Men's Soccer – The Week Ahead….
 
THE SCHEDULE…
 
SOUTHERN NAZARENE at UPPER IOWA – THURSDAY – 10/11/12
Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association Match
Pattison Field – Fayette, Iowa – 3 p.m.
Live Stats
Video Webcast
 
FORT HAYS STATE at UPPER IOWA – FRIDAY – 10/12/12
Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association Match
Pattison Field – Fayette, Iowa – 3 p.m.
Live Stats
Video Webcast

THE SERIES… This will be the first time in the history of the Upper Iowa program that the Peacocks will face the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm.
This will be the second time in the history of the Upper Iowa program that the Peacocks will face the Fort Hays State Tigers. Last season, the Tigers came to Fayette and stole a 3-2 victory from UIU back on October 9th.

THE MATCHUP… SNU enters Thursday’s matchup with the Peacocks with a 1-12 record, including a 1-4 mark in the MIAA. The Crimson Storm have totaled 13 goals this season, six of which have come from defender Hajime Chumpitaz. NSU’s solo victory this season was a 4-0 thumping of Southwest Baptist, but the Crimson Storm have dropped their past three matches. Aziz Tapsoba is second on the Crimson Storm squad with three goals scored through 13 matches. Blake Anderson has started all 13 matches in goal for NSU and has accumulated 75 saves, while giving up an average of 3.21 goals per game.
FHSU (8-3-1, 4-1) will play Truman State on Thursday, one day before taking on the Peacocks. The Tigers lone loss in conference play came in a 1-0 match with then No. 21 ranked Lindenwood University. FHSU has posted some impressive wins this year including a 3-2 victory over then No. 20 ranked Northeastern State in double overtime. The Tigers most recently tied No. 11 West Texas A&M at home, 2-2. Senior Tomas Mares, who has taken a team-high 37 shots, leads FHSU with seven goals this season. Diego Cabral has a total of six goals through 12 matches and the Tigers have totaled 31 goals this year. Ryan Pakieser and Kent Freund split time at the goalkeeper position for the Tigers and together, they have allowed only 17 goals and have a total of 63 saves.
 
BACK TO WINNING WAYS … Upper Iowa coach Brian Bahl told his team that this week ‘is a fresh start.' After dropping three matches last week by a combined score of 9-1, the Peacocks responded for their coach in a big way. Despite a scoreless first period and a slow start in the second half, the Peacock offense found the back of the net three times in a ten and a half minute period and solidified a 3-0 victory over the North Iowa Area CC Trojans in a non-conference match on Sunday afternoon.
 
GETTING YOUR BELL RUNG… Peacock goalkeeper Jordan Bell has had his highs and lows for the 2012 season, but when at his best, Bell has proven he can be impenetrable.  At 6-foot-1, Bell's length has helped him earn a total of 75 saves this year. Bell, who posted his second shutout of 2012 on Sunday, is first in the MIAA with a 6.43 saves per match average and is in second place with a .776 save percentage. Those numbers become more impressive when you factor in an all-freshman backline for the Peacocks. Bell has given up nine goals over the past three matches, but will try to shut down the Trojan offense, which manages just under one and a half goals per match.
 
DON’T STICK A FORK IN THEM YET… Don’t count the Peacocks out of the playoff race in the MIAA just yet. Sitting at 1-4 is not idealistic, but with a little optimism, UIU is still in the postseason hunt. Entering their longest home stretch of the year, the Peacocks have five conference matches left, and if they win them all they will most likely make the four-team conference tournament at the end of the year. The Peacocks will start out MIAA play at home as they host Southern Nazarene (1-10 overall) next Saturday, before facing Fort Hayes State (8-2 overall) on Sunday. Then they will welcome Southwest Baptist University, a team they already defeated this year on the road, to Fayette before hosting Lindenwood University. The Peacocks will finish the year on the road against Truman State (Oct. 26) in a match that could determine if UIU will make the postseason. UIU will need to finish the season very strong and will need a little luck, but don’t count the Peacocks out just yet.
 
BIG TIMIN’ IT, BISHOP… Senior forward Dan Rasmussen got on the board for the first time in 2012 this past Sunday, scoring in the 79th minute, but the bigger story was the play of freshman forward Jason Bishop. The Elgin, Illinois native earned an assist on Rasmussen’s goal, then scored two of his own in the 86th and 89th minutes. The 19-year-old freshman is now tied with freshman forward Rafael Pedroso for the team's lead in goals with three. Coach Bahl thinks Bishop is on the verge of a breakout game for the Peacocks and could scoe a lot of goals for UIU this year.

UNO, DOS, TRES… As mentioned in the above paragraph, Pedroso has a share of the lead in scoring this year for the Peacocks. Pedroso scored the lone Peacock goal last week against Mount Mercy on Wednesday to give him a total of three scores through twelve matches. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native has started two matches for the Peacocks, but has played in all 12, taking a total of 14 shots, seven of which were on goal. In total, Pedroso has one fourth of the 12 Peacock goals scored this year.
 
COACH'S CORNER... Head coach Brian Bahl earned his 44th victory at helm of the Upper Iowa men’s soccer team last Sunday against North Iowa Area CC. Bahl, who was hired before the 2007 season, has not faced the Crimson Storm before. Bahl is 0-1 against the Tigers.
 
HOME STRETCH… UIU is in its home stretch for 2012. The Peacocks will entertain Southern Nazarene and Fort Hays State this week at home, before hosting Clarke University, Southwest Baptist and Lindenwood University the following week. Four of those five opponents will be MIAA conference matches and could determine if the Peacocks make the postseason tournament.

DON"T FORGET... Tune in this week as both MIAA matches will be available to watch and listen online. Click here to view the matches. The Peacock Pregame will begin roughly 15 minutes before each match.