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Box Score 2 MARTIN, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's soccer team (8-9-2, 4-4-2 OVC) was unable to pull off an upset in its first taste of postseason action as a member of the OVC on Thursday afternoon in Martin, Tenn. The No. 5 Bruins were held off 1-0 by fourth-seeded Southeast Missouri State (7-9-4, 5-3-2 OVC) in a quarterfinal matchup.
After spending the first six minutes of the opening half defending in their territory, the Bruins fired back-to-back shots after penetrating SEMO's half of the field. The teams fell into a back and forth battle before a long ball set up Southeast Missouri State for a scoring opportunity in the 13th minute of play. A pass from the right side set up the Redhawks' goal by Torrey Byrd to put them on top, 1-0. BU continued to hustle on both sides of the ball in its quest for the equalizer. Sophomore Allie Hicks (Carmel, Ind.) fired a shot less than seven minutes later but her attempt sailed just right of the goal.
As the half went on, Belmont continued to work both sides of the ball in hopes of cracking the strong Southeast Missouri State defense. Senior Brandi Phillips (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) fired a zinger that flew just left of the net in the 33rd minute that would be BU's final attempt of the half.
After the break, the Redhawks opened the second half aggressively, immediately penetrating BU territory. However, the Bruin defense was exceptionally sound in the first 10 minutes, forcing SEMO to fire off balance attempts toward the net. The teams then fell into a heavy back and forth battle with the Redhawks holding the ball for longer spans but the Bruins making fantastic stops to reposition for the attack.
In the waning minutes, senior Amy Jo Anderson (Birmingham, Ala.) had one of BU's best scoring chances. In the 77th minute, she found herself squared up with the net in the heart of the box, firing a shot that was barely contained by SEMO's netminder. The Bruins cranked up the intensity once again the final three minutes of regulation, earning back-to-back corner kicks. Sophomore Meredith Martin (Franklin, Tenn.) and junior Emily Jones (Cleveland, Tenn.) both took shots in the final 90 seconds but both attempts missed the mark as Southeast Missouri State was able to hold on for the 1-0 victory.
The teams were even in shots with nine apiece but SEMO held the advantage in corner kicks, 5-3.
Junior Katie Proud (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Allie Hicks (Carmel, Ind.) led BU in shots with two each.
Junior Nicole Berner (Randolph, N.J.) again went the distance between the posts, finishing with three saves.
Belmont finishes its inaugural season in the Ohio Valley Conference with an overall record of 8-9-2.
