Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team out to restore the luster to program

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team made its way back to the upper part of the Ohio Valley Conference last season after a two-year absence.

The Redhawks now hope to take the next step with another OVC championship.

"That's certainly the goal of every player in our program," Southeast coach Heather Nelson said. "We have such high expectations. We can be a really good team."

Southeast finished tied for second a year ago after missing the six-team OVC tournament the previous two seasons. The Redhawks went 8-9-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the league with a very young roster.

That has the 2011 Redhawks optimistic of being able to climb all the way to the top.

Courtney Luehmann, left, is Southeast Missouri State's leading returning scorer. The Notre Dame Regional High School graduate tied for third in the Ohio Valley Conference with three game-winning goals. (Missourian file photo)

"I'm very excited, very optimistic," senior Lauren Bozesky said. "We should have a really good chance of winning the OVC. We've definitely got our sights on that and making the NCAA tournament."

Southeast has been one of the OVC's most consistently successful squads since Nelson started the program in 1999.

Nelson, who has a 12-year record of 118-72-24, has led Southeast to three OVC regular-season titles along with two OVC tournament crowns and NCAA berths.

"I think we've done a very good job over the years," Nelson said.

Southeast features 17 returning players and seven newcomers entering Friday's season opener at Illinois State. The Redhawks' first home game will be Aug. 28 against Arkansas State.

"I'm really excited," senior Nikki Edwards said. "We have a lot of experience. I think we have a good chance to win the conference."

The Redhawks graduated just one senior last year but she was a good one in four-year standout Ashley Runion, who led the squad in goals with seven and points with 18. She earned first-team all-OVC honors.

Despite returning so much experience, the Redhawks still have only six seniors on their 24-player roster. There are a combined 13 sophomores and freshmen.

Southeast's top returning goal-scorer is junior Courtney Luehmann from Notre Dame Regional High School. She was second on the squad with five goals, three of them game-winners. She tied for third in the OVC in game-winners and nabbed first-team all-conference accolades.

Luehmann, however, will miss some early games with a stress fracture.

The Redhawks' other returning all-OVC first-team performer is defensive anchor Hayley Abbott, a junior who also made the all-OVC first team as a freshman.

Sophomore Stephanie Palmer had four goals and two assists last year, good for 10 points to tie for second on the club with Luehmann.

Bozesky tied for second in the OVC with six assists during her first year in the program after transferring from Saint Louis University. She added a goal to finish with eight points, fourth-best on the team, and earned all-OVC newcomer honors.

Sophomore Amy Ward recorded six points on two goals and two assists.

Other returning point producers from 2010 are junior Ali Bauer (one goal, one assist), sophomore Taylor Byrd (two assists), sophomore Jacey Boyko (one goal), senior Shona Goodwin (one assist) and senior Taylor Thomas (one assist).

Edwards, who has started every game of her Southeast career -- a string of 50 consecutive games, returns with Abbott to anchor the defense.

Abbott and Edwards joined Luehmann, Goodwin and Runion as the only Southeast players to start all 18 games last season.

Junior Meg Herndon is another returning regular, while sophomores Chelsea Ballard and Rachel Compton also saw action.

Sophomore Ashton Aubuchon did the bulk of the goalkeeping, recording six shutouts to garner all-OVC newcomer honors. Sophomore Jessica Grindstaff also saw some action in the nets.

A key returning player who missed all of last season with a knee injury is senior Vanessa Hart, a second-team all-OVC performer as a freshman in 2007 who has battled knee problems since then but appears to be healthy this year.

"She's looking good. We're glad to have her back," Nelson said.

Also figuring into the mix will be seven newcomers, led by senior Jessica Crabtree, a transfer from Missouri who was a key player for the Tigers the past three years.

"We're excited about having her," Nelson said.

A first-year junior with the Redhawks is Central High School product Sarah Uptmor, who played the past two years on the NAIA level at Spring Hill College in Alabama.

Among five freshmen is Jackson High School product Kasey Crowden.

Other freshmen are Erin Shulman, Ellie Hight, Torey Byrd and goalkeeper Abby Jordan.

"We've got a lot of depth," Nelson said. "Some of the new players have already made an impact."

The Redhawks face arguably the toughest nonconference schedule in program history, which Nelson said is by design.

"We're experienced and talented enough, we wanted to make sure we're playing at a high level going into OVC play," Nelson said.