Southeast will face Missouri in the NCAA women's soccer tournament

~ The first-round game will be played Friday in Columbia, Mo.

Southeast Missouri State's second straight NCAA tournament appearance will feature a matchup with an in-state program the Redhawks have never faced.

The Redhawks (12-2-3) will play the University of Missouri (13-7) at 7 p.m. Friday in Columbia, Mo.

Missouri was selected to host one of 16 four-team women's soccer regionals, with the other first-round matchup pitting USC (14-3-2) against Creighton (11-7-2).

Friday's winners square off Sunday for the right to advance in the tournament.

"I think it's great," senior goalkeeper Lindsay Pickering said. "With so many of us being from St. Louis, it's just an hour-and-a-half drive, so we'll get a lot of support, like last year."

Last year, during the Redhawks' first NCAA tournament appearance, they played in St. Louis and lost to Illinois 2-0 in the opening round.

Speaking of support, the Redhawks certainly received plenty of it Monday night as the entire team, along with about 200 supporters, gathered at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the NCAA selection show televised by ESPNEWS.

"It's awesome, all the people showing up tonight, and all the people that showed up for the [OVC] tournament," senior forward Alaina Lacopo said.

Southeast earned its second straight NCAA berth by winning its second straight OVC tournament title, beating Samford on penalty kicks in Sunday's final at Houck Stadium.

"It's a great turnout. I say it all the time, but I really appreciate the support we get," said Southeast coach Heather Nelson, whose squad also captured this year's regular-season OVC championship.

Nelson likes the fact the Redhawks will open the 64-team national event in Columbia against the Tigers.

"It is a natural rivalry for us, and our fans can get there very easily," Nelson said.

Said junior defender Casey Kraft: "People were saying they wanted to go far away, but personally I think it's great to stay close, to get as many fans as possible."

Missouri, which is ranked in three of the four major national polls -- at 22nd, 23rd and 24th -- finished tied for third in the Big 12 Conference at 6-4.

The Tigers' six conference wins matched a program record. Missouri is making its third NCAA appearance, most recently in 2003. The Tigers are 1-2 in NCAA play.

Missouri has outscored its opponents 52-30, while Southeast has a 37-13 scoring edge.

Both teams feature nationally-ranked individuals.

For the Tigers, sophomore Kristin Andrighetto is 13th in points per game and 21st in goals per game. She has 14 goals and 37 points.

For Southeast, freshman forward Ashley Runion is 29th in points per game and tied for 32nd in goals per game. She leads the Redhawks with 11 goals and 27 points.

Also for the Redhawks, Lacopo is tied for 15th in assists per game as she has nine helpers.

And Pickering is ninth in save percentage (.880) and 23rd in goals-against average (0.62).

While respecting Missouri's program, the Redhawks believe they'll match up well with the Tigers and have a solid opportunity to win.

Part of that belief stems from having experienced the NCAA tournament a year ago with a young squad that featured just two seniors.

"We think we have a good chance, especially now that we know what's going on. We've been there before," Lacopo said. "We get overlooked in the state and now we have a good chance to prove what we're about."

Said Nelson: "I think it [last year[']s experience] definitely helps, and being competitive with Illinois last year was a big turning point for us."

The Missouri regional favorite is USC, one of 16 national seeds.

USC is a No. 2 seed, meaning the Trojans were among the top eight squads nationally, according to the selection committee.

Samford selected

For the first time in OVC history, two teams will represent the conference in the NCAA tournament.

Samford garnered an at-large selection and will face LSU in the first round of the Florida State regional.

Like Southeast, Samford is making its second trip to the tournament. The Bulldogs are the only OVC squad to win an NCAA game as they beat Vanderbilt in 2005.