Game #12
Southeast Missouri State (6-3-2, 2-1-1 OVC)
vs Little Rock (3-3-6, 0-2-2 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Venue: Houck Field
First Kick: 6:00 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the series 5-0-0
Last Meeting: 2-1 win | Little Rock, Ark. | Oct. 6, 2022
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
 
Women's Soccer Puts Two-Match Win Streak on the Line Thursday Versus Little Rock
Southeast Missouri (6-3-2, 2-1-1 OVC) will return to Ohio Valley Conference action on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, when they host Little Rock (3-3-6, 0-2-2 OVC) in a pivotal conference matchup. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m., CT. at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
 
World Teachers' Day
Thursday's match against Little Rock will recognize and honor our teachers in the Cape Girardeau community on World Teachers' Day. 
 
Join SEMO Soccer as we recognize the great work of our local educators both on campus and in the community. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used books to donate for free admission to Thursday's match. 
 
All contributions will be donated to local schools throughout Southeast Missouri. 
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Trojans will meet for just the sixth time in women's soccer on Thursday evening and just the second time as conference mates. Little Rock joined the OVC in 2022. 
 
Last season, SEMO went on the road and downed the Trojans by a final score of 2-1 in Little Rock, Ark. 
 
Overall, Southeast Missouri holds a 5-0-0 series record over Little Rock. 
 
OVC Players of the Week
Maddie Paulson earned Ohio Valley Conference Defender of the Week and Sophia Elfrink was named the Ohio Valley Conference Goalie of the Week the league announced Tuesday afternoon. They were recognized for their performances against Lindenwood on Thursday night and against SIUE on Sunday.
 
Both Paulson and Elfrink played all 90:00 minutes of each game this past week.
 
Elfrink held Lindenwood and SIUE scoreless. She had eight saves against Lindenwood and four saves against SIUE.
 
Paulson also helped SEMO's defense record back-to-back scoreless games starting with Thursday's match against Lindenwood winning 2-0 and on Sunday against SIUE winning 1-0.
 
Elfrink, the sophomore from Columbia, Mo. has started in 10 of 11 games this season and has played in 888:20 minutes this season with 40 saves.
 
Paulson, the senior from Jackson, Wis. has started in all 11 games this season and has logged 948 minutes this season. She has one goal, six shots and three shots on goal.
 
Last Time Out
Maddie Paulson registered the game-winning goal on Sunday afternoon as Southeast Missouri defeated SIUE, 1-0, in Edwardsville to win their second-straight OVC match of the season improving to 2-1-1 in the conference. 
 
A foul on SIUE's Mary Fetter set up the Redhawks with a free-kick opportunity. The ball bounced out-of-bounds for a SEMO throw-in that eventually landed at the feet of midfielder Zoe Houston. 
 
Houston delivered her second assist of the season to Paulson who then fired the shot into the top center of the goal with her right foot beating SIUE goalkeeper Taylor Spiller. 
 
For Paulson, the goal was the first of her season in 2023 and the first Redhawks defender to score all year.
 
Sophomore forward Cayla Koerner led the Redhawks in shots with three and two on target. Kiana Khedoo and and Emma Brune finished with a pair of shots each, with three on target between the midfield pair. 
 
SEMO outshot the Cougars 10-9 in the contest and doubled SIUE's shots on target with an 8-4 advantage. 
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink recorded her seventh shutout of the season, including the second-straight shut out after previously blanking Lindenwood earlier this week. 
 
Scouting Little Rock
The Trojans come to town off a 1-2 loss against Lindenwood. Little Rock attempted 14 shots with eight of them being on goal.
 
The senior defender Sanaa Williams scored the lone goal for the Trojans in the defeat. Williams scored off a pass from Serenity Thake. Thake now leads the team in assists with three.
 
Amaya Arias outpaced the Trojans in shots with five and two on goal. The midfielder now has 23 shots this season and sits currently in third in the conference for shots. 
 
Karina De Paoli has four goals on the season which is tied for the most in the OVC. De Paoli also has 12 shots and eight shots on goal (.667 SOG%) this season.
 
The Trojans have two goalies that see significant playing time. Peyton Urban has started in six games and played a total of 585 minutes with 30 saves and eight goals allowed. Marie Cimatti has started six games and played a total of 495 minutes with 16 saves and nine goals allowed.
 
Little Rock is currently sitting in ninth place in the OVC standings right behind Western Illinois.
 
Kelly Farrell is in her second season coaching the Trojans. Last year she led Little Rock to a 5-7-5 overall record and a 2-3-3 record in conference play. 
 
Looking Ahead
Women's soccer will continue OVC play on Sunday, Oct. 8, when they travel to Morehead State for a pivotal match between the second and third place teams in the league table. The match is slated to begin at 12 p.m., CT. in Morehead, Ky.