THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCKS MEN'S SOCCER… The Peacocks will host their first set of conference home matches. Upper Iowa will first take on Davenport University on Friday, Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. The Peacocks will then play Ashland University on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Visit UIUPeacocks/Live to follow along via live stats and a webcast.
PEACOCK PREY… This weekend will be the first time in team history Upper Iowa faces Davenport and Ashland. Davenport was 3-12-2 (2-9-1 in GLIAC play) during the 2018 season.
Davenport allowed 39 goals to score last season, the most out of all GLIAC members. Second in scoring for the Panthers during the 2018 season, forward Matt Whelan returns to Davenport for his sophomore season. Also returning for the Panthers is 2018 team leading distributor, senior forward Brayden Texer. So far this season Davenport is 3-3-0 (3-0-0).
Ashland was 8-10-3 (4-6-2) last season. Forward Justin Libertowski led the GLIAC in goals scored (13) and points (28), he returns to Ashland for his junior season. Forward Kieran Paterson had the mosts shots on goal out of all GLIAC players in 2018. He also returns to the Eagles for his sophomore year of play. Additionally, Ashland recorded the most saves (120) as a team out of all GLIAC members during the 2018 season. So far this season Ashland is 1-6-0 (1-3-0).
ROCKY ROAD … Upper Iowa suffered two road losses this past weekend. The first loss came at the hands of Saginaw Valley State University by a score of 8-2. The high scoring match was highlighted by goals from freshman forward Stan Cargill and junior forward Dylan Mientus. The majority of the first half was a scoreless battle until Saginaw Valley scored two quick goals to open the match up. The Cardinals went up 4-0 scoring two more quick goals through twenty minutes of play in the second half. At the 65th minute mark, Saginaw Valley forward Connor Rutz had recorded a hat trick. Cargill got the Peacocks on the board shorty before three more quick goals were scored by Saginaw Valley. The two teams exchanged goals in the final 10 minutes to end the match at 8-2.
Upper Iowa's second defeat was against Northwood University. The Peacocks fell by a score of 5-0. Northwood got out to an early 1-0 lead in the first half. Junior forward Nino Evola got the Timberwolves on the board in the 15th minute, scoring his first goal of the season off a breakaway. The two teams shut down each others offenses for the remainder of the first half. Northwood took control of the game in the second half, scoring four more unanswered goals. The first three goals came within the first 10 minutes of second half play. The two teams then played 35 minutes of scoreless soccer until Northwood tacked on one more goal to go up by the eventual final score of 5-0.
LOOKING AHEAD … Upper Iowa will host another home match next weekend. The Purdue University-Northwest Lions will come to Fayette and face off against the Peacocks. The match takes place on Saturday, October.12 at 11 a.m. on Pattison Field. If you cannot attend the match, visit UIUPeacocks/Live to follow along via live stats and a webcast.
