CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's soccer (1-0-0, 1-0-0 OVC) beat Jacksonville State (0-2-0, 0-2-0 OVC), 3-1, Friday evening at Houck Field to secure its first victory of the 2020-21 season.
 
Lauren Welker, Kiana Khedoo and Kate Daus all tallied their first career goals in the victory.
 
SEMO, the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champions, wasted no time in the contest, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the second minute of regulation. Welker sprinted into the offensive zone and zipped a shot past Aneesa O'Brien from a feed from Lexie Hacker.
 
The Redhawks extended their advantage to 2-0 right before halftime. Khedoo, a freshman from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, blasted a shot into the left corner of the net for her first career goal in her first collegiate contest. Nadiia Ivanchenko posted her first career assist on the play.
 
SEMO outshot the Gamecocks, 8-3, in the first half of play.
 
Jacksonville State cut the Redhawks edge to 2-1 early in the second period. Cephana Deane headed a cross from Brookelyn Still in the 48th minute.
 
SEMO regrew its lead to two at the 71:02 mark. Daus chipped in a shot from the 20-yard line over the head of O'Brien to push the margin to 3-1. 
 
The Redhawks outshot JSU, 12-9, in 90 minutes of play with nine on net. Welker and Ivanchenko (three total shots) paced SEMO with two shots on goal each. Morgan McCourt posted two shots in the win.
 
Junior Bailey Redden competed in the full 90 minutes Friday and made five saves for the win. O'Brien had five saves while allowing three goals.
 
Emma Brune, a Saxony Lutheran graduate, made her first career start Friday. Brune is the eighth member of her family to compete athletically for SEMO athletics.
 
Ivanchenko, a Lviv, Ukraine native, also made her first career start Friday. Freshmen Maddie Paulson and Faith Liljegren both made their Redhawk debuts in the win.
 
SEMO continues its 2020-21 season Tuesday, March 9 at Belmont. Opening kick is set for 6:30 p.m., CT in Nashville, Tennessee.