Southeast soccer suffers 1-0 road loss

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southeast Missouri State University's important Ohio Valley Conference soccer road trip to Alabama did not start out well as the Otahkians suffered a 1-0 loss to Samford Friday night.

Samford, the defending OVC regular-season champion, improved to 5-4 overall and 4-0 in OVC play to remain in first place. Southeast fell to 7-3-1 overall and 2-1-1 in the league.

The Bulldogs scored the game's only goal a little more than 19 minutes into the first half as Kim Matthews found the net from about 15 yards out.

The evenly played contest featured 12 shots and four corner kicks by each team. Samford keeper Crystal Royall was credited with four saves for the shutout. Otahkian keeper Carina Souza, making her first start because regular keeper Amanda Wrzos was at a wedding, made three saves.

Southeast finishes its road trip Sunday with a 1 p.m. game at Jacksonville (Ala.) State.