Box Score Box Score
Records
Upper Iowa - 6-2 (4-1 NSIC) || Minot State - 1-4-2 (1-3-1 NSIC)
Recap
The chances of getting a win in overtime, on the road, in the Northern Sun is slim to say the least. Well, getting back-to-back overtime wins, on the road, in the NSIC is what the Upper Iowa Women's Soccer team did this past weekend.
On Sunday afternoon in chilly Minot, North Dakota, the Peacocks showed their resiliency and their toughness as they defeated last year's conference-tournament champions, the Beavers of Minot State in the 97th minute thanks to a goal from
Maggie Olson - her first collegiate career. The 1-0 victory gives the Peacocks a 6-2 record this year, including a 4-1 mark in NSIC play.
The defense led the way on Sunday, shutting down the home team for the entire game. UIU, which has now won three straight games, has been on the road over the past two weekends but the team's still picking up wins. Led by
Kaitlyn Emanuel, who recorded her second-straight and third total shutout this season, the Peacocks defensive approach was impressive. The Beavers managed 16 total shots, half of which were on goal, but Emanuel and company earned the shuout.
With the defense playing lights-out, it was time for the offense to step up. Yet, nerves and chills played into the Peacocks' sluggish start offensively.
Although coming into the game only four Peacocks had scored at least one goal, the Peacocks have relied on a variety of talented players to win games this year. One of those players happens to be Maggie Olson, who has seen significant time on the field and has three starts under her belt.
Olson was also one of those players that Head Coach
Brian Diaz singled out at halftime to step up when he called upon all of his midfielders. Diaz challenged and the team responded.
The Peacocks pushed the tempo in the second half, earning a couple good looks, but that aggressive offensive approach didn't really pay off until regulation ended. Could Olson have picked a better time to net her first collegiate goal?
In the 97th minute, Olson tracked a 50-50 ball down and controlled it. She then proceeded to dribble around multiple defenders, creating space for the shot and sailed a ball to the back of the net for her first goal in a Peacock uniform.
The bench erupted and stormed the field in celebration as Minot State walked off, dejected.
The 1-0 victory marks the fourth time the Peacocks have won a game that's been decided by one goal in 2013. Sunday's win also marked the second victory over Minot State in UIU's history – the Peacocks have won the only two matchups between the squads.
Sounding Off
Head Coach Brian Diaz after the victory…
On the Win... "We struggled to settle into the game in the first half, but again we made some adjustments and they worked. We demanded more from some of our players, especially our midfielders and they stepped up in the second half and in overtime, which helped us really control the match. It was a bit of a slow start, but that just reveals the fight and the character that this team possesses – no matter what they're facing, our girls will continue to fight."
On the Defensive Performance... "I thought we played really well defensively – we hardly gave up any dangerous opportunities to the Beaver offense. To not give up any goals over the weekend, on the road, in the NSIC speaks volumes about our defense. Our backline had a great game today. All of those players really stepped their game up and shut down the Beaver attackers. Even if our offense wasn't clicking, and it wasn't in the first half, our defense did its job and really played well for all 97 minutes."
On Maggie Olson's Goal… "We asked the midfielders to step up their play at halftime and to their credit, they did. After the break they played really well. Maggie created the goal all by herself – she won a 50/50 ball, dribbled through a couple players, created spacing and drilled the shot. She's a freshman who's logged a ton of quality minutes and has played well – it's good for her to get the winning goal today, she certainly deserves it with the resume she has put together for us here."
On Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Emanuel… "She really did a good job of shutting things down before they became dangerous. She did a great job of controlling the penalty box and she kept it clean. She did a lot of little things that won't show up on the stat page or any highlights. But at the end of the day she got the shutout."
Up Next
Coach Diaz believes his team is in a good spot with their 6-2 record and 4-1 mark in confernece play. Four of the Peacocks' five conference matches have been on the road and UIU has escaped with four victories. Now, UIU will return home looking to improve upon their three-game winning streak as they host Northern State University and Minnesota State Moorhead next weekend.
