide the Bruins the win. Pekmezian converted a feed from Summer Curtis.
 
SEMO and Belmont played to a 0-0 draw through 90 minutes of regulation before needing both overtime periods to settle the contest. The Bruins outshot the Redhawks, 7-6, after two halves before recording shots in both overtimes. Shots on goal concluded tied at 6-6.
 
Bailey Redden notched five saves. Katelyn Miller paced the Redhawks with two shots on goal, competing in 70 minutes as a substitution. Lauren Welker, Abby Tremain, Natalie Jackson and Morgan McCourt each had shots on goal in the game.
 
The Redhawks last faced the Bruins in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 9, 2021, winning 1-0. Lauren Welker scored her second goal of the spring to push the Redhawks to 2-0-0 on the season. Bailey Redden recorded a shutout for her second win of the 2020-21 campaign.

Scouting the Opponents
Golden Eagles
Morehead State is 4-9-4 this season including 2-4-2 in league competitions for the sixth seed in the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament.
 
The Golden Eagles most recently lost to 2021 OVC Regular-Season Champion, UT Martin, 1-0, in Morehead, Kentucky. UTM and SIUE earned a share of the regular season title with the Skyhawks earning the No. 1 seed.
 
Morehead State has lost three of its final four regular season games sprinkled with a 0-0 draw against SEMO (Oct. 17) and haven't scored in four games to conclude the 2021 regular season. The Golden Eagles last won on Oct. 7, a 1-0 victory over Austin Peay in Morehead, Kentucky. MOR also had a conference win over Tennessee Tech (1-0, Sept. 30).
 
Katie Kiolbassa leads Morehead State with three goals for six points. Kate Larbes (2g), Colleen Swift (2g) and Abby VanHoeve (1g-2a) each have four points in 2021.
 
Michelle Jerantowski has played in every game in net this season, compiling a 4-9-4 record with five shutouts, 72 saves (.783 save percentage) and 20 goals allowed (1.18 GAA).
 
Belmont
The Bruins are 8-7-1 in 2021 including 5-3-0 in conference play for the third seed in the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament. Belmont finished the regular-season third which is the highest finished for the Bruins in the OVC.
 
Belmont concluded the regular season with a win at UTM (1-0) on Oct. 21 and a 3-0 loss to SIUE on Oct. 24.
 
Maci Pekmezian and Loren House lead the Bruins with four goals for eight points. Andrea Leitner has played in 11 games in net, registering 41 saves (.804 save percentage), five shutouts and allowing 10 goals (0.91 GAA).
 
OVC Championship Tournament History
SEMO is 13-14-7 at the OVC Championship Tournament and will make its 20th all-time appearance at the Tournament this week.
 
The Redhawks have qualified for the OVC Championship Tournament each of the past five seasons.
 
The Redhawks last competed at the Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2017. #5 SEMO beat #8 Austin Peay, 2-1, in the first round (Oct. 27, 2017) before overcoming host #4 Belmont in penalty kicks, 5-4. The Redhawks and Belmont played to a 0-0 double overtime draw before SEMO advanced on penalty kicks on Oct. 29, 2017. The Redhawks then fell to top-seeded Murray State, 1-0, in the semifinals, 1-0, on Nov. 3, 2017 in Murray, Kentucky.
  
SEMO is also 2-2-0 against Morehead State at the OVC Championship Tournament, most recently falling to #5 Morehead State, 2-1, as the top-seeded host in 2011. The Redhawks previously beat Morehead State, 2-0, to claim the championship in 2006 in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
Morehead State also beat SEMO in 2000 (quarterfinals, 2-1 in Charleston, Illinois) while SEMO bested the Golden Eagles in 1999 (quarterfinals, 2-0 in Charleston, Illinois).
 
SEMO is 1-0-2 against Belmont with the two teams last meeting at the tournament in 2017 (0-0 Tie, 2OT, SEMO advances 5-4 on penalty kicks) in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
SEMO is 5-4-2 at neutral sites in the tournament and 3-6-3 as the away team.
 
The Redhawks have won the OVC Championship Tournament twice in 2006 and 2007.
 
SEMO advanced to the OVC Championship Final during the 2020-21 season. The #4 Redhawks edged top-seeded Murray State, 1-0, in the semifinals before falling to #2 SIUE, 2-1 in overtime.
 
Emma Brune, a 2020-21 All-OVC Second Team and All-Newcomer Team honoree, provided the game-winner in the 12th minute of regulation to lift the Redhawks past Murray State.
 
SEMO grabbed an initial 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute of play against SIUE. Lauren Welker, the Redhawks leading scorer last season and 2020-21 All-OVC First Team player, found the back of the net off a feed from Morgan McCourt. SIUE then knotted the contest at 1-1 in the 69th minute of regulation to force the decisive overtime period before capturing the title.
 
Welker, McCourt and Brune were all selected to the 2020-21 All-OVC Tournament team at the conclusion of the game.
 
SEMO last hosted the OVC Championship Tournament in 2019 and fell to #4 SIUE, 2-1, in the Semifinals on Nov. 8. Natalie Jackson and Esmie Gonzales were named to the 2019 OVC All-Tournament Team.
 
About Last Week
SEMO closed OVC regular season play with a loss at SIUE (3-1) on Oct. 21 and a 0-0 draw (2OT) against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 24 for the seventh seed in the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament.
 
Elizabeth Rater evened the SIUE contest with her team-high third goal of the season in the 16th minute before the Cougars scored two unanswered goals for the win. Lexi Grote provided the service as Rater registered her second header for a goal in 2021. Bailey Redden had two saves in the first frame and finished with four. The Cougars concluded the game with a 15-5 advantage in shots including 9-3 in the final half. Shots on goal favored SIUE, 7-3.

Tennessee Tech led the game in shots, outshooting the Redhawks 8-5 including 4-3 for shots on goal over the four periods. The Golden Eagles held a 4-0 shots advantage during overtime. SEMO led shots during the 90 minutes of regulation, 5-4, including four in the final half before OT. Abby Tremain led the Redhawks with two shots including one on target. Bailey Redden was perfect in the second overtime period, blocking all three shots she faced to keep the Golden Eagles off the board. She finished with four saves for her sixth shutout of the season.
 
Rater Leads the Redhawks Offensively
Freshman Elizabeth Rater leads the Redhawks in 2021 with three goals for six points including four points (2g, 0.25 goals/game, eighth in the OVC) in league play.
 
Both of Rater's goals in OVC competition have been on headers. She most recently headed in a service from Lexi Grote to tie the game at SIUE at 1-1 in the 16th minute on Oct. 16.
 
Trailing at the break 1-0 at Murray State on Sept. 30, Rater knotted the contest with a header in the 47th minute. Katelyn Miller of Jackson, Missouri, fed Rater for her first career assist as a Redhawk.

Rater, a Mequon, Wisconsin native, has appeared in all 16 games with six starts in the midfield.

Grote With the Service
Senior Lexi Grote registered her first point of the season and fourth career assist when she sent in a set piece that Elizabeth Rater headed in for a goal Oct. 16 at SIUE.
 
Grote has started in 14 games in 2021 on the Redhawks defense, competing in 998 minutes. She has played in four full matches this season. The senior from Granite City, Illinois, played in her 79th career game at SEMO against TTU on Oct. 24. She ranks tied for second in program history for games with Lisa Schweppe (2002-2005) and will move in to sole possession of second Friday.

Iron Lady
Emma Brune has played in a career-best 1,466 minutes this season for SEMO and leads the Redhawks in playing time in 2021. Brune has played in the entire regulation in 27 career games including 15 in 2021.
 
She has played in the full regulation on the Redhawks defense in each of the past five games including 110 at Morehead State on Oct. 17 and most recently against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 24.
 
Brune, a sophomore from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, competed in 64 minutes against UT Martin on Oct. 3, snapping her streak of playing every minute of regulation at 22-straight games (10 in 2021 and 12 in 2020-21) dating back to this past spring's 2020-21 season.
 
Brune also notched the game winner against Missouri State on Sept. 19 in the non-conference finale.

Total 90
Besides Brune, four Redhawk field players have played in all 90 minutes of regulation in 2021.
  
Natalie Jackson has played in the full regulation in each of the last 10 games, most recently playing in the full 90 at SIUE on Oct. 21 and 110 against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 24. Jackson also played in the full 90 at Iowa (9/12), against Missouri State (9/19), 102 minutes versus Belmont (9/26, 2OT), at Murray State (9/30), versus UT Martin (10/3), at Austin Peay (10/10), against Eastern Illinois (10/14) and 110 minutes at Morehead State (10/17).

Lauren Welker played three-straight 90 minute games against Maryville (8/22), Missouri-St. Louis (8/26) and at Mississippi State (8/29). She also played in three-straight full matches against Missouri State (9/19), versus Belmont (9/26, 102 minutes, 2OT) and at Murray State (9/30). 

Kate Daus appeared in the full 90 in consecutive games at Mississippi State (8/29) and at Evansville (9/2) and has played in the full regulation six times in 2021. She most recently registered the feat against Tennessee Tech (110 minutes) in the regular-season finale on Oct. 24. Daus also played in the full 90 at Murray State on Sept. 30 and back-to-back games against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 14) and at Morehead State (Oct. 17, 110 minutes).
 
Lexi Grote has played in the full regulation four times in 2021 including most recently 110 against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 24. She has also played in the full 90 against Missouri State (9/19), against UT Martin (10/3) and versus Eastern Illinois (10/14).
 
Compernolle Becomes SEMO's All-Time Games Leader
Hannah Compernolle played in 19 minutes at SIUE on Oct. 21 for her 80th career game to move to first in SEMO program history for games played. The fifth-year senior from Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, entered the game tied for first in the Redhawk record books with Lisa Schweppe (2002-2005, 79) for career games played. Compernolle heads into the 2021 OVC Championship with 81 career caps.
 
Compernolle netted her second career goal as a Redhawk in SEMO's 1-0 victory over Austin Peay on Oct. 10. The goal was her first career game winner. In her career, Compernolle has totaled two goals and four assists for eight points.
 
First Career Goal for Miller
Katelyn Miller, a freshman forward from Jackson, Missouri, registered her first career goal to lift SEMO past Eastern Illinois, 1-0, Oct. 14 at Houck Field. Miller notched the game-winner in the second minute.
 
Miller has played in 16 games including seven starts at forward in 2021. She is third on the Redhawks with three points (1g-1a). Miller also paces SEMO with 11 shots and is second with six shots on goal.
 
Jackson Connection
Senior Lauren Welker and freshman Katelyn Miller had the Jackson, Missouri, connection on full display Oct. 14 against Eastern Illinois when the former found the latter for the game winner in a 1-0 contest at Houck Field.
 
The Jackson duo leads SEMO in shots with 11 each (four and six on goal, respectively).
 
For Miller it was her first career goal, and the assist was Welker's seventh of her career. Welker paces the Redhawks in 2021 with three assists.

First OVC Win
SEMO captured its first Ohio Valley Conference victory in 2021 Oct. 10 when the Redhawks overcame Austin Peay, 1-0, at the Morgan Brothers Soccer Field in Clarksville, Tennessee. Hannah Compernolle registered the game-winner at 2:14 in the first half to secure the Redhawks first OVC triumph of the campaign. Kiana Khedoo and Abby Tremain notched the assists on the play.
 
Khedoo is tied for third on the team in 2021 with three points (1g-1a).
 
Bailey Redden made two saves in the victory.

Gabby Gscheidmeier compiled her second career start on defense.
 
With the win, SEMO halted its losing streak at three and road losing streak at six.
  
First Career Helper for Tremain
Abby Tremain, a senior midfielder from Bridgeton, Missouri, compiled her first career assist in SEMO's 1-0 win at Austin Peay Oct. 10. Tremain received a pass from Kiana Khedoo before finding Hannah Compernolle with a cross. Compernolle then beat Peyton Powell for her first goal in 2021.
 
Tremain competed in 56 minutes on the pitch in the win. She has accumulated five total points (2g-1a) in her career at SEMO.
 
Redden Moving Up the SEMO Rankings for Shutouts
Bailey Redden notched her sixth shutout of the 2021 campaign in the regular-season finale with Tennessee Tech on Oct. 24. She has registered a shutout in four of the last five games for SEMO.
 
Redden has 20 shutouts in her career and sits fourth in the SEMO record books. She also ranks second for saves (293), fourth for minutes played (5,177), and tied for fourth for wins (26), and fifth for save percentage (.808).
 
Redden is three saves away from overtaking Kindra Lierz (296 career saves, 2014-17) for the top spot in the Redhawks record books.
 
In the OVC, Redden is first for shutouts (6), third for saves per game (4.71) and total saves (66), and fourth for save percentage (.786). SEMO as a team is second with a shutout percentage of .357 and third with 5.31 saves per game.
 
In strictly league play, Redden is first for shutouts (4, 0.50 shutout/game), second for saves (35), fourth for save percentage (.778) and saves per game (4.38) and sixth for goals against average (1.17).
 
Redden plays for the Fire & Ice soccer team during the summers and was recently named the Women's Premier Soccer League Central Region Midwestern Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. 
 
Jackson Nets First Career Goal
Natalie Jackson, a defender from O'Fallon, Missouri, notched her first career goal at SEMO Oct. 3 in the Redhawks 4-1 loss to UT Martin.
 
Jackson played in all 90 minutes on defense and led the team in shots with one on goal versus UTM.
 
Non-Conference Recap
SEMO wrapped up the non-conference slate with an overall record of 3-5-0. The Redhawks dropped road tests at Memphis (4-0, Aug. 19), Mississippi State (1-0, Aug. 29) of the Southeastern Conference, Evansville (1-0, Sept. 2) and the Big Ten's Indiana (6-0, Sept. 5) and Iowa (2-0, Sept. 12). SEMO was perfect at home during non-conference play with victories over Maryville (4-1, Aug. 22), Missouri-St. Louis (1-0, Aug. 26) and Missouri State (1-0, Sept. 19).
 
Anne-Clara Couturier (2), Kiana Khedoo, Elizabeth Rater, Emma Brune and Zoey Memmel all scored during the slate.
 
Brune Ball
Emma Brune converted her third career goal on a header off a corner kick in the 35th minute Sept. 19 against Missouri State. Kate Daus provided the service for the game-winner. Brune paced all field players with four shots including two shots on goal, competing in all 90 minutes. She started at forward and moved to midfield midway through the first half.
 
Hey Abby
Senior goalkeeper Abby Rollet made her first two starts in net for the Redhawks this season in the state of Indiana Sept. 2-5. The Perryville, Missouri native, made her first start in net since the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament on Nov. 8, 2019 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Rollet tallied five saves against Evansville on Sept. 2. Rollet finished the weekend with a career-best 12 saves against the Hoosiers on Sept. 5.
  
Welker Doing Welker Things
Lauren Welker registered a pair of assists in Aug. 22's victory over Maryville. Welker finished with three shots (two on goal) to complement her two assists. 
 
Welker played three-straight 90 minute games against Maryville (8/22), Missouri-St. Louis (8/26) and at Mississippi State (8/29). She also played in three-straight full matches against Missouri State (9/19), versus Belmont (9/26, 102 minutes, 2OT) and at Murray State (9/30). 

She leads the Redhawks in 2021 with three assists and 11 shots (4 SOG).
 
What a Debut for Couturier
Sophomore Anne-Clara Couturier, a Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada native, netted a pair including the game-winner in her Redhawks debut Aug. 22 against Maryville. Couturier, a sophomore transfer from Southeastern (NAIA in Florida), finished with a pair of goals on two shots on net in 45 minutes of action as a second-half substitution.
 
She is second on the Redhawks in 2021 with two goals for four points.
 
Redhawks Debut
Zoey Memmel, Grace Crowden, Emma Tucker, Elizabeth Rater, Katelyn Miller and Natalie Miller all made their SEMO debuts at Memphis on Aug. 19. Memmel appeared in the starting 11 and played in 46 minutes. Crowden led the newcomers with 68 minutes on the pitch. Gabby Gscheidmeier also made her first career start as a Redhawk in the contest.
 
Anne-Clara Couturier made her SEMO debut against Maryville on Aug. 22. Katelyn Miller and Crowden both made their first career starts as Redhawks in the win.
 
Couturier made her first career start against UMSL on Aug. 26. Rater tallied her first start on Aug. 29 at Mississippi State.
 
Tucker also made her first career start at Indiana on Sept. 5.
 
2021 OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO was selected to finish the 2021 season third in the Ohio Valley Conference. Senior midfielder Lauren Welker was tabbed to the 2021 OVC Players to Watch List.
 
The Redhawks received two first-place votes and 99 points in the projected order of finish for third. SIUE, the 2020-21 OVC Tournament Champions, was picked first with 12 first-place votes and 121 points. Murray State, the 2020-21 OVC Regular Season Champions, was pegged second with four first-place votes and 116 points.
 
Welker, a senior from Jackson, Missouri, was named to her first career OVC preseason team.
   
2020-21 Season Recap
SEMO fashioned a 7-4-1 overall mark in 2020-21 including a 6-3-1 record during conference play, which tied for third in the OVC. The Redhawks qualified for their fourth-straight OVC Championship Tournament and 19th all-time appearance this past spring.
 
SEMO finished as the 2020-21 OVC Championship Tournament runners-up, downing top-seeded Murray State, 1-0, in the Semifinals as the fourth seed before falling to SIUE, the 2020-21 Champions, 2-1, in overtime of the Championship Finals.
 
The Redhawks opened the campaign with five-straight victories and a tie for a six-game (5-0-1) unbeaten streak to start 2020-21.
 
Roster Breakdown
The Redhawks return 18 letterwinners and all but two starters from the 2020-21 squad. Lexi Grote and Hannah Compernolle return for their fifth-year senior seasons along with true seniors, Bailey Redden, Lauren Welker, Abby Tremain, Kate Daus and Abby Rollet.
 
Welker led the Redhawks offensively in 2020-21 with six goals and four assists for 16 points. The Jackson, Missouri, midfielder, also registered a team-best 18 shots including 12 on goal and tallied a pair of game-winning goals. Welker was named to the 2020-21 All-OVC First Team and selected to the 2020-21 All-OVC Tournament team.
 
Redden returns in net and started and played in all 1,103 minutes of regulation over 12 games in 2020-21, tallying a record of 7-4-1. She posted five or more saves in nine games and notched a career best six shutouts (first in the OVC) in 2020-21. Redden finished the campaign with a league-best 68 saves.
 
Sophomore midfielder Emma Brune played in all 1,103 minutes during 2020-21, registering two goals for four points on 14 shots in her freshman campaign. The Cape Girardeau native, was selected to the All-OVC Second Team, All-Newcomer Team and All-OVC Tournament Team in 2020-21.
 
Junior defender Natalie Jackson dished out a pair of assists while also never leaving the pitch in 2020-21, competing in all 1,103 minutes.
 
Redshirt-junior forward/midfielder Morgan McCourt also returns after earning 2020-21 All-OVC Tournament team honors. She was second on the Redhawks with four points (1g-2a) and 14 shots (11 on goal).
 
Newcomers
The 2021 Redhawks roster features seven newcomers with freshmen Katelyn Miller, Elizabeth Rater, Grace Crowden and Emma Tucker, sophomores Anne-Clara Couturier and Zoey Memmel along with junior Natalie Miller.
 
The Jackson 5
SEMO has five players from Jackson, Missouri, on their 2021 roster with newcomers Grace Crowden, Katelyn Miller, and Natalie Miller, along with returners Lauren Welker and Taylor Nelson.
 
SEMOBall Article
 
Home Grown from the Southeast Region of Missouri
The 2021 Redhawks roster features eight players from the Southeast region of Missouri. In addition to the five Jackson student-athletes in Grace Crowden, Katelyn Miller, Natalie Miller, Lauren Welker and Taylor Nelson, the group of locals also includes Abby Rollet (Perryville, Notre Dame HS), Emma Brune (Cape Girardeau, Saxony Lutheran HS) and Megan Heisserer (Scott City, Notre Dame HS).

Uniform Changes
Megan Heisserer and Faith Liljegren have both changed their uniform numbers for the 2021 season. Heisserer will switch to #14 after wearing #16 her first two seasons. Liljegren will wear #10 after sporting #23 during her freshman campaign. 
 
Academic Excellence
Redhawks Soccer led the SEMO Athletics Department with 10 selections to the Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medals of Honor for the 2020-21 academic year. Kayla Byrd, Hannah Compernolle, Kate Daus, Emily Holten, Kiana Khedoo, Faith Liljegren, Morgan McCourt, Taylor Nelson, Maddie Paulson and Bailey Redden earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the 2020-21 academic year.
 
SEMO also had 18 student-athletes listed on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2020-21 academic year. Emma Brune, Kayla Byrd, Hannah Compernolle, Kate Daus, Lexi Grote, Gabby Gscheidmeier, Megan Heisserer, Emily Holten, Nadiia Ivanchenko, Mariah Johnson, Kiana Khedoo, Faith Liljegren, Morgan McCourt, Taylor Nelson, Maddie Paulson, Bailey Redden, Abby Tremain and Lauren Welker all notched at least a 3.25 grade point average in 2020-21.
 
Looking Ahead
With a victory over #6 Morehead State, SEMO would then face #3 Belmont in the quarterfinals Sunday at 2 p.m. The 2021 OVC Championship Tournament Semifinals and Finals will then be contested Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 in Martin, Tennessee, at top-seeded UT Martin.