Game #5
Southeast Missouri (2-2-0, 0-0-0 OVC)
at Colorado College (3-1-0, 0-0-0 MWC)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Venue: Stewart Field
First Kick: 7 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: First Meeting in Program History
Live Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
 
Game #6
Southeast Missouri (2-2-0, 0-0-0 OVC)
at Colorado State (2-1-0, 0-0-0 MWC)
Match Information
Date: Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022
Location: Fort Collins, Colo.  
Venue: CSU Soccer Field
First Kick: 3 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: First Meeting in Program History
Live Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
 
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri | Colorado College 
SEMO Updated Cumulative Stats | SEMO at CC Recap

Redhawks Trek to the Centennial State to Face Colorado College Thursday and Colorado State Sunday
Southeast Missouri women's soccer (2-2-0, 0-0-0 OVC) continues its non-conference schedule this week with a trip to the Centennial State to face a pair of Mountain West Conference opponents. SEMO will take on Colorado College (3-1-0, 0-0-0 MWC), Thursday in Colorado Springs, Colorado. First kick is set for 7 p.m., CT at Stewart Field. The Redhawks then wrap up their Colorado tour with a Sunday afternoon match at Colorado State (2-1-0, 0-0-0 MWC) in Fort Collins, Colorado. Initial kick is scheduled for 3 p.m., CT from the CSU Soccer Field.
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Thursday and Sunday's games on SEMORedhawks.com
• @SEMOSoccer, the official Twitter page of Redhawks soccer, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
 
Series History
For both Colorado College and Colorado State, this will be the first matchup in either school's history against SEMO in women's soccer.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Colorado College
Colorado College has won three of their first four matches to open the 2022 season. Their only loss in that span was at Utah Valley University (2-0) on August 22 after a season-opening win at UC Santa Barbara (2-1) on Aug. 18. 
 
Most recently, CC defeated Bucknell (2-1) on Aug. 26, before securing a victory over Army (3-1) on Aug. 28 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
 
Freshman Erin Ewers and Josie Morales swept the Mountain West Players of the Week for their performances this past weekend. 
 
Ewers was selected as the Freshman of the Week and the Offensive Player of the Week after scoring two goals versus Army (36' & 85') and with three shots on goal. She currently is tied for the team lead with four points. 
 
Morales was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week after she registered the game-tying goal Aug. 26 versus 2021 NCAA Tournament Team Bucknell to even the contest at 1-1. Morales played in both matches on a defense that allowed just 12 shots and two goals between the two matches. 
 
Colorado State 
CSU enters the match with a 2-1-0 (0-0-0 MWC) record with their only loss coming at the hands of PAC-12 member Utah (0-3) in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 21.
 
With wins on the road over Utah Tech (2-1, Aug. 18) and South Dakota (3-1, Aug. 25), the Rams will host Redhawks in their home opener on Sunday afternoon. 
 
CSU used an offensive outburst to defeat South Dakota on Aug. 25, scoring three goals in eight minutes to secure the 3-1 victory. Kaitlyn Abrams, Aleyse Evers, and Izzy Wildermuth each scored for the Rams. 
 
Through three games, CSU is averaging 1.67 goals per game along with nine shots per contest. 
 
Last Time Out
Following their 2-0 loss to Missouri State on Aug. 25, the Redhawks bounced back in style as they took on Columbia College of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) at Houck Field Aug. 28. SEMO won the match 1-0 after an absolute stunning strike from redshirt junior Megan Heisserer. 
 
Heisserer received the ball at the top of the box and turned her shoulder before whipping the ball with her left foot past Columbia College goalkeeper Victoria Heus to give SEMO the 1-0 win.
 
For Heisserer, a forward from Scott City, Missouri, the goal was her first of the season (fifth in her career) and held special meaning in her long road back to the pitch. The goal Sunday was Heisserer's first since Oct. 27, 2019, after she missed the entire 2021 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury in the 2020-21 opener on March 5, 2021.
 
The Redhawks outshot the Cougars 12-9 with a shots on goal advantage of 8-7. 
 
Sophia Elfrink made her fourth-consecutive start in net for SEMO registering seven saves for her second career win and shutout. She also had eight saves at Missouri State (Aug. 25). 
 
Cayla Koerner, a freshman forward from Mahomet, Illinois, notched three shots Aug. 28 including a pair on target. Zoe Houston, a freshman from St. Charles, Missouri, added a pair of shots on goal, her first as a Redhawk.
 
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.
 
Total 90 Tracker
Through the first four games, defenders Mariah Mannino and Natalie Jackson, along with goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink have played in all 360 minutes of regulation.
 
Emma Brune has played in the full 90 in each of the last two games at Missouri State (Aug. 25) and against Columbia College (Aug. 28).
  
Full Regulation Games
Mariah Mannino (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College)
Natalie Jackson (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College)
Sophia Elfrink (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College)
Emma Brune (Missouri, Missouri State, Columbia College)
Faith Liljegren (Missouri)
Alayna Jakul (Missouri)
 
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 beginning with SIUE, the 2021 OVC Tournament Champions and Regular-Season Champions, on Sept. 18 at Houck Field. SEMO will also host OVC foes Lindenwood (Oct. 2), Morehead State (Oct. 9) and Southern Indiana (Oct. 20) in 2022.
 
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 their matches in Colorado, SEMO will be back in action on Thursday, Sept. 8, when they take on Evansville at Houck Field. The Redhawks will then play host to rival and Missouri Valley Conference member Southern Illinois on Sunday, Sept. 11, in Cape Girardeau. The home matches are slated to kick off at 6 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.