2022 OVC Soccer Championship Quarterfinals
#4 Southeast Missouri (8-6-2, 4-2-2 OVC)
vs. winner of #5 Lindenwood (5-7-5, 2-2-4 OVC)/#8 Southern Indiana (5-7-4, 1-5-2 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.  
Venue: Houck Field 
First Kick: 1 p.m., CT 
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the All-Time Series with Lindenwood, 1-0-1
SEMO leads the all-time series with USI, 1-0
Last Meetings: 
0-0 SEMO and Lindenwood Tie | Oct. 2, 2022 | Houck Field
1-0 SEMO Win over USI | Oct. 20, 2022 | Houck Field
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 
Tickets
 
2022 OVC Soccer Championship First Round
#5 Lindenwood (5-7-5, 2-2-4 OVC) 
vs. #8 Southern Indiana (5-7-4, 1-5-2 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Oct. 28, 2022
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.  
Venue: Houck Field 
First Kick: 4 p.m., CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 
Tickets
 
Game Notes: 
USI (PDF) | Lindenwood | Lindenwood Statistics (PDF)
Southeast Missouri (PDF)
2022 SEMO Statistics (PDF) | 2022 SEMO OVC Statistics (PDF)
 
#4 Redhawks Set to Host 2022 OVC Soccer Championship Tournament Quarterfinals Sunday
#4 Southeast Missouri women's soccer (8-6-2, 4-2-2 OVC) is set to host the First Round and the Quarterfinals of the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship Tournament Friday and Sunday at Houck Field. 
 
The Redhawks will face the winner of the First Round matchup on Friday between league newcomers #5 Lindenwood and #8 Southern Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m., CT. 
 
#5 Lindenwood and #8 Southern Indiana's First Round game is set for 4 p.m., CT Friday afternoon. 
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Sunday's games on SEMORedhawks.com
• Both games 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 will face the winner of the First Round matchup on Friday between league newcomers #5 Lindenwood and #8 Southern Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m., CT. SEMO is 1-0-1 in 2022 against the two teams. 
 
Both Lindenwood and Southern Indiana will make their first OVC Soccer Championship Tournament appearances this week at Houck Field. 
 
#5 Lindenwood
SEMO drew with Lindenwood on Sunday, Oct. 2 at Houck Field, by a final score of 0-0. The Redhawks outshot Lindenwood, 17-11 (6-4 SOG) which included an 11-2 second half advantage. 
 
Megan Heisserer and Zoe Houston led the way for SEMO's offense tallying three shots apiece (1 SOG). 
 
Sophia Elfrink registered four saves for the shutout.
 
#8 Southern Indiana
The Redhawks took on USI last Thursday, Oct. 20, at Houck Field on a chilly night for SEMO's final regular-season home game of the season. 
 
Cayla Koerner registered the game winner in the final minute of regulation. Koerner drove into the offensive zone where she beat her defender before blasting a right-footed shot into the upper 90 at 89:46. 
 
Koerner notched five shots including three on target. 
 
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 for her fifth career shutout (second in OVC play). 
 
Scouting the Opponents
#5 Lindenwood
Lindenwood comes into the match sporting a 5-7-5 overall record (2-2-4 OVC) and drew with SEMO the last time they were in Cape Girardeau, 0-0. 
 
The Lions have not won a match in their last three tries. Draws with USI (0-0, Oct. 9) and Eastern Illinois (0-0, Oct. 20) and a loss to Morehead State on Oct. 16 (0-1) wrapped the regular season for LU. 
 
Lindenwood last faced EIU on Oct. 20. Goalkeeper Sam Blazek registered nine saves for the shutout. She made three of those saves within the first 20-minutes of the game. 

The Lions were outshot 17-5 (9-1 SOG) over the contest and registered 11 fouls for the match. 
 
Southern Indiana
The Screaming Eagles come into Friday's match versus Lindenwood after a 2-0 win over Eastern Illinois in their final home match of the season on Oct. 23
 
For USI, it was its first-ever OVC win, as the Screaming Eagles have compiled a 5-7-4 mark (1-5-2 OVC) this season. 
 
Madison Crawford (39') and Jill DiTusa (49') scored a pair of goals within 10 minutes of each other to give USI the two-goal victory. The Screaming Eagles led EIU 8-5 on shots (5-3 SOG). 
 
USI faced SEMO in the game prior, dropping that decision 1-0 on a late goal from Cayla Koerner on Oct. 20.
 
The last time that USI and Lindenwood squared off, the match was in St. Charles, Missouri, and ended in a 1-1 draw. 
 
Koerner Unanimously Named OVC Offensive Player of the Week Tuesday
Freshman forward Cayla Koerner was unanimously named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Koerner led the Redhawks this week to two wins with a pair of game-winning goals.
 
Koerner registered the game winner in the final minute of regulation to push SEMO past Southern Indiana, 1-0, on Oct. 20. Koerner drove into the offensive zone where she beat her defender before blasting a right-footed shot into the upper 90 at 89:46. She notched five shots including three on target in 67 minutes against USI. 
 
Koerner then netted the equalizer and then the game winner in SEMO's victory over UT Martin on Oct. 23. She evened the game at 2-2, as she beat Skyhawk goalie Poppy Bastock one-on-one off a feed from Zoey Memmel at 80:00 in the second half. 
 
Koerner wasn't done and netted the game winner just over three minutes later at 83:21. During the sequence, she helped the Redhawks score three goals in just under a four-minute span. 
 
Koerner compiled a career-best six shots (4 SOG) for two goals (four points) in 60 minutes Oct. 23 at UTM. SEMO last had a player score two goals in an OVC match in 2019 when Hailey Block found the back of the net twice against SIUE on Oct. 3, 2019.
 
Koerner, a freshman from Mahomet, Illinois, leads the conference with seven goals in 2022 and six in league play. Koerner has scored six goals in the last seven games for SEMO and three goals in the last two contests. For Koerner, the two game winners last week were the first in her career as a Redhawk. 
 
She finished the week totaling three goals on 11 shots (7 SOG) for six points.
 
The honor is the second OVC weekly laurel for Koerner in her career as a Redhawk.
 
OVC Championship Tournament History
SEMO is 15-15-7 at the OVC Championship Tournament and will make its 21st all-time appearance at the Tournament this week.
 
The Redhawks have qualified for the OVC Championship Tournament each of the past six seasons.
 
SEMO last hosted the OVC Championship Tournament in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 2019 when the Redhawks won the regular-season title. 
 
The #1 Redhawks fell to #4 SIUE, 2-1, on Nov. 8, 2019, at Houck Field. 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year Hailey Block scored a penalty kick in the 86th minute. 
 
Southeast Missouri is 3-4-2 in OVC Championship Tournament games at Houck Field. Sunday marks the first time SEMO has hosted the OVC Quarterfinals since 2014.
 
SEMO will face Southern Indiana or Lindenwood for the first time in the OVC Championship Tournament Sunday. 
 
SEMO last competed in the OVC Championship Tournament in 2021. The Redhawks 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 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 29, before eliminating Quarterfinals host, #3 Belmont, 2-1, in overtime on Oct. 31 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Redhawks then fell to #2 SIUE, the 2021 OVC Tournament Champions, in the Semifinals at top-seeded UT Martin in Martin, Tennessee. 
 
Lauren Welker and Bailey Redden were named to the 2021 All-OVC Championship Tournament.
 
With a win over #5 Lindenwood/#8 Southern Indiana on Sunday, #4 SEMO would face #1 Tennessee Tech in the 2022 OVC Soccer Championship Tournament Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4 on the campus of TTU in Cookeville, Tennessee.
 
The Redhawks have won the OVC Championship Tournament twice in 2006 and 2007.
 
The 2022 SEMO Team has three OVC Tournament Players in redshirt senior forward Morgan McCourt (2020-21 Tournament), senior defender Natalie Jackson (2019 All-Tournament) and Cape Girardeau midfielder/defender Emma Brune (2020-21 Tournament).
 
Last Time Out
SEMO most recently secured a big win on Sunday, Oct. 23, in Martin, Tennessee, overcoming UT Martin, 4-2, at Skyhawk Field. 

Emma Brune provided the Redhawks a 1-0 lead at 12:16 in the first half. Brune converted her first goal of the campaign (fourth career) off assists from Zoe Houston and Faith Liljegren.
 
Liljegren paces the Redhawk in 2022 with four assists and is first in the OVC with three during league play.
 
Brune finished with a pair of shots on goal, competing in the full 90 minutes of regulation. The junior from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has now competed in 14-straight full regulation contests (15 in 2022).
 
Trailing 2-1, and down a player because of a red card, the Redhawks reeled off three-straight goals in 3:44 to capture the victory over UT Martin.
 
Cayla Koerner evened the game at 2-2, as she beat Skyhawk goalie Poppy Bastock one-on-one off a feed from Zoey Memmel at 80:00 in the second half.
 
Koerner wasn't done and netted the game winner just over three minutes later at 83:21. She compiled a career-best six shots (4 SOG) for two goals (four points) in 60 minutes.
 
Zoey Memmel and Mariah Mannino were both awarded assists on Koerner's game winner. Memmel, a junior from Grafton, Wisconsin, finished Sunday with a career best two assists in 44 minutes. She now has three career assists as a Redhawk. For Mannino, it marked her first career assist at SEMO.
 
Zoe Houston then added an insurance goal 23 seconds after Koerner's game winner at 83:44. Houston blasted a rocket into the top corner of the net off a pass from Navi Washington.
 
For Washington, a freshman from Lee's Summit, Missouri, the assist was the first in her career.
 
Houston, a freshman from St. Charles, Missouri, finished with a career-best three points (one goal and one assist) with a shot on goal in 69 minutes on the pitch. She is second on the team with three assists in 2022.
 
SEMO and UTM tied in shots, 6-6, in a highly competitive second half that featured five goals. The Skyhawks would wrap the day with a slight 13-12 (7-9 SOG) advantage in the statistical category.
 
Sophia Elfrink posted five saves for her eighth win of the season (8-6-2, 4-2-2 OVC).
 
The win gave SEMO its eighth victory on the season, the most in the past three seasons. The Redhawks have now won seven or more games each of the past four campaigns. 
 
SEMO last compiled four goals in an OVC game on Oct. 15, 2017, with a 4-1 decision over SIUE.
 
Nelson Surpasses 250 Career Wins in Her Career 
With two wins this past week, SEMO Head Coach Heather Nelson surpassed 250 wins in her coaching career. Nelson who is in her 24th season at the helm of SEMO, has a 251-198-64 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 220-154-59. 
 
Where We Rank
SEMO ranks first in the OVC as a team with 5.38 saves per game and a 0.544 shot accuracy (17th in NCAA). The Redhawks are also second with 1.062 goals against average and a 0.835 save percentage. 
 
SEMO is averaging 6.12 shots on goal per game which is first in the OVC. The Redhawks are second in the league for assists (15, 0.94 assists/game).

Freshman goalie Sophia Elfrink paces the league in net thus far in 2022. She is first in the league with 5.38 saves per game, 86 total saves, goalie minutes played (1440:00). Elfrink, a Columbia, Missouri, native, also ranks second in the OVC with a save percentage of 0.835. She is fourth for goals against average (1.062), and third for shutouts (5).
 
In OVC play, Elfrink is fifth for saves (36, 4.50 saves/game). 

Cayla Koerner leads the league for goals (7, 0.44 goals/game) and is second in the OVC for shot accuracy (.545). In OVC play, she is first for points (12, 1.50 points/game), goals (6, 0.75 goals/game) and game-winning goals (2). Koerner is also fourth for shots (21, 2.62 shots/game, seventh) in conference games. 
 
Faith Liljegren leads the league in OVC games with three assists (0.38 assists/game). Zoey Memmel and Zoe Houston rank seventh in the category with two each.
 
Total 90 Tracker
Through the first 16 games, goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink has played in all 1440 minutes of regulation. Emma Brune is second on the team with 1432 minutes and Natalie Jackson is third (1375).
 
Emma Brune has played in the full 90 in each of the last 14 games (15 in 2022). Natalie Jackson has played in the full regulation 15 times in 2022 and 15 of the last 16 games. 

Maddie Paulson has played in the total 90 in seven of the last 10 games. 
 
Mariah Mannino played in the full regulation five times in 2022 including each of the first four contests and most recently at Eastern Illinois (Sept. 22).
  
Full Regulation Games
Sophia Elfrink (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, Tennessee Tech, Southern Indiana, UT Martin)

Natalie Jackson (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, Tennessee Tech, Southern Indiana)

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

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 
With a win over #5 Lindenwood/#8 Southern Indiana on Sunday, #4 SEMO would face #1 Tennessee Tech in the 2022 OVC Soccer Championship Tournament Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4 on the campus of TTU in Cookeville, Tennessee.