The Upper Iowa men's soccer team hits the road to take on the No. 14 Fort Hays State Tigers on Thursday, followed by a trip to Southern Nazarene University to face the Crimson Storm on Saturday. The Tigers are currently ranked at No.14 in the nation with a 7-2-1 record and are 2-0 against MIAA competition. The Crimson Storm hold a 3-8 record and will attempt to snap a three game losing skid when they take on the Peacocks.
Upper Iowa is looking to rebound after Sunday's 4-2 loss to No. 17 Northeastern State. The RiverHawks controlled most of the match but the Peacocks battled their way back into the game with two late goals.
Robin Stoffels started the rally with his first career goal in the 79
th minute. Junior
Juan Camilo Figueroa added a second goal ten minutes later to bring the Peacocks within two goals. Northeastern State was able to hold off the late push by Upper Iowa and run out the remaining time to hang on to the victory.
The result brings the Peacocks to 3-3-2 on the year but they maintain their second place position in the MIAA. Despite the head- to-head loss, the Peacocks' two conference wins keeps them ahead of the RiverHawks in the standings who improve their MIAA record to 1-1-1.
The Peacocks have seen their quality of play improve over the past four games compared to their first four. In the opening four games of the season, the Peacocks were outshot 24-74 while only netting 3 goals. Those numbers have increased to 61 total shots for 8 goals while limiting their opponents to just 55 shots.
About the Opponents…
@ No. 14 Fort Hays State University
The Tigers will attempt to extend their four game winning streak and improve upon their 7-2-1 record on Thursday night. Fort Hays has netted 35 goals so far this year while holding their opponents to just 12 goals in 10 games. Junior Santiago Agudelo has led the Tigers' offense with 12 goals and 4 assists over their 10 games this year. Agudelo has recorded four multi-goal games for Fort Hays including two hat tricks against Southern Nazarene and Southwest Baptist.
Upper Iowa is currently trailing Fort Hays in the all-time series 2-8-1 and will look to build on that record on Thursday. It will be a tall order as the Peacocks have only been able to steal one win on the road against the Tigers. Kickoff for Thursday night's tilt is scheduled for 6pm.
@Southern Nazarene University
The Crimson Storm are the owners of a 3-8 record and will try to put the brakes on a three game losing streak on Saturday afternoon. Southern Nazarene have been aggressive going into challenges this year, committing 126 fouls in just 11 games. The infractions have come at a cost as the Storm have commonly found themselves in the officials' book, receiving 24 yellow cards this year.
The Peacocks have had good fortune against Southern Nazarene in the past as they have gone 5-1 all-time against the Crimson Storm. Their first win against UIU came last season when they topped the Peacocks 2-1. Saturday's match is slated to begin at 12pm at Wes Harmon Field in Bethany, OK.
