THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S SOCCER… Upper Iowa women's soccer competes in their final match of the season on Thursday against the Warriors. The Peacocks travel to Winona State for a 5 p.m. kick off.
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… For fans who are unable to attend the game this week, we've got you covered with several live options while the Peacocks are in action. Live stats and a webcast 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.
PEACOCK HUE REVIEW... In their two most recent matches, Upper Iowa versed Augustana and Wayne State. They fell to the Vikings 2-0 and dropped to the Wildcats 5-2. In Friday's match, the Vikings got off to an early start as they scored within the first four minutes of play. They continued to control the tempo as Upper Iowa tried to grow into the game offensively. Augustana doubled their lead after a curling left foot effort from 25 yards out with 68 minutes on the clock. The Peacocks remained resilient, as they came close to pulling themselves back into the game when Benavides pushed out in transition and ended up being brought down inside the penalty area. She stepped up for the resulting kick, but the Augustana keeper was equal to her effort, diving low down to the right tallying another save on the evening. Wagner pulled in a career high of ten saves in the game despite conceding twice.
On Sunday, Wayne State was hot from the start, netting their first goal in the second minute of the match. Their next score was converted just four minutes later, giving them an early 2-0 lead. At the 16:09 mark, Wayne State tallied their third goal of the match, taking a 3-0 advantage into halftime. Upper Iowa came out after halftime ready to attack. Rachyl Benavides netted her first score of the game 40 seconds after the second stint began, her second goal of the season. The Wildcats recorded two more goals in the second segment. Their fourth goal was netted in the 51st minute and their fifth was scored in the 60th minute. The Peacocks retaliated with one final goal at the 78:18 mark. Grace Birdsley notched her first goal of the season and the first of her career.
WEIGHING WINONA STATE… The Warriors come into Thursday's game with an overall record of 8-5-4 and a mark of 6-4-4 in the NSIC. In their most recent matchups, Winona State defeated Wayne State 2-0 and fell to Augustana 2-0. Senior Riley Harmon leads Winona State offensively with six goals and 13 points on the season. Jaida Wiege is right behind her with a total of five goals. WSU has tallied six shutouts on the year so far.
