Southeast Missouri State University soccer coach Paul Nelson paced in front of his players after the game, confused and upset about the way they had played. The Southeast soccer team got off to a slow start against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and it was unable to convert chances during the second half.

"First half we were almost non-existent," Nelson said. "I don't know what we had in our minds, but we didn't play nearly hard enough to compete. I don't know if we thought it was going to be easy or whatever. It was not even close to where we need to be."

The Kangaroos outshot the Redhawks 9-3 during the first half of the game Friday night at Houck Stadium. UMKC forward Taylor Bare scored the game's only goal in the 25th minute of a 1-0 Redhawks' loss.

Southeast had eight shots during the second half. In the 65th minute, the Redhawks put the ball in the net, but it was disallowed after a player was called offsides.

"I think we just needed more intensity onto the ball, and we needed to keep pressuring their defenders so that they couldn't get it out and that's what we tried to do," sophomore forward Erin Shulman said. "We tried to find the spaces and run into those, and we had a few chances. We just have to learn to finish them."

Southeast had an opportunity to tie the game in the 87th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick after Shulman was taken down in the box. Sophomore midfielder Torey Bird took the shot, but it was saved by UMKC goalkeeper Jami Finnell.

"In the second half we picked it up, and we were a different team in the second half," Nelson said. "But we're not that young, and I shouldn't have to speak to them the way that I spoke to them in the second half to get them to play and that's a team thing. The team has to have a little bit better character within themselves to compete. I think that's possible, I just think we need to mature a little bit."

Southeast has a record of 0-2-1. The team has scored one goal in its three games.

"We've created some good chances, but if a team doesn't score goals then they start going into games thinking 'We can't give a goal up because we're not going to score,' and we become very defensive," Nelson said. "It's something that a team just has to work their way out of and we're going to do everything we possibly can to do that."

Senior goalkeeper Renee Kertz started her second game for the Redhawks and had five saves.

The Redhawks face Drake at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Houck Stadium.