On a beautiful and windy Friday afternoon at Pattison Field, the Upper Iowa women's soccer team picked up its fourth straight victory with a 2-0 shutout of the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. The Peacocks and Mustangs matched totals in shots and corners, but UIU was able to take advantage with a goal in each half to put the visitors away. Freshman Birgit Rijnders got UIU on the board in the first half with her second goal of the year. In the second frame, it was senior Lauren Sharp who put the game away with her first score of the season. With the win, Upper Iowa improves to 6-4 overall (5-3 NSIC), while the Mustangs drop to 4-7 overall and 3-5 in league play with the loss.

It was just a 7-6 advantage for the Peacocks in shots in the first half, but UIU controlled the ball well. Upper Iowa took three shots in the first seven minutes, including attempts from Mackenzie Taldone, Jordyn Ostrowski, and Christiana Atteberry. That set the tone for the afternoon. Southwest Minnesota State had a chance in the 21st minute to get on the board, but Emily Hofmann's shot hit the post, and the game remained scoreless. Four minutes later, Brianne Fenton had an opportunity for UIU with a header, but it just missed high. The Peacocks finally broke through a few minutes later.

In the 30th minute, Maddie North sent a pass to Rijnders, who took it right up the middle. When she got to the box, she sent a perfect shot past SMSU goalie Jessica Craigmile to break the scoring seal. The visitors had a few chances at the end of the first frame, including three shot attempts in the final 30 seconds. However, Upper Iowa's backline, led by Taldone, blocked two of the shots, while the third one was saved by goalkeeper Caila Petrie. UIU took the 1-0 lead into the locker room, looking for more success in the second period.

The second half featured a 7-6 lead in shots and a 2-1 lead in corners for SMSU, matching UIU's total in the first half, but it was the Peacocks who again took advantage of their opportunities. Upper Iowa led 5-3 in shots in the first 20 minutes of the second frame, but the scored remained 1-0 with solid backline play. That changed in the 69th minute. 

Atteberry sent a pass to sharp on the left sideline, and it did not appear the senior forward had a play. Sharp took the ball near the endline, and intended to send a cross from the left side. The ball ricocheted off the SMSU goalie, and dove into the net for the score. Sharp's first goal of the year put the game away for good.

For the game, the numbers were almost identical. Each team tallied 13 shot attempts and three corners, and UIU held a slight 4-3 advantage in shots on goal. Petrie tallied three saves in goal for the Peacocks, improving to 6-4 on the year, while Craigmile totaled just one save while dropping to 4-7 in net for SMSU.

The Peacocks will hit the road for a Sunday afternoon tilt with the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls to close out the weekend. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the USF Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D.