THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S SOCCER... The Upper Iowa women's soccer team takes their three-game winning streak with them as they take on a pair of Northern Sun Conference teams this weekend. The Peacocks will host the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Friday afternoon at Pattison Field before heading west to take on the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls for a Sunday matinee. Upper Iowa has its longest winning streak since October of 2014 and will look to continue its success in conference play. UIU is 7-3-2 all-time against the Mustangs, after dropping a 1-0 decision last season in Marshall, Minn. The Peacocks hold a 4-0 all-time advantage against the Cougars, outscoring USF 20-1 in the four games.
GET YOUR BROOMS OUT... Upper Iowa earned its first sweep of 2016 last weekend in northern Minnesota. The Peacocks shutout the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Friday night before coming back to defeat St. Cloud State in overtime, 2-1. Despite being outshot 31-15 in the two games, they found a way to outscore their opponents 4-1 to earn their first three-game winning streak in two seasons (10-game winning streak in 2014). Upper Iowa scored 28 seconds into overtime to defeat the Huskies on Sunday, when
Gaby Diaz scored her first career goal. Diaz's goal was the second time this season the Peacocks scored less than 30 seconds into a period. Three different Peacocks found the back of the net over the weekend.
VETERAN PRESCENCE... Upperclassmen
Christiana Atteberry and
Jordyn Ostrowski have come through in a big way for the Peacocks during their winning streak. Both have scored their first two goals of the season in back-to-back games. Atteberry, a senior defender, scored the game-tying goal against Wayne State two weeks ago, and then followed with the first goal against Minnesota Duluth last Friday night. Ostrowski, a junior forward, found the back of the net for the first time this year against UMD, scoring in the 61st minute to put the match out of reach; she followed it up with the game-tying goal at St. Cloud State last Sunday in the 79th minute. Both now have four points on the year, and have been a key to success for Head Coach
James Price.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS...
vs. SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE... The Mustangs (4-6 overall, 3-4 NSIC) split a pair of games last weekend, dropping a 4-0 decision to No. 15 Minot State before rebounding with a 5-1 win over U-Mary on Sunday. SMSU's five goals Sunday was its highest output since 2014, with four different Mustangs scoring their first goals of the season. Amanda Hartmann and Alexandra Miskowiec lead SMSU with three goals apiece.
vs. SIOUX FALLS... The Cougars picked up another point with a tie against U-Mary before falling to Minot State last weekend. USF set a new program-best in their NCAA Division II era with eight points on the season with their second tie of the year. Sioux Falls scored two second-half goals to tie the Maraurders, earning a point for the third time in four matches. Alexa D'Acunto paces USF with two score on the season.
