Regular-Season Opener
Game #1
Southeast Missouri (0-0-0)
at Memphis (0-0-0)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Venue: Billy J. Murphy Soccer/Track & Field Complex
First Kick: 7 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: Memphis leads the all-time series, 3-1-1
Last Meeting: 1-0 SEMO (Exhibition) | Aug. 10, 2019 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Last Regular-Season Meeting: 5-0 Memphis Win | Sept. 14, 2012 | Memphis, Tenn.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
 
Redhawks Open 2021 Campaign at Memphis Thursday Evening
Southeast Missouri women's soccer opens its 2021 regular season Thursday night against Memphis of the American Athletic Conference. First kick is set for 7 p.m., CT at the Billy J. Murphy Soccer/Track & Field Complex in Memphis, Tennessee.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Thursday's game on SEMORedhawks.com
• @SEMOSoccer, the official Twitter page of Redhawks soccer, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
 
Series History
Memphis leads the all-time series with Southeast Missouri, 3-1-1. The Tigers have won the last two meetings including most recently on Sept. 14, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis beat SEMO 5-0 in that matchup.
 
The Redhawks picked up their lone win over the Tigers in program history (regular season) on Sept. 25, 2005, a 1-0 decision, in double overtime in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
 
SEMO was also victorious in exhibition play over the Tigers, 1-0, on Aug. 10, 2019. Cassidi Tomsu scored in the 25th minute on a pass from Lauren Welker. Bailey Redden played the entire game and made three saves for the shutout.

Scouting the Tigers
Memphis registered an 8-4 overall record this past spring for its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in the last five seasons. The Tigers earned the #2-seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship and fell to #3 Cincinnati, 1-0, in the Semifinals. Memphis also dropped a 1-0 decision to Utah Valley in the First Round of the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament.
 
Mya Jones earned AAC Midfielder of the Year honors while Grace Stordy was voted Rookie of the Year. Tanya Boychuk (United Soccer Coaches Second-Team All-American) and Kimberley Smit (USC All-South Region) were voted to the All-Conference First Team, along with Jones and Stordy, and Clarissa Larisey, Elizabeth Moberg and Lisa Pechersky were named to the All-Conference Second Team. Haylee Spray and Stordy earned All-Rookie Team honors.
 
Memphis was picked to finish the 2021 season second in the American Athletic Conference. Boychuk, Jones, and Stordy were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Exhibition Recaps
SEMO finished exhibition play with a pair of ties and a victory (1-0-2). The Redhawks most recently beat Central Arkansas, 2-1, this past Sunday (Aug. 15), 2-1, at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex in Conway, Arkansas.
 
SEMO tied with Western Illinois (Aug. 8, Cape Girardeau, Missouri) and Southern Illinois (Aug. 11, Carbondale, Illinois).
 
Bailey Redden, Lauren Welker, Hannah Compernolle, Abby Tremain, Zoey Memmel, Morgan McCourt, Kate Daus, and Lexi Grote each started in all three exhibitions for the Redhawks. Memmel registered a goal and an assist while McCourt had a pair of goals. Welker tallied a goal at SIU.

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.
  
SEMO Schedule
The Redhawks will play 19 games including a trio of exhibitions during the 2021 campaign, its 23rd season under head coach Heather Nelson. The slate features nine non-conference contests and eight home games (one exhibition).
 
The Redhawks welcome Maryville to Cape Girardeau for SEMO's regular-season home opener on Sunday. SEMO will also face Missouri – St. Louis (Aug. 26) and Missouri State (Sept. 19) at Houck Field during the non-conference schedule.
  
The 2021 schedule also includes eight OVC games beginning with Belmont on Sept. 26 at Houck Field.
 
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.
 
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
SEMO will host Maryville in the Redhawks regular-season home opener Sunday at Houck Field. First kick is scheduled for 6 p.m., CT.