Nov. 3, 2005

Brentwood, Tenn. - - Junior goal keeper Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, Mo./West) has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Defensive Player of the Year.

Pickering made her Southeast Missouri soccer debut this year after spending the past two seasons an outfielder on the Redhawks' softball team. She ranks first in the OVC with 11 shutouts this season and is also among the league-leaders in goals-against average (0.58 gaa), save percentage (83.6%) and saves (56). Pickering is a 2005 All-OVC first team pick as well as a 2005 All-Newcomer team selection.

Southeast had the most first team All-OVC selections with senior midfielder Lisa Schweppe (St. Charles, Mo./West) and senior defender Erin Hartmann (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) named along with Pickering. Schweppe led the team in scoring with nine goals and 20 points. Hartmann led the Southeast defense that allowed just 11 goals in 19 games this season.

Joining Pickering on the All-Newcomer team is true freshman Casey Kraft (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx Hall).

"Pickering and the others are certainly deserving of the honors," said Southeast coach Heather Nelson. "The honored players are our leaders and they need to have big games for us in the OVC tournament."

Southeast will face Eastern Illinois in the semi-finals of the tournament on Friday, 10 a.m., in Charleston, Ill. A win in the semi-finals would put Southeast in the OVC tourney finals on Sunday, 12-noon. The finals will be nationally televised on ESPN U and televised locally on UPN-The Beat.

Southeast and Eastern Illinois tied 0-0 after two overtimes during the regular season. "I'm glad we had the play-in game on Tuesday night," Nelson said. "We were really nervous in the Jacksonville State game but hopefully we will relax and play our game against the Panthers."

Southeast beat Jacksonville State 1-0 to advance to the semi-finals.