Southeast soccer: Inexperienced Redhawks eager to forget last season

Heather Nelson's tenure as Southeast Missouri State's soccer coach has been marked by major success.

An exception was last year, when Southeast compiled the worst record in program history and failed to make the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for just the second time.

Nelson expects the Redhawks to bounce back this season, which begins Friday at home against Indiana State.

"I am very excited about this team," Nelson said.

To say that the bottom fell out for Southeast last year would be an understatement.

Southeast's Shona Goodwin, left, and St. Louis' Ashley Brazill struggle for position Friday, August 14, 2009, at Houck Stadium. (Kit Doyle)

Coming off two straight OVC tournament titles and NCAA tournament berths, the Redhawks scored just nine goals all season, were shut out seven times and went 2-9-3, including a last-place 1-5-2 in league play.

"I see last year as an aberration," said Nelson, a three-time OVC coach of the year who has a 10-year record of 102-56-21 since starting the Southeast program in 1999. "We had some very significant injuries that I think held us back."

That inaugural season in 1999 marked the only other time Southeast did not qualify for the OVC tournament and also marked the program's only other losing record (4-8-1).

On paper it might look like another questionable season for the young Redhawks, who return players that accounted for only two of last year's goals and whose two goalkeepers never have played in a college game.

But Nelson, whose squad features just two seniors and three juniors -- there are 10 freshmen and four sophomores -- believes the program is back on the rise.

"I think across the board we are more talented in every position on the field [compared to last year]," said Nelson, who led Southeast to OVC regular-season titles in 2001, 2002 and 2007, along with league tournament crowns in 2006 and 2007.

Southeast's defense was solid enough in 2008 as the Redhawks allowed 16 goals to rank second in the OVC. But that could not make up for a stagnant offense.

"We've always been known as being stingy defensively," Nelson said. "I think the injuries were a big factor last year [in the struggling offense]."

Three Southeast players received postseason honors in 2008, led by all-OVC first-teamer Casey Kraft, who scored a team-high four goals despite battling injuries as a senior, with the lone returner being junior midfielder/forward Mabel Velarde.

Velarde earned a spot on the OVC all-newcomer squad after transferring from NAIA power Lee University. She recorded one assist in 2008.

Southeast will look for a bounceback season from junior forward Ashley Runion, the Redhawks' top returning scorer with four points on a goal and two assists.

Runion was the OVC freshman of the year in 2007, when she made second-team all-conference and led the league with 27 points while ranking second with 11 goals.

"Ashley certainly drew a lot more attention last year," Nelson said. "But she has worked very hard on finishing and improving her left foot. She's the fittest she's been. We look for an outstanding year from her."

Southeast's only other returning player who scored a goal last year is junior midfielder Vanessa Hart. She was limited to nine starts because of an injury after making second-team all-OVC as a freshman in 2007.

"She never got totally healthy," Nelson said.

In addition to Runion and Velarde, other returners who started all 14 games last season are sophomore defenders Nikki Edwards and Shona Goodwin.

Senior defender Stephanie Kulavic made 10 starts and senior forward Lauren Lacopo started nine times.

Kulavic and Lacopo, Southeast's only seniors, have combined to play in 80 games during their careers and were members of back-to-back OVC tournament championship teams in 2006 and 2007.

Sophomore midfielder Katie Snelson made three early starts before missing most of her rookie season with an injury, while sophomore defender Taylor Thomas had one start.

Freshmen fill out more than half the roster, with only one, midfielder Abbie Albietz, spending last year in the program as a redshirt.

Among the nine true freshman are local products Bobbi Jo Schlick, a high-scoring forward from Jackson High School, and midfielder Courtney Luehmann from Notre Dame Regional High School.

The two freshmen goalies on the roster are Kaitlyn Smugala and Kristen Starkey.

Rounding out the freshmen class are defenders Hayley Abbott and Meg Herndon; midfielders Kelly Goehring and Brigette Schuppan; and midfielder/forward Ali Bauer.

"Every player we have on the roster will contribute," Nelson said.

Runion, Hart and Lacopo recently were voted the team's captains by their teammates.

"They are leaders, but this team has got a lot of leaders that will influence us over the course of the season," said Nelson, whose squad plays its first four games at home, including Sunday against defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Evansville.

With so many young players, Nelson thinks the future is bright for the Redhawks. But she's not about to look that far ahead because she believes success can be attained this year.

"Our inexperience would bother me if our players weren't buying into all the teaching we've been doing," she said. "But this group wants to learn and get better.

"It's been a long time I can remember being this excited with a young team. I have a very good feeling."