THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S SOCCER… The Upper Iowa women's soccer team will wrap up a four-game stretch of games in Fayette as they continue their conference competition. The Peacocks play the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Sep. 24 at 3:30 p.m. on Pattison Field before seeing St. Cloud State University on Sunday, Sep. 26 for a match at 1 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and a webcast for the matches will be available through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE and included with this story. The contests 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. Locally, Friday's match is scheduled to be broadcast on KCRG-TV 9.2, while Sunday's match is scheduled to be broadcast on Eastern Iowa's CW 9.3.

DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Upper Iowa will not be printing gameday programs this season. Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program at any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans both at our games and those at home listening to or watching the action. QR Codes will also be located around the field to scan with your cell phone's camera that will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.

SHUTTING OUT SMSU AND USF... After sweeping their first weekend of NSIC competition at home in Fayette, the Peacocks improved to 4-0 (2-0 NSIC) on the season. Upper Iowa claimed a pair of 1-0 shutout wins over Southwest Minnesota State University and the University of Sioux Falls in their first matches on Pattison Field since 2019. The wind played a factor in both contests as UIU had to attack against the wind in the first half of each match before turning the momentum around and scoring game-winning goals in the second half of each competition with the wind at their backs.

Against SMSU, the Peacocks earned a 6-2 shot advantage in the second half to finish the game with an 8-5 advantage in shots and a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal. Katie Samuels scored the game-winning goal against the Mustangs off of a free kick in the 64th minute while leading the match with three shots. Against USF, the Peacocks notched a 6-2 shot advantage in the first half before out-shooting USF by a 12-1 mark in the second period, finishing the match with a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. Upper Iowa earned 12 corner kicks in the match while allowing none, tallying 11 of those dozen attempts in the second half. Sami Reding's first goal of her collegiate career in the 74th minute proved to be the game-winner, and the freshman finished with the second-most shots of the match (3) and tied for first in shots on goal (2). Samuels dished out her team-leading second assist of the season on the deciding goal and helped UIU keep control as she led the match with six shots (two on goal).

READY, AIMEE, FIRE... Aimee Sies was selected as the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week after UIU's weekend sweep. Sies is the second Peacock honoree of the season, joining her teammate and fellow defender, Katrina Kazluski, who was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week after week one. Sies has been a staple of a solid Upper Iowa defense this season. The Brooklyn, Wisconsin native played all 180 minutes and helped UIU go 2-0 over the weekend with a pair of 1-0 shutouts against SMSU and USF. Sies and the Peacock defense stymied the opposing offensive attacks, holding the Cougars to just three shots, two on goal, and limiting the Mustangs to five shots, one on goal. The Belleville high school product handled most of the free kick opportunities for Upper Iowa and recorded one shot against SMSU while putting both of her shots on goal against USF. A highlight that will not appear in a box score came when Sies cleared a dangerous ball that would have scored after ricocheting off the UIU goalkeeper and a USF attacker had the senior not been in a position to boot it away.

A GOOD ONE IN GOAL... Upper Iowa's Natalie Rudrud has been impressive in goal to start the season and has played a significant role in the team's 4-0 start. Rudrud secured three saves on all three shots on goal she faced across the two Upper Iowa wins over SMSU and USF. The senior stalwart leads the NSIC in goals against average (.245), shutouts (3), and shutout percentage (.750). Her .909 save percentage is the second-best mark in the conference, and her one goal allowed is tied for the fewest in the NSIC while being the best amongst goalies who have played more than two games. In the NCAA Division II rankings, Rudrud's three shutouts are tied for the fifth-most, her .245 goals against average ranks 11th, and her save percentage (.909) is tied for the 25th best mark.

UIU RANKED IN THE REGION... The Peacocks earned a spot in the third edition of the weekly NCAA DII Women's United Soccer Coaches' Poll. Upper Iowa is ranked seventh in the Central Region Rankings, joining Bemidji State University (second) and Minnesota State University - Mankato (sixth) as the trio of NSIC teams earning a ranking in the third week of the poll. Upper Iowa is tied for first in the NSIC standings with Bemidji State (6-0, 2-0 NSIC) and Minot State University (3-2, 2-0 NSIC).

FIVE SCORES AND FOUR GAMES AGO... Upper Iowa improved to a 4-0 (2-0 NSIC) record for the first time in program history and is off to their best start since the 2012 campaign (2-0). The Peacocks are one of just 16 undefeated teams in NCAA Division II. The only other time the team has achieved a 2-0 record to open NSIC competition came in their 2008 season. The Peacocks have outscored their competition 5-1 over their four-game winning streak that includes an NSIC-best three shutout victories. Upper Iowa's two longest stretches of NSIC wins, and wins overall, came in 2016 (five games) and 2014 (nine games). The Peacocks will look to continue their winning ways this weekend against a pair of NSIC foes.

BESTING THE BULLDOGS... The University of Minnesota Duluth comes into their matchup against UIU with an 0-5 (0-2 NSIC) record. The Bulldogs have yet to score more than one goal in a match this season and have been shut out three times, including a pair of shutouts in their most recent matches against NSIC Minot State and the University of Mary. UMD has been outscored 14-2 and out-shot 90-58 (51-27 shots on goal) in their five matches. UMD's Sophia Grenz leads NSIC goalkeepers with 37 saves, but her 14 goals allowed are also the most in the conference. Minnesota Duluth was picked to finish 11th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll but is currently tied for last in the conference. Upper Iowa holds a 5-3-1 advantage in the all-time series between the Peacocks and Bulldogs. The teams finished with a 1-1 tie in their last meeting on Oct. 20, 2019, in Duluth, Minn, and UIU claimed a 1-0 win over UMD in Fayette in 2018.

HOUNDING THE HUSKIES... St. Cloud State University enters the weekend with a record of 0-3-1 (0-1-1 NSIC). The Huskies were shut out by scores of 3-0 and 1-0 in their nonconference matches to start the season before finishing with a 2-2 tie against UMary in their first NSIC match. SCSU was dealt a 1-0 shutout defeat by Minot State in their second conference match. St. Cloud has been outscored 7-2 despite out-shooting their opponents 54-48 with a 28-21 advantage in shots on goal. Their opponents have twice as many saves as SCSU (26-13) and have earned ten more corner kicks than the Huskies (18-8). Jenna Dominguez and Nicole Friis (seven shots on goal) lead the St. Cloud offense with one goal apiece while tying with Ari Del Moral in each taking ten shots as the trio are tied for 15th for shots in the NSIC. Evie Kohn's seven goals allowed are tied for the fourth-most in the conference, and her .650 save percentage ranks last amongst NSIC goalkeepers. St. Cloud State was picked to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll but was sitting in 13th-place in the conference heading into the weekend. The Peacocks hold a slight 4-3-5 edge over the Huskies in the all-time series between the teams, and SCSU won a 2-1 match in their most recent contest on Oct. 18, 2019, in St. Cloud, Minn. The Huskies are scheduled to play Winona State University (2-2, 1-1 NSIC) prior to playing the Peacocks.

LOOKING AHEAD… UIU hits the road to start a four-game stretch playing away from Fayette. The Peacocks head north to face the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. on Friday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. before a matchup with Minot State University in Minot, N.D. on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 12 p.m.
 

2021 Team Leaders	POINTS	GOALS	ASSISTS	SHOTS	SAVES
UPPER IOWA	Samuels - 4	Five tied w/ - 1	Samuels - 2	Samuels - 16	Rudrud - 10
MINN. DULUTH	Jares/McGiffert - 2	Jares/McGiffert - 1	Three tied w/ - 1	Kaboord - 8	Grenz - 37
ST. CLOUD STATE	Dominguez/Friis - 2	Dominguez/Friis - 2	N/A	Three tied w/ - 10	Kohn - 13