THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK MEN'S SOCCER... The No. 23 Upper Iowa men's soccer team kicks off the 2016 season with a six-game, three-week road trip beginning in Kenosha, Wis. For the second straight season, the Peacocks will open the season with the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers and the Lewis Flyers. UIU will match up with UW-Parkside on Friday, Sept. 2, before heading off to Romeoville, Ill. for a date with Lewis on Sunday, Sept. 4. Upper Iowa earned their first ever wins against both schools since moving up to NCAA Division II, defeating Parkside 3-1 and edging Lewis 1-0 last season in Fayette. Prior to those wins, UIU was 0-2 in Division II play.
FRESH FACES... After graduating 11 seniors last season, Head Coach
Jason Carlson, the 2015 MIAA Coach of the Year, has major holes to fill on this year's roster. Upper Iowa brings in 12 new players with a majority expected to make a contribution this season including sophomore midfielders
Thiago Silva and
Giovanni Martinez. Those two will join senior
Fausto Ordenana who returns to the lineup this fall after playing in just two matches in 2015 due to injury. Prior to 2015, Ordenana had played in 33 of the possible 34 matches in his career.
RETURNING PEACOCKS... Despite the departure of six All-MIAA players, the Peacocks return 15 players from 2015, including 4 who played significant minutes. UIU will lean on reigning MIAA Freshman of the Year
Blair Lyons, who was the first Peacock to win the award. Lyons played in all 18 matches, scoring three goals and registering 15 shots on goal. First Team All-MIAA forward
Ryan Pinkerton returns after leading the team with 6 goals and 14 points, while all-conference goalkeeper
Connor Rortvedt returns to lead the defense in 2016. Midfielder
Chad Peterson also returns to lead the Peacocks after seeing minutes in 12 matches last season.
TARGET ON THEIR BACKS... Upper Iowa, the 2015 MIAA champions, will look to defend their title this season. For the first time in school history, UIU begins the season with a target on its back. After the six-game road trip to begin the season, the Peacocks will begin their quest in the MIAA with a home match at Pattison Field against Southwest Baptist University. UIU finished 13-4-1 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. UIU finished 5-0-1 in non-conference action last season, while going a perfect 6-0 away from Fayette. UIU reached as high as #12 in the national polls, and begin this year at #23.
DEFENSE IS KEY... The Peacocks will look for solid defensive play once again this season. Led by Rortvedt, UIU's defense will look to have the same effect in 2016 after posting 5 shutouts a year ago. Rortvedt led the conference in goals against average (0.69), save percentage (.873) and was second in saves per game (4.93). The Verona, Wis. native posted a 11-2-1 record last season. Along with junior defender
Logan Dahnert and sophomore
Dominic Boland, the Peacocks look to turn to their backline early in 2016.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS...
vs. UW-PARKSIDE... The Rangers ended 2015 with a 6-8-3 overall record and a 6-6-3 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Junior Evan Garcia returns after landing All-Region and All-GLVC accolades after playing and starting in 16 of the Rangers' 17 games last season. The forward led the team in both goals (six) and points (15) while tying for the team lead in assists (three). Senior Ryan Shogren earned a spot on the Midwest Region Third Team last year. Shogren appeared in 16 games for UW-Parkside while tying for the team lead in goals (six) while finishing second on the squad in points (13).
vs. LEWIS... The Flyers were picked ninth in the GLVC in 2016 after finishing 1-15-1 overall and 1-13-1 in conference action last season. Lewis will begin the 2016 season at home against Saginaw Valley State on Thursday, Sept. 1. The Flyers lost a close contest in Fayette last season, dropping 1-0 to the Peacocks.
