Game #8
Southeast Missouri State (4-2-1)
vs Western Illinois (2-4-1)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023
Location: Macomb, IL
Venue: Hanson Field
First Kick: 3:00 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: All-Time series is tied 2-2-0
Last Meeting: 1-2 Lost | Macomb, IL | Oct. 7, 2001
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
 
Redhawks Begin 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Season Thursday at Western Illinois
Southeast Missouri soccer (4-2-1, 0-0-0 OVC) will kick off the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference season on Thursday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Macomb, Ill. to take on the newest member of the conference Western Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m., CT. at Hanson Field.
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Leathernecks will meet for just the fifth time in each school's history on Thursday afternoon and the first time as conference opponents. SEMO hosted Western Illinois in a weather-shortened exhibition match in 2021 that resulted in a 1-1 draw. 
 
SEMO and WIU are deadlocked in the overall series at two games apiece. The last time these two met in an official match came on October 7, 2001, in a match that saw the Leathernecks win by a final score of 2-1. 
 
This year marks the first for Western Illinois in the Ohio Valley Conference. 
 
The Brick Wall
Sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink was tabbed as the OVC Co-Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday afternoon following her fourth shutout of the season against Columbia College last Thursday (9/14).
 
Elfrink stopped four shots on target from the Cougars while facing nine total shots. 
 
So far on the season, Sophia has played in 528 minutes in the net for SEMO. She has registered 25 saves on the season, allowing just eight goals, for a .758 save percentage. All eight goals have come in just two games, Missouri & Iowa, and the rest of the matches have been clean sheets.
 
Last Time Out
Senior midfielder Emma Brune slotted the game-winning goal last Thursday night to defeat Columbia College by a final score of 1-0.
SEMO won a corner in the 70th minute of the contest as freshman Justi Nelson served up a beautiful cross into the box. Brune, on her birthday, out jumped the Columbia defense to beat the keeper for the only goal of the match. 
 
Brune finished the match with four shots, including two on goal, and played the full 90-minutes for the Redhawks on Thursday night.
 
As a team, SEMO finished with 10 shots with four on target to Columbia's nine shots (4 SOGs). 
 
Six Redhawks played the full 90-minutes as defenders Natalie Jackson, Maddie Paulson, Alayna Jakul, and midfielders Brune and Zoe Houston were integral in the Redhawks fourth win on the season.
 
Sophomore Cayla Koerner, the leading goal scorer in the OVC, finished with a single shot in 67 minutes of game time. Her best chance came in early in the first half as she got behind the Columbia defense for a one-on-one chance with the keeper. Koerner fired the shot, but a Columbia defender swept it away for a Redhawks corner kick.
 
Sophia Elfrink recorded her fourth clean sheet of the season stopping four shots on target while facing nine total shots from the Cougars. 
 
The Redhawks generated 10 corner kicks to Columbia's three, which proved to be a huge advantage in the contest with the game-winning goal coming from the set piece.
 
Scouting the opponent
The Leathernecks enter the game with a 4-2-1 record, coming off a 1-4 loss to Illinois State.
 
Their lone goal came at the end of the 50th minute when Rita Moran passed it to Kelsi McThenia who slotted it into the goal.
 
 Mcthenia notched the most shots of the game with two, she leads the team in goals this season with two.
 
Hana Daoudi and Sachiko Gamo both registered the only other shots on target.
 
Freshman Goalkeeper Avery Weaver played in her first NCAA game against the Redbirds, playing all 90 minutes allowing all four goals. 
 
Senior Goalkeeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez was absent during the matchup. Rodriguez leads the team with 26 saves posting two shutouts.
 
Midfielder Alanna Pennington is the other offensive presence for WIU, tallying two goals in the 2023 campaign. 
 
Western's best game came against Green Bay when they won 3-1. Pennington notched both her goals during the contest and Rodriguez stopped four shots.
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO soccer will continue the Ohio Valley Conference slate as the Redhawks will return home Sunday, Sept. 24 to host Eastern Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Houck Field on Sunday afternoon.