Game #14
Southeast Missouri (6-5-2, 2-1-2 OVC)
at Tennessee Tech (5-4-4, 3-0-2 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022 
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.  
Venue: Tech Soccer Field
First Kick: 1 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the All-Time Series with Tennessee Tech, 16-6-4
Last Meeting: 0-0 Draw | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | Oct. 24, 2021  
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
 
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
2022 SEMO Statistics
 
SEMO Treks to OVC-Leading Tennessee Tech Sunday Riding Four-Game Unbeaten Streak
Southeast Missouri women's soccer (6-5-2, 2-1-2 OVC) will head to Cookeville, Tennessee, to take on first place Tennessee Tech (5-4-4, 3-0-2 OVC) in a crucial Ohio Valley Conference matchup on Sunday. First kick is set for 1 p.m., CT at the Tech Soccer Field.
 
SEMO heads into the matchup riding a four-game unbeaten streak (2-0-2). The Redhawks are currently fifth in the OVC with eight points while TTU, SIUE, and Morehead State each have 11 points for first. 
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Sunday's game on SEMORedhawks.com
• Sunday's road match at Tennessee Tech will be broadcasted on ESPN+ 
• @SEMOSoccer, the official Twitter page of Redhawks soccer, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Golden Eagles have squared off on the pitch a total of 26 times in the history of both programs. SEMO leads the all-time series, 16-6-4. 
 
The last matchup between the schools resulted in a 0-0 draw in the 2021 season on Oct. 14 from Houck Field in Cape Girardeau. SEMO heads to Cookeville, Tennessee, on a five-game unbeaten streak against TTU (3-0-2). 
 
SEMO last lost to Tennessee Tech, 1-0, on Oct. 14, 2016, in Cookeville, Tennessee. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
Tennessee Tech comes into the match having most recently defeated SIUE, 2-0, on Oct. 6 and sits atop of the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 3-0-2 OVC record (5-4-4 overall). 
 
The Golden Eagles are currently riding a five-match unbeaten streak, with their last loss coming on Sept. 15 to Samford (Southern Conference) by a final score of 1-0. 
 
Since that defeat, they have not registered a loss in conference play having drawn against Lindenwood (0-0) and UT Martin (2-2) to go with wins over Eastern Illinois (1-0) and Southern Indiana (4-0). 
 
Last time out, Tennessee Tech defeated SIUE by a final score of 2-0 to extend their unbeaten match streak. A goal in the first half by Yao Giada Zhou and a goal from Katie Toney in the second half proved to be the difference in the match. 
 
Golden Eagles goalkeeper Maggie Conrad notched her 13th start of the 2022 season and earned her fourth shutout. In the match, she saw four shots on goal, saving all four. 

Conrad has an overall save percentage of .743 (.867 OVC) with a 5-3 overall record.
 
TTU trailed in shots, 4-3, at the conclusion of the first 45 minutes. In the second half, the teams finished tied at four shots apiece, giving SIUE a slight advantage of 8-7 in the match. 
 
Selma Askildsen was named the OVC Defender of the Week on Tuesday. She did not leave the pitch at any point in Tennessee Tech's shutout win over SIUE, helping guide a Golden Eagle defense that allowed only eight shots by the Cougars. Askildsen's back-line play served as a key factor in SIUE attempting just four shots in each half.
 
Koerner Named OVC Offensive Player of the Week
Freshman forward Cayla Koerner was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. 
 
Koerner registered a team-high two goals (four points) on four shots (3 SOG) as SEMO went 1-0-1 this past week. The Mahomet, Illinois, native, tallied a pair of equalizers over the two games and competed in 62 minutes in both games this week.
 
She opened the week with a beautiful left-footed rocket in the 54th minute at Little Rock on Oct. 6 to knot the contest at 1-1. 
 
Koerner then netted the game-tying goal in SEMO's home match with Morehead State on Oct. 9. She posted a goal in the 74th minute to push SEMO's unbeaten streak to four (2-0-2) and draw with OVC leader Morehead State. Koerner posted three shots (2 SOG) against the Eagles. 
 
Koerner leads the Redhawks with four goals (three in OVC play) in 2022 and has notched goals in three of the last four games and each of the last two. 
 
The honor is the first OVC weekly laurel for Koerner in her career as a Redhawk. She leads the league in OVC games with three goals (0.60 goals/game) and six points (1.20 point/game, third).
 
Last Time Out
SEMO went 1-0-1 this past week with a 2-1 win at Little Rock Oct. 6 followed by a 1-1 draw on Senior Day Sunday against Morehead State on Oct. 9. The Redhawks are currently on a four-match unbeaten streak (2-0-2). 
 
The Redhawks registered two unanswered second half goals to overcome OVC newcomer, Little Rock (5-6-2, 2-3-0 OVC), 2-1, Oct. 6 at the Coleman Sports Complex in Little Rock, Arkansas. Trailing 1-0 at the break, Cayla Koerner and Morgan McCourt registered goals in the second half to provide the Redhawks their second win in OVC play in 2022.
 
Liljegren was awarded her team-high third assist in 2022 on Koerner's strike. Liljegren leads the OVC with two assists (0.40 assists/game, second) in league games. 
 
McCourt then compiled the game winner, her second in her career as a Redhawk at 65:55. For McCourt, a redshirt senior forward from Burlington, Wisconsin, the goal was her first of the 2022 campaign and eighth in her career. 
 
Rater was credited with her first career assist on the play.
 
SEMO then drew with Morehead State Oct. 9, 1-1, at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 
 
SEMO recognized its four seniors Natalie Miller, Morgan McCourt, Gabby Gscheidmeier, and Mariah Mannino pregame as part of Senior Day 2022. Miller, Gscheidmeier, and Mannino all started. For Miller, it was her first career start as a Redhawk.
 
Trailing the contest 1-0, Koerner evened the match at 1-1 at 73:14 off a pass from fellow freshman Zoe Houston. For Houston, it was her second career helper. The freshman from St. Charles, Missouri, finished with a career-high three shots (2 SOG) in 74 minutes (PR) in her fourth career start at SEMO.
 
SEMO led the shot differential (14-10, 10-6 SOG) the whole match and continued the intensity in the second half. The Redhawks led shots, 7-3 (5-1 SOG) in the first half, before a 7-7 (5-5 SOG) final 45 minutes.
 
Sophia Elfrink, a freshman from Columbia, Missouri, registered eight saves as SEMO went 1-0-1 this past week. She opened the week with three saves in the 2-1 win at Little Rock on Oct. 6. Elfrink then added five saves in the 1-1 draw with Morehead State on Oct. 9. She allowed just two goals over the two games with a save percentage of .800.

Elfrink is third in the OVC with 22 saves (4.40 saves/game, fourth) in league games. 

Nelson One Win Away from 250 in Her Career
With a win Sunday, SEMO Head Coach Heather Nelson will reach 250 wins in her coaching career. Nelson who is in her 24th season at the helm of SEMO, has a 249-197-64 mark over 28 career seasons including four at Florida State from 1995-98 (31-44-5). At Southeast Missouri, Nelson has led the program to a record of 218-153-59. 

Where We Rank
SEMO ranks first in the OVC as a team with a 0.857 save percentage and a 5.54 saves per game. The Redhawks are also second with 0.923 goals against average. 

Freshman goalie Sophia Elfrink paces the league in net thus far in 2022. She is first in the OVC with a save percentage of 0.857, a 5.54 saves per game average and 72 total saves. Elfrink, a Columbia, Missouri, native, also ranks first for goalie minutes played (1170:00) and third for goals against average (0.923), and shutouts (4).

Megan Heisserer and Alayna Jakul lead the OVC with two game winners each. 
 
Total 90 Tracker
Through the first 13 games, defender Natalie Jackson, along with goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink have played in all 1170 minutes of regulation.
 
Emma Brune has played in the full 90 in each of the last 11 games (12 in 2022). Maddie Paulson has played in the total 90 in six of the last seven games. 
 
Mariah Mannino played in the full regulation in each of the first four contests in 2022 and most recently at Eastern Illinois (Sept. 22).
  
Full Regulation Games
Natalie Jackson (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State)

Sophia Elfrink (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State)

Emma Brune (Missouri, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State)
 
Maddie Paulson (Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State)

Mariah Mannino (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Eastern Illinois)

Faith Liljegren (Missouri)

Alayna Jakul (Missouri)
 
Koerner and Brune Continue Southeast Missouri Family Legacy on the Soccer Pitch 
The tandem of Greg Brune (quarterback) and Chuck Koerner (wide receiver) teamed up for touchdowns on the gridiron to lead the Southeast Missouri football team in the 1960s and now their granddaughters, Emma Brune and Cayla Koerner, are currently adding their own chapters to their family legacies as members of the Redhawks women's soccer team. 
 
The family connection came full circle in SEMO's most recent game at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 22 with Emma Brune hooking up with Cayla Koerner for a goal in the 15th minute.
 
Non-Conference Recap
SEMO fashioned a 4-4-0 non-conference mark with wins over Illinois-Springfield (2-0, Aug. 21), Columbia College (1-0, Aug. 28), Colorado College (2-1, Sept. 1) and Evansville (1-0, Sept. 8).
 
The Redhawks opened the 2022 campaign with a loss at Missouri (0-1, Aug. 18) and also fell at Missouri State (0-2, Aug. 25), at Colorado State (0-2, Sept. 4) and against Southern Illinois (0-1, Sept. 11).
 
Megan Heisserer led the SEMO offense with two goals (both game winners) and an assist (five points, 10 shots, 4 SOG) in her return from a season-ending injury suffered in the 2020-21 season opener (March 5, 2021).
 
Faith Liljegren (1g-1a-3pts), Alayna Jakul (1g-1a-3pts), Cayla Koerner, and Zoey Memmel all notched a goal in non-conference play. Koerner registered a team-high 12 shots (6 SOG). Liljegren posted 10 shots (4 SOG) while Memmel had nine shots (6 SOG).
 
Freshman goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink started and competed in all eight games (720 minutes), tallying 50 saves (.877 save percentage) for a 4-4-0 mark (7 goals allowed, 0.88 GAA) including a trio of shutouts. 
 
Defender Natalie Jackson is the only Redhawks field player that competed in the full 720 minutes of regulation during non-conference play. 
 
Redhawks Debuts
Five freshmen made their SEMO debuts Aug. 18 against Missouri in Cayla Koerner, Sophia Elfrink, Alayna Jakul, Zoe Houston, and Ella Baldwin. Koerner, Elfrink, Jakul, and Houston were all featured in the Redhawks starting XI.
 
Navi Washington and Macie Hockett both made their Redhawk debuts Aug. 21 against Illinois Springfield. Baldwin made her first career start on defense, tallying a shot in 63 minutes against UIS.
  
2022 OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri women's soccer was selected to finish the 2022 season fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference, the league announced Aug. 11. Sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Rater was tabbed to the 2022 OVC Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List.
 
SIUE, the 2021 OVC Regular-Season and Tournament Champions, was picked first with 11 first-place votes and 123 points. UT Martin, the 2021 OVC Regular Season Champions, was pegged second with seven first-place votes and 119 points.
 
Rater, a Mequon, Wisconsin, native, was named to her first career OVC preseason team Thursday. She led SEMO offensively in 2021 with three goals and was second on the team with six points (3g). In conference play, Rater paced the Redhawks with two goals and four points in eight games and was selected to the 2021 OVC Second-Team and All-Newcomer Team. She appeared in all 19 games, making nine starts during her freshman campaign in 2021. 
 
SEMO Schedule
The Redhawks will play 16 regular-season games during the 2022 campaign. The slate features eight non-conference contests and eight home games at Houck Field.
 
The 2022 schedule also includes eight Ohio Valley Conference games which began with SIUE, the 2021 OVC Tournament Champions and Regular-Season Champions, on Sept. 18 at Houck Field.
 
The 2022 OVC Tournament Championship will be contested Oct. 28 through Nov. 6. The first two rounds will be hosted on campus sites (with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds hosting) while the semifinals and championship will be played on campus at the No. 1 seed and regular-season champion. 
  
Roster Breakdown
The Redhawks return five All-OVC players this season in midfielders Kiana Khedoo (2021 Second-Team) and Elizabeth Rater (2021 Second-Team and All-Newcomer Team), redshirt senior forward Morgan McCourt (2020-21 Tournament, 2018 All-Newcomer), senior defender Natalie Jackson (2019 All-Tournament) and Cape Girardeau midfielder/defender Emma Brune (2020-21 Second Team, All-Newcomer and Tournament).
 
The 2022 team features 25 student-athletes including 16 returners and nine newcomers. 
 
Head coach Heather Nelson will lead the Redhawks in her 24th season at SEMO in 2022. 
 
Newcomers
The 2022 squad also features nine freshmen in goalkeepers Sophia Elfrink and Sarah Pattillo, defenders Ella Baldwin, Macie Hockett and Alayna Jakul, midfielders Josetiarainnah Olaco and Zoe Houston, and forwards Cayla Koerner and Navi Washington.

The Jackson 4 
SEMO has four players from Jackson, Missouri, on their 2022 roster with sophomores Grace Crowden and Katelyn Miller, along with seniors Natalie Miller and Taylor Nelson.
 
Home Grown from the Southeast Region of Missouri 
The 2022 Redhawks roster features six players from the Southeast region of Missouri. In addition to the four Jackson student-athletes in Grace Crowden, Katelyn Miller, Natalie Miller, and Taylor Nelson, the group of locals also includes Emma Brune (Cape Girardeau, Saxony Lutheran HS) and Megan Heisserer (Scott City, Notre Dame HS).

Academic Excellence
Redhawks Soccer led the Southeast Missouri Athletics Department with eight Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medals of Honor for the 2021-22 academic year. Emma Brune, Kate Daus, Lexi Grote, Katelyn Miller, Taylor Nelson, Maddie Paulson, Elizabeth Rater, and Bailey Redden all carried a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
 
SEMO also had 21 student-athletes named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2021-22 academic year. Emma Brune, Anne-Clara Couturier, Grace Crowden, Kate Daus, Lexi Grote, Gabby Gscheidmeier, Megan Heisserer, Natalie Jackson, Kiana Khedoo, Faith Liljegren, Mariah Mannino, Zoey Memmel, Katelyn Miller, Natalie Miller, Taylor Nelson, Maddie Paulson, Elizabeth Rater, Bailey Redden, Abby Rollet, Emma Tucker, and Lauren Welker achieved a 3.25 GPA or higher for the honor. 

SEMO earned the United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award as recognition for their exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2021-22 academic year. The Redhawks posted a 3.76 GPA for their third-straight distinction from United Soccer Coaches and 11th overall in program history. 
 
2021 Season Recap
SEMO finished 2021 as an OVC Tournament Semifinalist, going on a Cinderella run as the #7-seed. The Redhawks edged #6 Morehead State, 1-0, in the First Round before eliminating Quarterfinals host, #3 Belmont, 2-1, in overtime. The Redhawks then fell to #2 SIUE, the 2021 OVC Tournament Champions, in the Semifinals. 
 
SEMO finished the 2021 campaign with a 7-10-2 overall record (2-4-2 in the OVC). 
 
Kiana Khedoo and Elizabeth Rater earned 2021 Second-Team All-OVC honors. Rater was also named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team. Seniors Lauren Welker and Bailey Redden were also both named to the 2021 All-OVC Championship Tournament team.
 
Next Time Out
Following the road trip to Cookeville, Tennessee, SEMO will return to Houck Field for its final regular-season home match, taking on Southern Indiana on Thursday, Oct. 20, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. First kick is slated for 6 p.m., CT. The Redhawks then wrap up the regular season Sunday, Oct. 23 at UT Martin.