Game #10
Eastern Illinois (2-3-4, 0-1-0 OVC)
vs. Southeast Missouri (4-5-0, 0-1-0 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022
Location: Charleston, Ill. 
Venue: Lakeside Field 
First Kick: 3 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the All-Time Series with EIU, 14-10-4
Last Meeting: 1-0 SEMO Win | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | Oct. 14, 2021
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats 
Live Video: ESPN+

Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
 
Redhawks Continue 2022 League Play with Midweek Clash at Eastern Illinois Thursday
Southeast Missouri women's soccer (4-5-0, 0-1-0 OVC) heads to Charleston, Illinois, Thursday to continue Ohio Valley Conference play at Eastern Illinois (2-3-4, 0-1-0 OVC). First kick is slated for 3 p.m., CT at Lakeside Field.

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
SEMO leads the all-time series with Eastern Illinois, 14-10-4. 
 
The last time that these two teams squared off on the pitch came on October 14, 2021, resulting in a 1-0 Redhawks victory at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
 
Katelyn Miller registered her first career goal to lift SEMO past EIU in the second minute.
 
SEMO heads into the matchup with the Panthers on a 9-0-1 unbeaten streak in the all-time series. The Redhawks last loss to the Panthers in double overtime on October 7, 2012, by a final score of 3-2 in Charleston, Illinois.
 
In 2018 (Oct. 28), the two teams tied 1-1 with EIU advancing to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals on penalty kicks (3-2).
 
Scouting the Opponent
The Eastern Illinois Panthers come into Thursday's match having dropped their opening Ohio Valley Conference match on Sept. 18, at the hands of Tennessee Tech, 1-0. 
 
The Panthers were outshot by the Golden Eagles, 20-12 (9-4 SOG). Junior midfielder Jenna Little led the Panthers with three shots (1 SOG) followed by Michaela Danyo and Ella Onstott with two (1 SOG). 
 
EIU goalkeeper Daniela Bermeo played the full 90-minutes making eight saves, allowing just the one goal. 
 
Bermeo, a graduate student from Barcelona, Spain, has played and started in all-nine games for the Panthers thus far in 2022. She has allowed just six goals, making 41 saves for an overall save percentage of .872. Bermeo has registered four shutouts on the season. 
 
EIU (2-3-4, 0-1-0 OVC) has picked up wins this year over Purdue Fort Wayne (2-0, Aug. 21) and at Illinois State (3-1, Sept. 1) for their two victories on the 2022 campaign. The Panthers also tied with Valparaiso (0-0, Aug. 18), Indiana State (0-0, Aug. 25), at UIC (0-0, Aug. 28) and at Central Michigan (1-1, Sept. 11).
 
The Panthers were selected seventh in the 2022 preseason OVC poll. Amanda DaSilva was featured on the players to watchlist and has started in all nine games (2 assists, four shots, 1 SOG).
 
Last Time Out
SEMO dropped their Ohio Valley Conference opener on Sept. 18 in front of a Houck Field crowd that honored the life of former Redhawk Meg Herndon in the Meg Herndon Donate Life Game presented by Mid-America Transplant. Mariah Mannino, a defender, and nursing major like Herndon, was named the recipient of the 2022 Meg Herndon Memorial Scholarship.
 
The Redhawks fell to SIUE, the 2022 Preseason OVC favorite, 2-0.
 
Back-to-back goals in the 31st and 32nd minute by SIUE's Matea Diekema and Savannah DeFini, respectively, gave the Cougars a two-goal advantage and a win to start the 2022 conference season.
 
The Cougars out shot SEMO, 12-6, in the opening half before the Redhawks posted a 9-7 advantage in shots in the final 45 minutes. SIUE finished with a differential of 19-15 (9-7 SOG).
 
Megan Heisserer and Alayna Jakul (career high) paced the Redhawks with three shots each (1 SOG) while Zoey Memmel added two shots on goal as a second half substitution. It was Memmel's second-straight game with a pair of shots on goal. 
 
Elizabeth Rater added two shots (1 SOG).
 
Katelyn Miller made her first start of the season Sunday, finishing with a season-high 47 minutes on the pitch.
 
Sophia Elfrink made seven saves for the Redhawks.
 
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 leads 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 have all notched a goal in non-conference play. Koerner has registered a team-high 12 shots (6 SOG). Liljegren has posted 10 shots (4 SOG) while Memmel has nine shots (6 SOG).
 
Freshman goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink has 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 lone Redhawks field player to compete in the full 720 minutes of regulation of 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.
 
Total 90 Tracker
Through the first nine games, defender Natalie Jackson, along with goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink have played in all 810 minutes of regulation.
 
Emma Brune has played in the full 90 in each of the last seven games (eight in 2022). Maddie Paulson has played in the total 90 in each of the last three games. 
 
Mariah Mannino played in the full regulation in each of the first four contests in 2022. 
  
Full Regulation Games
Natalie Jackson (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE)

Sophia Elfrink (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE)

Emma Brune (Missouri, Missouri State, Columbia College, Colorado College, Colorado State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE)
 
Mariah Mannino (Missouri, UIS, Missouri State, Columbia College)

Maddie Paulson (Evansville, Southern Illinois, SIUE)

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 Thursday's match with EIU, SEMO will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 2, to continue OVC play versus Lindenwood. First kick is slated for 1 p.m., CT at Houck Field.