Box Score  
The Upper Iowa men’s soccer team has lived and died with the play of their freshmen this year. After graduating ten seniors last season, the Peacocks rely on their young talent to carry them both on offense and on defense. UIU has its veteran leaders, but the team has found itself counting on freshmen to make big plays in crunch time.

That’s exactly what freshman forward Jason Bishop has done over the past two matches, and that’s what fellow freshman Jared Newman did on Thursday as the Peacocks hosted Southern Nazarene University in a MIAA conference match.

Bishop found Newman with a pass inside SNU’s penalty box in the 79th minute and the Kettering, England native took a quick swipe at the ball and connected with the back of the net. Thanks to heavy wind, scattered showers and strong goalkeeping on both sides of the ball that was the only goal of the match and UIU held on for the 1-0 victory, improving to 5-8 overall and 2-4 in the MIAA.

“At practice he has been playing really well,” first year assistant coach Tony Varnava said of Newman. “We’ve been anxious to get him in the game.”

They got him in the game and Newman answered with his first goal of the season. It was Bishop's second assist this year – the other coming against NIACC this past Sunday. Midfielder Alejandro Castaneda was also credited with an assist on the play thanks to a 30-yard pass from sideline to penalty box and right to Bishop, ultimately creating the scoring opportunity. Castaneda leads the team with four assists, while Bishop has now had a touch on the last four UIU goals scored.

“He’s a hard worker and he [plays] intelligently,” Varnava said of Bishop, who now has three goals and two assists this year.

Less than a minute after UIU scored, the Crimson Storm were back on the attack. SNU sophomore forward Hajime Chumpitaz, who leads the team in scoring with six goals this year, dribbled around defenders and had a one-on-one shot opportunity with Peacock goalkeeper Jordan Bell. Chumpitaz shot, but Bell made the play of the game, diving sideways to make the save.

Bell finished with six saves, none more impressive than that one, and earned his third shutout of the year.

Despite being outshot 20-13, the Peacocks held on for the 1-0 victory and are now on a two-match winning streak at home. Making the win even sweeter was the fact that UIU is still alive in the MIAA tournament hunt following regular-season play.

“They don’t feel like they are out of the race,” Varnava said. “We’re still in it and we’re looking to finish off the year really strong.”

UIU will take on the Fort Hays State Tigers on Friday at 3 p.m. in another MIAA conference match. Click here to watch and listen to the match. The Peacock Pregame show will begin around 2:50 p.m.