The Upper Iowa men's soccer team overcame a 3-1 first-half deficit as they scored four unanswered goals in the second period to secure a 5-3 win over Northwood University. The Peacocks improve to 4-3-0 (1-3-0 GLIAC) on the season with the win, while the Timberwolves fall to 1-6-1 (0-3-1 GLIAC) with the loss.
Upper Iowa and Northwood planted the seeds of their high-scoring affair early as UIU had an attack in the second minute that ended with a shot from
Stan Cargill before NU took a shot at the 4:09 mark and a shot on goal at the 5:57 mark that had to be saved by
Osvaldo Alonzo. The Peacocks would earn a corner and take a pair of shots after a pair of offside calls against the Timberwolves, but the Northwood offense looked to start something with their corner kick at the 16:23 mark. NU needed a second corner kick after UIU turned their first away, and the second time proved to be the charm as the ball was deflected in off the shoulder of an NU player to give the Timberwolves a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. Northwood was quick to continue their attack as they took a shot in the box UIU that was saved by Alonzo at the 20:23 mark, but an NU player cleaned up the rebound to double their lead to 2-0.
Looking to get on the board, the Peacocks took the next four shots (two on goal) before Alonzo secured a save on a Northwood shot in the 32nd minute. Upper Iowa went on a counterattack that was led by Cargill as the forward took an assist from
Italo Martins Soares and cut the UIU deficit in half at the 33:27 mark. The Peacocks had a chance to tie the score with back-to-back corner kicks in the 39th minute, but the Timberwolves made a counterattack of their own that saw a shot get blocked, a shot get saved by Alonzo, and a third shot proved to be the charm as they pushed their lead to 3-1 in the 41st minute that they took into the halftime break.
Needing to mount a second-half comeback, Upper Iowa came out strong and immediately went on the offensive as they got into the NU box twice in the first two minutes before
Alan Dunlop crossed a ball to Cargill that found the back of the net at the 46:50 mark to bring the score within one at 3-2. The Peacocks were not done as
Cain Smith put a shot on goal just 30 seconds later and earned a UIU corner. After getting taken down with the ball in the box, Martins Soares earned a penalty kick that he converted on to knot the score at three goals apiece at the 48:08 mark.
UIU kept the pressure on as they took the next three shots (two on goal) before Northwood took their first attempt of the half in the 62nd minute that was saved by Alonzo. Martins Soares missed high on a decent look at 62:05 before Cargill put a dangerous shot on goal at 62:36 and earned a UIU corner, and
Tate Lofdahl ripped a shot at the 63:48 mark that Northwood was able to save.
Smith went for a run and drew a foul in the box at the 68:01 mark that gave him UIU's second penalty kick of the match. Like the first, this PK found its target as the Peacocks took a 4-3 lead. Still refusing to let off the gas and continue their offensive onslaught, the Peacocks earned a pair of corners in the 70th and 72nd minutes.
Erick Lopez handled the corner kick and was able to find
Martin Voll on the second attempt as Voll was able to get a touch on a ball that bounced over the goal line before bouncing out, extending the UIU lead to 5-3 in the 73rd minute.
The rest of the second half was marred by physical play as four yellow cards were issued in the final 17 minutes of play. The Peacocks put a shot on goal at the 77:36 mark that would prove to be their last shot of the half, but the Upper Iowa defense held firm after their fifth goal as they turned away four corner kicks and three shots, including two on goal that were saved by Alonzo. The Peacocks held on to win by a score of 5-3 after scoring four unanswered goals in the second half as Upper Iowa claimed its first win as a program in the Great Lakes Conference.
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME...
- Stan Cargill scored the first UIU goal of each half as his two scores proved to be the difference in the 5-3 win. Cargill also tied for a match-high with five shots while leading the match with four shots on goal.
- Italo Martins Soares evened the score after scoring a goal on a penalty kick. Martins Soares also picked up an assist on one of Cargill's goals while taking three shots (two on goal).
- Cain Smith scored the go-ahead goal on a PK that would put Upper Iowa up for good. Smith's goal was his first of the season, while his five shots and two shots on goal were also season highs.
- Martin Voll scored the first goal of his collegiate career to give the Peacocks a fifth goal in a match for the first time since 2016. The defender also played full time and helped UIU shut out Northwood in the second half.
- Alan Dunlop dished out his team-leading fourth assist of the season.
- Osvaldo Alonzo secured seven saves and turned in a strong bounce-back performance in the second half as he did not allow a goal in the final 45 minutes to help UIU secure the win.
STATS OF THE GAME...
- The teams were tied with nine shots apiece in the first half, but the Peacocks out-shot the Timberwolves 13-5 in the second period.
- Upper Iowa earned ten corner kicks while allowing seven to Northwood.
- Each team was given one yellow card in the second half, but five yellows (three for UIU, two for NU) were awarded over a 22-minute stretch in the second half.
UP NEXT... The Peacocks head to Dubuque, Iowa to play a reserve match on Monday, Sep. 27, before continuing the second half of their four-game homestand against Northern Michigan University on Friday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. and against the University of Wisconsin - Parkside on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. in what will be Upper Iowa's homecoming weekend.
