Sunday Oct. 3 saw the SEMO Women’s Soccer team in a battle of the birds where the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks defeated the Redhawks by a score of 4-1. The match started out close with a half time score of 1-1, but UT Martin came out of the locker room and scored three more times to put Southeast away.

The first goal of the game for the Skyhawks came in the 17th minute off the foot of sophomore forward Emely van der Vliet after an assist by senior forward Jill Hildreth. SEMO would tie the game just five minutes later when junior defender Natalie Jackson netted the ball in the 22nd minute. The goal came off an assist from sophomore midfielder/forward Maddie Paulson who took the initial shot that was deflected by the goalie, straight to Jackson who finished the job.

Jackson said she thought the ball was going over the net but she knew from her teammates watching the goalie warm up where the ball might end up.

“Someone said during her warmups she was just knocking them to the ground,” Jackson said. “I thought if she does I’m just gonna get it off her touch and then knock it in.”

That was the only shot Southeast attempted in the first half whereas UT Martin attempted seven shots, six of them on goal and one of them ending in the goal. The remaining shots by the Skyhawks were saved by senior goalkeeper Bailey Redden who had a busy day in goal saving seven shots by the end of the day.

In the second half, SEMO struggled on both sides of the ball with the offense only having one attempted shot and the defense giving up seven shots, six of which were on goal, three that ended in a goal. UT Martin’s first goal of the half came in the 57th minute when Jill Hildreth scored her fifth goal of the season unassisted.

All three goals for the Skyhawks were scored in a span of nine minutes with the second one coming in the 64th minute off a volley finally put away by freshman midfielder Brooke Kala. The third and final goal of the half came in the 66th minute when senior forward Jaden Hildreth put her third goal of the season in the back of the net.

The loss knocked the Redhawks overall record down to 3-8 and their Ohio Valley Conference record to 0-3. Southeast Head Coach Heather Nelson said the team can take the game as a learning experience and be better next time.

“We now, I believe, understand what our defensive organization needs to be, so we’ll go on and execute that,” Nelson said.

SEMO has the opportunity to get back in the win column next Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. when the Redhawks take on the Austin Peay State University Governors in Clarksville, Tennessee.