The SEMO women’s soccer team dropped their second in a row with a 1-0 loss to cross-river rivals Southern Illinois on Thursday at Houck Stadium.

Both teams had equal chances to score, with four corner kicks and three shots on goal apiece, but the Salukis managed to find the net.

Redhawks head coach Heather Nelson said despite the loss she can tell how much the team is improving.

“We're doing a lot of things really well. Our possession tonight was significantly better and we created more shots and corner kicks. So I think there are good things to come,” Nelson said. “We're just young, so we're still making some mistakes, but the girls are learning from them, and I'm confident that they will step up and remember the mistakes.”

Several yellow cards were handed out to players on both sides as everyone on the field played aggressively. For SEMO, Justi Nelson and Ella Baldwin received yellows along with Avery Smith of SIU.

Coach Nelson noted the aggression of both sides saying how tough the Ohio Valley Conference can be.

“Nobody ever wins the Ohio Valley Conference if they don't have real grit to them,” Nelson said. “It is a gritty physical conference. So anytime we can play a physical game, it's preparing us for OVC play.”

SEMO has four remaining non-conference games, three of which are on the road before the OVC schedule starts. As the Redhawks were picked to finish seventh in the conference, Nelson said as much preparation as possible is helpful.

“Some of it's just little stuff, holding the ball a little bit better up front, being a bit cleaner at the back passing,” Nelson said. “Then probably working on our clearances so that we're cleaner and we can get balls higher and get under them.”

The Redhawks return to Houck Field on Sunday, Sept. 1 when they take on the Indiana State Sycamores at 1 p.m.