Oct. 27, 2009

By Brett Maikowski, Southeast Missouri State Sports Information

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast soccer team will fight to keep their season alive against the Murray State Racers on Thursday (3 p.m.) in Murray, Ky. Following Thursday's match, Southeast will then travel to SIU Edwardsville to close out regular season play on Friday at 7 p.m.

Scouting the Redhawks

Southeast (7-6-3, 2-2-3 OVC) is coming off this weekend with a tie and a loss. On Friday, they tied 1-1 with OVC Regular Season Champion Morehead State in Morehead, Ky. Two days later, Southeast fell to Eastern Kentucky, 1-0, in a must-win match for EKU. The Redhawks are now tied with the Colonels for the final OVC Tournament berth.

To earn the final spot in the tournament, Southeast must at least tie Murray State. Depending on other OVC action this week, the Redhawks could potentially jump from seventh place to fourth place if they can pick up a win against the Racers.

Offensively, Bobbi Jo Schlick and Ashley Runion remain the leading scorers for the Redhawks heading into the final week of regular season play. Schlick has notched five goals and an assist, while Runion has put together four goals and three assists to earn each of them 11 points on the year.

In goal, Kristen Starkey (6-4-3) recorded a weekend-high nine saves, while giving up two goals on the road. Starkey remains atop the OVC leader board for shutouts with six.

Head Coach Heather Nelson will be looking for her 110th overall win with the Redhawks this week against MSU and SIUE. If Southeast can earn a berth in the OVC Tournament, it will be the ninth time in 11 seasons that they do so.

Scouting the Racers

Murray State (7-7-2, 4-2-1 OVC) has posted three straight shutouts coming into this week. With a win over Southeast on Thursday, MSU could finish in second place, depending on how UT Martin finishes the season. The Racers clinched their tournament berth last Friday with a 1-0 shutout victory over Austin Peay.

Southeast can expect a very physical match with Murray State, as the Racers lead the OVC in fouls, yellow cards, and offsides penalties. Offensively, Nicole Evans leads the Racers against conference opponents with eight points, averaging 1.14 per match.

In goal, Tara Isbell, in three matches of competition, has not given up a single goal yet. She posts a conference leading 1.000 save percentage, as she has snagged 15 saves against conference opponents.

Overall, Southeast leads the series by a 6-5 margin. At Cutchin Field in Murray, Ky. though, the Redhawks are 3-4 against the Racers. Last season's matchup ended in a 1-0 loss for the Redhawks at Houck Stadium.

Scouting the Cougars

SIU Edwardsville (2-9-2) is most recently coming off a 2-0 loss to Missouri State at home last Sunday. Against OVC opponents this season, the Cougars remain winless as they are 0-2-1 overall.

The Cougars are led by Chelsey Johnston, Kristen Dailey, and Kristin Dierker on the offensive end, as they each have two goals and an assist for five points on the year. Dierker has been extremely efficient though, as she has only taken four shots all season, giving her a .500 shot percentage.

Goalkeeper Claire Lovercheck has competed in the majority of the matches (10) and has compiled a 1-7-2 record. Lovercheck has given up 21 goals to give her a 2.03 goals against average. She has also snagged 47 saves and posts a .691 save percentage.

Southeast currently holds the series edge over SIU Edwardsville by a 2-1 mark. The only loss came last season when the Redhawks fell 1-0 to the Cougars back on September 12. The other two victories over SIUE have been shut out wins for Southeast.