Women’s Soccer – The Week Ahead…
 
THE SCHEDULE…
 
UPPER IOWA at WAYNE STATE – SATURDAY – 10/20/12
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Match
Wayne, Nebraska – WSC Soccer Complex – 1 p.m.
Live Stats

UPPER IOWA at AUGUSTANA – SUNDAY – 10/21/12
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Match
Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Morstad Field– 1 p.m.
Live Stats 
 
THE SERIES… UIU has faced Wayne six times in the past five years. The Peacocks hold a 4-0-1 advantage in the series, but the Wildcats have been able to tie the last two matches with UIU, including a 1-1 tie last year in Wayne, Nebraska.
In the past, the Peacocks have played very well against Augustana. UIU has played the Vikings once in each of the past five years. Aftering a 3-2 victory on the road last year, the Peacocks hold a  3-1-1 record against Augustana.
 
THE MATCHUP… WSC enters this weekend’s matchup with the Peacocks on a six-match losing streak. The Wildcats have an overall record of 1-12-1, including a 1-9-1 mark in the NSIC. WSC’s solo victory this year was a 1-0 win over University of Minnesota, Crookston. The Wildcats have been outscored 34-12 this year, despite six goals and three assists from sophomore forward McKenna Adams. Freshman Courtney True has collected 92 saves for WSC this season in goal and has one shutout.
The Vikings will play Winona State on Saturday before entertaining UIU on Sunday. Augustana enters its matchup with the Peacocks with a 4-8-2 overall record and a 3-6-2 mark in the NSIC. The Vikings dropped their last two matches this past weekend, first falling to the University of Mary, 1-0, and then dropping their match against Minot State. As a team, Augustana has only been outscored 16-13 this year, but still sit well below .500.  Payton Pry, who has only seen action in 11 matches this season, leads the team with four goals scored. Amanda Wagner and Ashley Limmer have both started in goal for Augustana and together, they have collected 53 saves.

RECORD SETTER... The Upper Iowa women's soccer team will look to break a record that was set back in 2007. In just his first season as head coach, Brian Bahl and his squad set the school record for wins in a single season with a 12-8-1 mark. With one win this weekend, the Peacocks tie that record, and with two, they break it. UIU has its fair share of records this year, but this one would solidify them as one of the best teams to play at Upper Iowa.
 
DOUBLE ZERO MEANS DOUBLE TROUBLE… Junior goalkeeper Amanda Smith is a shut-out machine. Earlier in the year, she posted six straight shutouts, and is now currently on a 4-match shutout streak. The Moline, Illinois native has given up only six total goals this season and has started all 14 matches for the Peacocks. Smith has an .897 save percentage and has collected a total of 52 saves this season.
 
RANKINGS RELEASE… After posting an impressive 1-0 upset victory on the road over Bemidji State on Saturday, the Peacocks backed it up with a 2-0 victory over the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Those two victories helped UIU jump up two spots in the most recent NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II poll. Valeria Ptasinski was the first Peacock to find the back of the net this past weekend as she posted the game-winning goal over the Beavers – her second of the year. Then on Sunday, Alyssa Petersburg, who has been red hot in the month of October, found Trina Gallagher with the pass and assist. It was Gallagher’s first collegiate goal and it gave UIU a 1-0 lead with less than 15 minutes to go. The Peacocks finished off the Golden Eagles with an insurance goal from Petersburg sealing the 2-0 victory in Crookston, Minnesota. UIU now sits in eighth place, just behind Winona State. With an 11-2-1 record, UIU is only one win away from tying the school record for wins. Click here to view the poll. 
 

Rank	Team	Record
1	Minn. St. Mankato	12-1-1
2	SW Oklahoma St.	14-0
3	Central Oklahoma	12-1-2
4	Truman State	11-2-1
5	Central Missouri	10-1-3
6	Minot State	10-3-1
7	Winona State	11-3
8	Upper Iowa	11-2-1
9	Bemidji State	9-4-1
10	Fort Hays State	8-5-1

 

2011… It is always interesting to see how recruiting classes mature and grow. For the Peacocks, the recruiting class of 2011 has been counted on time and time again through the first 12 matches of 2012. Jill Schechinger, Kali Loescher, Lauren Rohrmeier, Danielle Weiss, Jess Dickhaus, Cat Camic and Kaitlyn Emanuel were all a part of that class, and together, they lead UIU in many important categories. Loescher and Schechinger have become the Peacocks main offensive scoring threats. Together, the two forwards have totaled eight goals and four assists through 14 matches. Rohrmeier has also played a critical role in the offense as a starting midfielder. She has scored twice and she earned her second assist of the season this past weekend. Weiss, who is one of the fastest players on the team, has become an outstanding perimeter defender and found the back of the net on a penalty kick two weeks ago against Sioux Falls. Dickhaus has commanded respect in the center-mid position, starting three games for the Peacocks and impressing everyone with her passing ability.
 
COACH’S CORNER…. Halfway into his sixth season, coach Brian Bahl has led the Peacocks to a program-best 11-2-1 start, including a program record 6-match win streak. Bahl and his team needs one more victory to tie for the most wins in program history. Overall, the coach is 60-42-16 in his career at the helm of the Upper Iowa women’s soccer program. 

FINAL HOME STAND…. UIU will host only one more team this year at Pattison Field. One of the hottest teams in the conference, Minnesota State, Mankato will head to Fayette, Iowa to play the Peacocks on October 28th. The match will have added significance for five seniors for the women’s team and three senior for the men’s. Both teams will honor their seniors before the match starts at 1 p.m.