Exhibition Record: Upper Iowa (1-1); Loras College (1-0)
Recap: It's hard for any coach to simulate the pressures of a real game in practice. Even when you're going against your own teammates in preseason, the players know each others' tendencies. That's where the exhibition season comes in handy.
The Upper Iowa men's soccer team gained valuable experience on Saturday night despite being defeated 5-1 in their second exhibition game of the season against Loras College. After trailing 1-0 early, Rhys Williams gave the Peacocks a glimmer of hope, tying the game at 1-1 on a penalty kick, but the Duhawk pressure was too great and the Peacocks ultimately fell.
"Our offense was able to break the press and get a couple good looks at the goal," Head Coach Jason Carlson said of William's goal. "The goalie made a good save early in our possession, but we had a few more cracks at it. After Williams was taken out by one of the defenders, he tied the game up for us with a penalty kick – there was no doubt in my mind he was going to make that kick. To give up that early goal yet come back, that was encouraging to see."
After tying the game, the pressure from a solid Duhawk team eventually got to the Peacocks, forcing and magnifying each UIU mistake. The Duhawks took complete control of the game in a matter of 30 minutes with four consecutive goals.
"The results didn't go our way, but it put our guys in a situation to rebound," Carlson said. "We're still a young team. For some of these guys, this was their first test in a college game and you couldn't pick a better or more challenging opponent for them. We will continue to grow from tough situations like this, that's just one of the reasons the preseason is so important."
The Peacocks were subbing constantly throughout the night, getting experience for each new set of players, when Carlson found something that clicked. With 30 minutes remaining in the game and still trailing 4-1, UIU picked up the intensity. Yet, the Peacocks couldn't score and the teams were stuck in a deadlock.
"When we realized how quick and how sharp we needed to play against this team, we were successful," Carlson said. "To shut this team out over the final thirty minutes was a true testament to the excitement that we have for this team and for years to come."
Standouts: Upper Iowa: Goals: Williams (1).
Up Next: The Peacocks will host their only exhibition opponent on Pattison Field on Thursday night as they take on Coe College in Fayette. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
