Southeast soccer team's season ends in OVC tournament semifinal

Southeast Missouri State soccer coach Heather Nelson and senior midfielder Torey Byrd embraced on the field for several seconds immediately following the top-seeded Redhawks' semifinal game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

The No. 5-seeded Jacksonville State Gamecocks celebrated nearby while other members of the Southeast soccer team consoled each other after Southeast's conference championship season came to an end with a 1-0 loss at Houck Stadium on Friday night.

"Just as a senior, thinking that it's the last time that I'm playing with those girls is just really emotional," Byrd said, trying to keep a smile on her face while fighting off tears. "I just didn't want it to end. Jacksonville played awesome, especially after playing a full game last night -- a full game, a full two overtimes and PKs. They took it to us."

The Gamecocks advanced to today's tournament championship against second-seeded SIU Edwardsville -- the Redhawks' OVC co-champion -- for a shot at a berth to the NCAA tournament.

"Our team has just flown along this year because our leadership's been so good, and that's always a credit to your seniors," Nelson said. "To add to that they're a class that won the 2011 championship, so you always want them to go out on a high note, especially when they started that way. Winning the regular season was wonderful, but I'm sure for all of us our ideal goal is that we go on to the NCAAs and show the country what we can do."

Southeast, which entered Friday's contest on a six-game winning streak, finished the season 11-6.

The teams played a scoreless first half with both teams attempting five shots.

With 24 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in regulation JSU forward Kelsey Bright received a pass in the air from defender Katt Dowd behind Southeast's back line and sent a low shot into the far right corner of the net to give the Gamecocks the only goal of the game.

"We play really well under pressure," Southeast sophomore defender Christina Rohde said. "I think we came together as a team really well. We did what we had to do and unfortunately the goals just didn't happen for us tonight."

The Redhawks were coming off a 2-1 victory over SIUE on Nov. 2 after receiving a first-round bye in the tournament.

They hadn't made any changes late in that game after the Cougars scored late to tie it up, but with the season on the line Nelson changed the her team's formation -- moving a defender up so there were five midfielders and three defenders to allow for a more formidable attack.

Southeast had six shots in the final 17 minutes of the game and limited JSU to one.

Three of those shots came off the foot of senior forward and Jackson graduate Kasey Crowden, who Nelson said benefited from the formation change. Crowden finished with six shots, including three on goal.

"Kasey Crowden really stepped up tonight," Nelson said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was at or near her career-high for shots for her, which is exciting."

Southeast's leading scorer, sophomore forward Natasha Minor, entered the game for the first time with 10:37 remaining. Nelson didn't expect her to play because of an ankle injury.

"She told me she could give 10 minutes, and she gave me a brilliant 10 minutes," Nelson said.

Minor finished without a shot, but had an opportunity on a cross into the box with 3:23 remaining that JSU freshman goalie Caroline Robinson barely snagged out of the air from the charging Minor.

Southeast had two more chances on corner kicks after that.

Junior defender Valeria Jaramillo headed one towards the goal, but Robinson made a save on it.

Fifteen seconds later Jaramillo connected on another corner kick from the opposite side but headed it wide.

"Our girls worked great up top," Rohde said. "They worked so hard, and it's unfortunate that one of them didn't go in because we did everything that we possibly could."