The Upper Iowa men's soccer team defended their home pitch against Drury University as they claimed a 1-0 victory on Pattison Field in Fayette. The Peacocks improve to a 3-0 record on the season while the Panthers fall to 0-3.
The score remained 0-0 through the first half after some back-and-forth play prevented either team from getting into much of an offensive rhythm. The Peacocks offense looked more cohesive than the Drury attack through the first 45 minutes as they kept the pressure on and earned a 6-2 shot advantage and had a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks. Seven Panther fouls and six Peacock fouls combined with three offsides calls against UIU and two yellow cards given to Drury players interrupted the pace and led to the lack of offensive output in the first half.
In the second half, Upper Iowa turned up their offensive pressure and secured a 7-1 advantage in shots taken. Three of UIU's shots were on goal and one of them resulted in the game-winning goal as
Stan Cargill put in a shot from just outside the goal to claim a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute. The deciding goal came after a nice long ball off the foot of senior
Cain Smith that was played beautifully by freshman
Daniel Pranger as the Drury goalkeeper came out to challenge Pranger and allowed him to set up Cargill for the goal. The Panthers tried to rally and tie the match before full time, but they were unable to put any shots on goal despite some late opportunities. The only corner kick of the second half came in the 88th minute and the Peacock fans had to hold their breath while the UIU defense held firm and stopped a dangerous ball that made its way inside the box. Italo Martins Soars just missed a chance to double the Upper Iowa lead in the 89th minute and Frieder Blunk's follow sailed just high in what would be the final action of UIU's 1-0 win.
The victory at home marked Upper Iowa's first win in Fayette since a 1-0 win over Oklahoma Baptist University on Oct. 20, 2018.
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME...
- Stan Cargill scored the match's first and only goal as his lone shot found the back of the net for the game-winner.
- Cain Smith and Daniel Pranger combined to assist Cargill on the deciding UIU goal.
- Alejo Prieto helped secure the shutout as he and the UIU defense held Drury to three shots with none on goal.
- Italo Martins Soares tied Smith for a match-high with three shots, putting two on goal.
STATS OF THE GAME...
- Upper Iowa was in control for most of the match as they out-shot Drury by a 13-3 margin.
- UIU turned it up in the second half as they had a 7-1 shot advantage with a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Peacock defense did not allow a shot on goal despite some pressure from the Panthers.
UP NEXT... The Peacocks will stay in Iowa to play a pair of reserve matches on Sep. 12 and 15 in Decorah and Fayette, respectively, before opening conference play against Purdue University - Northwest in Hammond, Ind. on Friday, Sep. 17 at 2 p.m.
