Women’s Soccer – The Week Ahead…
 
THE SCHEDULE…
 
UPPER IOWA at MSU MOORHEAD – SATURDAY – 9/29/12
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Match
MSUM Soccer Field – Moorhead, Minnesota – Noon 
Live Stats

UPPER IOWA at NORTHERN STATE – SUNDAY – 9/30/12
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Match
Jerde Field – Aberdeen, South Dakota – 1 p.m.
Live Stats 
 
THE SERIES… UIU has faced MSU Moorhead eight times over the past seven years, including one matchup in the playoffs. The Peacocks hold a 5-3 advantage in the series, including a 4-2 mark under head coach Brian Bahl.
The Peacocks are 2-0-3 against Northern State under coach Bahl and in the series, they are 2-2-3 over the past seven years.
 
THE MATCHUP… MSUM enters this weekend’s matchup with the Peacocks with a 2-5-1 record, all of which were in conference play. The Dragons are led by sophomore forward Erin Nyberg, who has a total of five goals scored this season. The Dragons are 2-2 at home this year, with wins over Minnesota, Crookston and Wayne State, and losses to St. Cloud State and Augustana. The Dragons lost this past Sunday to No. 1 Minnesota State-Mankato on the road, 6-0.
The Wolves also enter this weekend with a 2-5-1 record, including a 1-3-1 mark in conference play. Northern State dropped a pair of matches this past weekend, 4-0 to Concordia-St. Paul and 6-0 to Minnesota State-Mankato. As a team, the Wolves have only scored six times this season, with five of those goals coming from senior forward Rachel Goslinga. She has taken an NSIC-best 40 shots through eight matches and is tied for third place in goals scored in the conference.
 
BEWARE OF DOUBLE-ZERO… Junior goalkeeper Amanda Smith has posted stellar numbers through the first eight matches of the season. The Moline, Illinois native has started every match for the Peacocks, playing 720 minutes and totaling 33 saves, which is good enough for sixth in the NSIC. Smith’s performance has been remarkable to say the least. She ranks second in save percentage at .943 and as a unit, Upper Iowa ranks first in the conference having only given up two goals all year. If that wasn’t enough, Smith has also gone 540 straight minutes without allowing a goal, ranking first in the NSIC with 6 shutouts this season.
 
MOVIN’ ON UP… Upper Iowa jumped up two spots from last week’s NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II rankings. The Peacocks now sit in a fifth place tie with Truman State thanks to a program-best 7-1 start and a 5-match winning streak. After a 1-0 victory over NSIC-opponent Minot State on Saturday, UIU finished its second weekend sweep in conference play this season with a 2-0 victory over U-Mary on Sunday. Kali Loescher, Jill Schechinger and Lauren Rohrmeier all found the back of the net over the weekend, helping solidify the Peacocks as a NSIC conference title contender.

Rank	Team	Record
1	Minn. St. Mankato	6-1-1
2	SW Oklahoma St.	8-0
3	Central Oklahoma	8-1
4	Central Missouri	6-0-2
5	Upper Iowa	7-1
	Truman State	6-2
7	Winona State	5-3-0
8	Bimidji State	5-2-1

 
No. 7 Winona State is the only team so far this year to beat UIU. The Warriors dropped their third match this season this past weekend to Minot State just one day after the Peacocks beat the Beavers, 1-0. The Warriors fell two spots from last week’s poll. UIU is now in full control of its own destiny at this point in the season. The Peacocks will play No. 1 Minnesota State – Mankato in the final match of the regular season at home on October 28th in a contest that will determine seeding in the NSIC Tournament.


TWENTY – ELEVEN… 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 eight 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 four goals and two assists and both connected with the back of the net this past weekend. Rohrmeier  has also connected with the back of the net twice and has solidified herself as a starting midfielder.  Weiss, who is one of the fastest players on the team, has become an outstanding perimeter defender, while Dickhaus has commanded respect in the center mid position, starting three games for the Peacocks and impressing everyone with her passes.
 
COACH’S CORNER…. A quarter of the way into his sixth season, coach Bahl has led the Peacocks to a program-best 7-1 start and now is 56-41-15 in his career at Upper Iowa. With a win or tie on Sunday, Bahl will continue an undefeated streak against the Wolves of Northern State. He is also undefeated against two other NSIC opponents: Wayne State (3-0-2) and the University of Minnesota, Crookston (4-0-1).
 
FOUL PLAY… The Peacocks lead the Northern Sun Conference with 111 fouls this season, despite being one of the smallest squads in the conference. UIU is averaging just under 14 penalties a match, roughly two and a half more than the next closest team. Don’t be too surprised though, Bahl has always taught his team to play physical, and penalties just come with that mentality.
 
FEARSOME FOURSOME… UIU posted its sixth shutout of the 2012 campaign, and its fifth in a row, this past weekend against Minot State and U-Mary. Half of that was solid goalkeeping, and the other half was due to the strong play of the Peacocks' backline. Middle defenders Kelsey Taldone and Vicki Booth, along with perimeter defenders  Catherine Bunting and Weiss, have helped shut down offenses all season long. Coach Bahl has called his backline ‘maybe the best backline in the entire conference.’ Look for them to play physical and set the tone of any match early on.