Redhawks receive OVC recognition

The Southeast Missouri State soccer team tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season, but the Redhawks led the league Wednesday by having three players named first-team all-conference.

Southeast Missouri sophomore defender Hayley Abbott, sophomore midfielder Courtney Luehmann and senior forward Ashley Runion were all selected to the 11-player first team.

The OVC announced its postseason awards, voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors, on the eve of its conference tournament in Morehead, Ky.

Runion (St. Peters, Mo.), who was second-team all-OVC her freshman and junior years, leads the Redhawks with seven goals and 18 points. Luehmann (Charleston, Mo), a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, is tied for second with four goals and has 10 points. Abbott (Narooma, Australia) repeated as a first-team selection.

Conference champion Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay followed Southeast with two players apiece.

Southeast freshman goalkeeper Ashton Aubuchon and senior midfielder Lauren Bozesky were named to the all-newcomer team.

Aubuchon (Florissant, Mo.) has yielded just 17 goals in 15 games, while Bozesky (St. Louis) has a team-high six assists.

Morehead State's Erin Adams was named Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Michaela Hornstein earned Defensive Player of the Year. Adams leads the league with 12 goals and 25 points.

Austin Peay's Tatiana Ariza was selected Freshman of the Year and Morehead State's Warren Lipka was named Coach of the Year.

Tournament begins

Southeast turns its attention to the six-team OVC tournament that will be played today, Friday and Sunday. The winner earns an automatic NCAA tournament berth.

Southeast, after failing to make the OVC tournament the previous two years, earned the No. 2 seed along with a first-round bye into Friday's semifinals.

The Redhawks (8-8-1) will play the winner of today's game between third-seeded Austin Peay (13-5-1) and sixth-seeded Murray State (4-11-4) at 7 p.m. Friday.

Top-seeded Morehead State (11-6-1), the OVC regular-season co-champion last year, will play the winner of fourth-seeded Eastern Illinois (6-8-5) and fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky (7-9-2) in Friday's other semifinal.

The championship match is slated for noon Sunday.

Southeast beat four of the tournament squads during the regular season, all by one goal.

The Redhawks posted 1-0 victories over Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky while slipping past defending tournament champion Murray State 2-1.

Morehead State handed Southeast a 3-0 loss. The Eagles dominated the conference with a 7-0-1 record.

All-OVC

First team

Kaylin Lorbert, Eastern Illinois

Sophie Hargreaves, Murray State

Hayley Abbott, Southeast Missouri

Micaela Hornstein, Morehead State

Carly Muller, Eastern Kentucky

Natalia Ariza, Austin Peay

Courtney Luehmann, Southeast Missouri

Erin Adams, Morehead State

Tatiana Ariza, Austin Peay

Ashley Runion, Southeast Missouri

Nicole Donnelly, Eastern Kentucky

Offensive Player of the Year: Erin Adams, Morehead State

Defensive Player of the Year: Micaela Hornstein, Morehead State

Freshman of the Year: Tatiana Ariza, Austin Peay

Coach of the Year: Warren Lipka, Morehead State

Second team

Lily Meisner, Morehead State

Deja Tennon, Eastern Kentucky

Sam Dunn, UT Martin

Leigh Heffner, Tennessee Tech

Ashley Eck, Eastern Illinois

Joceline Quiceno, Austin Peay

Kerri Reid, Tennessee Tech

Danielle McMurray, Murray State

Giuleana Lopez, Morehead State

Rosaelia, Loza, UT Martin

Kaitlin Sullivan, Eastern Illinois

All-newcomer

Tatiana Ariza, Austin Peay

Nicole Donnelly, Eastern Kentucky

Giuleana Lopez, Morehead State

Rosaelia Loza, UT Martin

Natalia Ariza, Austin Peay

Ashton Aubuchon, Southeast Missouri

Lauren Bozesky, Southeast Missouri

Shauna Wicker, Murray State

Caitlin Greene, Eastern Illinois

Joceline Quiceno, Austin Peay

Sam Dunn, UT Martin