CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Cayla Koerner registered the game winner in the final minute of regulation to push Southeast Missouri women's soccer (7-6-2, 3-2-2 OVC) past Ohio Valley Conference newcomer, Southern Indiana (4-8-4, 0-5-2 OVC), 1-0, Thursday evening at Houck Field.
 
Koerner drove into the offensive zone where she beat her defender before blasting a right-footed shot into the upper 90 at 89:46.
 
With the victory, SEMO secured at minimum the fourth seed and the right to host the First Round of the 2022 OVC Soccer Championship next week. 
 
The Redhawks are currently fourth in the OVC standings with 11 points behind Tennessee Tech (7-4-4, 5-0-2 OVC, 17 points), Morehead State (7-5-3, 4-1-2 OVC, 14 points), and SIUE (5-5-4, 4-1-2 OVC, 14 points) with one game left in the regular season. 
 
Koerner, a freshman forward from Mahomet, Illinois, registered her team-high fifth goal of the season and fourth in league games. The game winner was the first of her career.
 
Koerner notched a career-best outing of five shots including three on target. She has scored a goal in four of the last six games for SEMO. Head coach Heather Nelson called it Koerner's best game as a Redhawk. 
 
Koerner was active from the very beginning Thursday, opening with a shot on target from distance in the 10th minute. She notched three shots (2 SOG) in the opening half.
 
Koerner also facilitated opportunities, sending a feed to Alayna Jakul in the 49th minute. Jakul's shot on net was saved by Screaming Eagles goalie Maya Etienne.
 
Koerner added a left-foot strike in the following minute from the top of the half circle above the goal box that was also stopped. 
 
Prior to Koerner's game winner, Zoe Houston would just send a header wide of the net at 87:46.
 
Houston compiled a career-best matching three shots (1 SOG) in 90 minutes of action. It marked the first full regulation game for the freshman from St. Charles, Missouri. 
 
Emma Brune, Maddie Paulson, and Natalie Jackson also all competed in the full regulation as field players. For Brune, it was her 13th straight game (14th in 2022) of 90-minute soccer.
 
Jackson now has competed in every minute of regulation in 2022 (15 games). For Paulson, it was her seventh full regulation game in the last nine contests.
 
SEMO outshot the visiting Screaming Eagles, 6-3 (5-1 SOG), in the first half and concluded the game with a season-best advantage of 19-6 (13-3).
 
Sophia Elfrink made three saves to improve to 7-6-2 in 2022 (3-2-2 OVC) with her fifth career shutout (second in OVC play). Etienne finished with 12 saves in the loss for USI. 
 
Faith Liljegren (1 SOG) and Ella Baldwin (1 SOG, PR) each added two shots for SEMO. 
 
Eleven Redhawks registered a shot Thursday. 
 
Grace Crowden competed in her first game of the season Thursday. It marked her first game back on the pitch after sustaining a season-ending injury on Aug. 22, 2021, during her freshman season. Crowden played in 13 minutes Thursday. 
 
Maggie Duggan led USI with two shots (1 SOG). 
 
Liljegren (58:29), Mariah Mannino (63:32), Brune (65:01), and Jackson (89:31) were all issued yellow cards Thursday in a competitive, physical contest that featured 31 fouls (18-13 SEMO). 
 
With the victory, head coach Heather Nelson registered her 250th career win as a collegiate soccer coach. Nelson who is in her 24th season at the helm of SEMO, has a 250-198-64 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 219-154-59.

SEMO also matched its win total of seven from both the 2021 and 2020-21 seasons. 

Thursday also marked the first time ever that the Redhawks and the Screaming Eagles had faced off on the soccer pitch.
 
SEMO next heads out on the road Sunday to take on UT Martin (3-8-4, 1-4-2 OVC) to conclude the 2022 regular season. Initial kick Sunday is 1 p.m., CT at the Skyhawk Soccer Field in Martin, Tennessee.