THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S SOCCER… The Upper Iowa women's soccer team embarks on their final road stretch of the season as they head to South Dakota and Minnesota over the weekend. The Peacocks are set to face Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. before closing their weekend against Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, Minn. on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… We've got you covered with several live options while the Peacocks are on the road. Live stats and webcasts will be available through the links accompanying this story and at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE. Both matches will also stream live on the new NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Search for "NSIC Network" to find the app on your relevant device.

GETTING GOALS AGAINST GOLDEN EAGLES... The Peacocks ended a five-match streak of being shut out with a 3-0 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston on Friday. The Peacocks earned a penalty kick at the 19:42 mark, and even though the PK attempt was missed by Leah Willenbring she picked up an assist to Haley Ramberg after Ramberg recorded a goal on the rebound to put UIU up 1-0. The Peacocks took the next eight shots of the game, and Sami Reding's shot at the 37:05 mark was perfectly placed into the top of the net to double UIU's lead after an assist from Aimee Sies. The Peacocks took their 2-0 lead into the second period after out-shooting the Golden Eagles by a 12-3 margin (5-0 shots on goal) in the first half, and Upper Iowa continued their offensive push in the second half. Despite a wide margin in shots, the Peacocks did not add to their lead until the 86:28 mark when Ramberg recorded her second score of the match after a Reding assist. The Peacocks out-shot the Golden Eagles by a 28-5 margin that included a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal in the match, and the 28 shots are the most for UIU since taking 37 against Northern State on Oct. 22, 2017.

PEACOCKS TAG BEAVERS FOR TWO... Upper Iowa fell by a score of 4-2 on Sunday against the No. 11 Beavers of Bemidji State University, but the Peacocks did not go down without a fight as the two UIU goals marked the first time that the NSIC-leading Beavers have conceded multiple goals in regulation this season. Bemidji State ended the first period with a 1-0 lead as Upper Iowa hung tough through the first 45, but a Beaver battery connected twice on identical-looking headers in the 49th and 55th minutes to go up 3-0. The Peacocks did not record their first shot of the second half until the 75th minute, but UIU scored on a set piece after Leah Willenbring assisted Katie Samuels on a corner kick at the 76:48 mark that Samuels scored to make it a 3-1 game. The Beavers answered by scoring a controversial goal at the 85:37 mark after the Peacocks thought there should have been an offsides call, pushing their lead to 4-1, and Upper Iowa came up with a quick answer of their own as a Bemidji State foul on the ensuing UIU attack allowed Samuels to score her second goal off of the free kick to make it a 4-2 game at the 86:06 mark before the match ended with that score. UIU is currently 6-6 overall and in ninth place in the 16-team NSIC with a 4-6 record in the conference.

BRACING FOR IMPACT... Haley Ramberg and Katie Samuels each recorded a brace for the Peacocks as they each scored twice in a match. The UIU duo was responsible for four of the five UIU goals scored over the weekend, and they now share the team lead with three goals apiece. Ramberg scored the first and last goals of UIU's 3-0 shutout victory over Minnesota Crookston. Over the weekend, Ramberg took eight shots, including a career-high six against the Golden Eagles to lead Upper Iowa to a split in two Northern Sun matches. Ramberg has scored three goals this season and eight in her career. Samuels scored a pair of goals in UIU's 4-2 loss on Sunday against No. 11 Bemidji State. The goals were the second and third for Samuels this season, and she leads the Peacocks with nine points thanks to three assists. She has nine goals and four assists in her career.

WITHSTANDING THE WOLVES... Northern State University comes into their matchup against UIU with a 5-4-3 (4-3-3 NSIC) record. The Wolves are 1-1-2 in their last four matches, and they snapped a four-match scoreless stretch with a 2-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State University in their last match. NSU has outscored their opponents 14-13 despite being out-shot by a 156-111 margin that includes an 82-62 deficit in shots on goal. Offensively, the Wolves are led by Megan Fastenau, who is tied for fourth in the NSIC with six goals and tied for fifth with 13 points. Goalkeeper Alexus Townsend ranks fourth in the conference with a .841 save percentage, is tied for fourth with 69 saves, and is tied for second with UIU's Natalie Rudrud and others with four shutouts. Northern State was voted to finish 13th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and currently ranks seventh in the standings. NSU holds a slight 7-6-3 advantage in the all-time series between the Peacocks and the Wolves. Upper Iowa claimed a 2-1 win in their last meeting on Oct. 6, 2019 in Fayette.

DEALING WITH THE DRAGONS... Minnesota State University Moorhead enters the weekend with a record of 0-13 (0-10 NSIC). The Dragons have been shut out in all but two of their matches this season as they have been outscored by their opponents by a 29-2 margin. They have allowed the second-most goals in the NSIC while scoring the fewest, and their -2.08 scoring margin is second-worst. They have been out-shot by a 209-76 margin, including a 112-47 mark in shots on goal. Ally Peters and Liana Ulness have recorded the only goals for MSUM. Goalkeeper Kayleigh Sedlacek ranks third in the NSIC with 75 saves and has allowed the third-most goals in the conference. The Dragons were picked to finish 12th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and currently sit in last place. The Peacocks hold a 10-1-1 advantage over the Dragons in the all-time series, but MSUM played UIU to a 1-1 tie in their last matchup on Oct. 4, 2019 in Fayette. MSU Moorhead is scheduled to play Winona State University (4-7-1, 3-6-1 NSIC) prior to playing the Peacocks.

LOOKING AHEAD… The Peacocks will play their final road contest of the season before returning to Fayette for their final two matches. UIU is set to play Augustana University on Friday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D. before welcoming Wayne State College to Pattison Field on Sunday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. Upper Iowa will conclude their regular season with a matchup against Winona State University in Fayette on Friday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.
 

2021 Team Leaders	POINTS	GOALS	ASSISTS	SHOTS	SAVES
UPPER IOWA	Samuels - 9	Ramberg/Samuels - 3	Willenbring - 4	Samuels - 29	Rudrud - 36
NORTHERN STATE	Fastenau - 13	Fastenau - 6	Three tied w/ - 2	Fastenau - 24	Townsend - 69
MSU MOORHEAD	Peters/Ulness - 2	Peters/Ulness - 1	N/A	Steadland - 12	Sedlacek - 75