By: Zach Carlyle, Sports Communication Graduate Assistant
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S SOCCER... Upper Iowa (1-5-1, 1-3-1 NSIC) will host a pair of Northern Sun Conference games this weekend at Pattison Field in Fayette after opening their season with six of their first seven games on the road. The Peacocks welcome in the Huskies of St. Cloud State University on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. before hosting the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota Duluth on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Friday's match can be seen on UIU TV online and in eastern Iowa on KCRG TV 9.2, while Sunday's match will air live on KCRG TV 9.3. The games can also be streamed on the Stretch Internet app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
VIKINGS AND WILDCATS TOP PEACOCKS... UIU is coming off a tough weekend in the NSIC against two quality opponents. The Peacocks dropped a 3-0 decision in their home opener against Augustana, and then came up just short at Wayne State on Sunday, falling 3-2. UIU was outshot 27-5 against the Vikings, but fought hard against the Wildcats, registering 15 shot attempts and a pair of goals. Sunday's loss was the first time this season Upper Iowa had scored in a losing effort.
THE SERIES... Upper Iowa will look to continue their winning streak against the Bulldogs after wins the previous three seasons; Upper Iowa is 4-5 all-time against UMD. St. Cloud State bit Upper Iowa two years ago in St. Cloud, but the Peacocks bounced back with a 2-1 overtime win last year on the road. UIU has won four of the last five matchups with the Huskies. The Peacocks lead the all-time series with SCSU 4-2-4.
"O" JORDAN... Junior forward
Jordyn Ostrowski is putting the "O" in offense this season for the Peacocks. Ostrowski leads the team with three goals scored this season, and she has tallied all three in two of the last three contests. The Ringle, Wis. native scored a pair of goals in Crookston, Minn. on Sept. 17, and added another in the comeback attempt last Sunday at Wayne State. Ostrowski has tallied nine shot attempts in those two games, and for the season is second on the squad with 14.
OFFENSE BUILDING MOMENTUM... UIU has scored just seven times this season, but all seven have come in two of the last three games. The Peacocks scored five times in the first half at Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 17, and added two more goals last Sunday at Wayne State. 33 of the 64 shot attempts this year came in those two games as well. The Peacock offense will look to build off those two performances this weekend. Ostrowski's three goals lead the offense, with
Corel Carmichael and
Rachel Fowler right behind with two goals apiece.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS...
vs. ST. CLOUD STATE... The Huskies (4-4, 2-3 NSIC) earned their first conference wins of the season, snapping their four-game skid and notching a perfect six-point weekend in NSIC play with a pair of 2-1 wins at Northern State and against MSU Moorhead. Sophomore forward Hannah Marion's goal in the seventh minute at NSU ended the Huskies four-game goalless drought. Prior to Marion's tally, SCSU had been shutout in its previous 432:32 minutes of play, its longest such stretch since 2011. After snapping that streak, the Huskies went on to notch back-to-back multi-goal efforts for the first time this season, scoring four goals by four players in two games.
vs. MINNESOTA DULUTH... The Bulldogs (6-1-1, 3-1-1 NSIC) captured their first comeback win over MSU Moorhead. Both game-winners came in the second half of the match, and 12 of the 14 this season goals scored by the Bulldogs have taken place in the last 45 minutes of regulation. UMD notched a season-high 30 shots (14 on goal) on an offensive barrage vs Northern State. Minnesota Duluth's defense has allowed seven shots or fewer in five games and only two or less on goal in four of those matches.
