THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK SOCCER … The Upper Iowa men's soccer team opens their season by making the hike south to Missouri for a pair of games this weekend. Their first contest this 2022 season will be hosted by Drury University on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30pm. The Peacocks will then match up against University of Missouri- St. Louis on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 1:00pm. 
 
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Drury University is hosting away from their regular game site, therefore, no live stats or webcast will be available for the competition on Aug. 26. University of Missouri St. Louis will have all your coverage needs with live stats and a webcast at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
 
FAMILIAR FACE IN FAYETTE… Head Coach Jason Carlson returns to Fayette and the Peacock men's soccer program in 2022 after five years split between Florida and North Carolina at NCAA Division II institutions.
 
Carlson led the Peacocks to 39 wins over four seasons (2013-16), a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship and a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II Central Regional in 2015. In 10 seasons as a head men's soccer coach, with nine coming at the NCAA Division II level, Carlson has amassed a record of 88-63-17 overall and a conference record of 48-33-8.
 
PEACOCK HUES… Upper Iowa finished their 2021 campaign with a 10-7-1 overall record and a 7-6-1 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference. The conference record marks UIU's best finish as a member of the GLIAC, and their best overall record since a 2015 campaign that saw them finish 13-4-1, win the conference tournament and make a run to the NCAA DII Sweet 16. 
 
A significant number of new faces are being welcomed to the men's soccer program this 2022 season. With only a handful of returners on the roster and just two seniors, the UIU men's soccer staff is aiming for their crew to be tactful and compete with every matchup. Expect to see immediate impact from Archie Watts and Yannis Sapim. The coaching staff notes that Watts will be key in polishing up the Goalkeeper position and Sapim is a transfer that brings needed age and experience.
 
GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL… The Peacocks were selected fifth out of seven teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll. 
 
Defending conference champion Parkside has been tabbed as the 2022 favorite in the GLIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll, as voted by the league coaches. Parkside garnered 34 total points and five first-place votes. The Rangers, who are led by 12th year head coach and 2021 GLIAC Coach of the Year Jason Zitzke, finished last season 15-4-2 overall, and 10-3-1 in the GLIAC. They won both the GLIAC regular season title and the GLIAC tournament title for the second time in the last three seasons and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. 
 
DETECTING DRURY… The Drury men's soccer team is picked to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in a vote of league coaches in the conference's preseason poll. The Panthers received a first-place vote and 105 points in the poll. 
 
Drury finished fifth in the league last year, going 7-3-4 in the GLVC and 8-7-4 overall. They advanced to the conference tournament semifinals in 2021. The Panthers return 13 lettermen, including All-Conference selection Jamie O'Brien, who scored nine goals in 13 games last season. Head coach Ben Taylor returns to the sideline for his sixth season leading the Drury program.
 
UNPACKING UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS… The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's soccer team has been tabbed for a seventh-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the annual vote of the league head coaches. 
 
UMSL is coming off an 8-8-1 record including 7-6-1 in 2021, in which they earned a spot in the GLVC Tournament for the second straight season. Under the direction of head coach Dan King, entering his 22nd season, the Tritons return a trio of All-GLVC performers in senior midfielder Tommy Naumann, senior back Nick Schreiber and fifth-year senior forward Arman Kovac.

LOOKING AHEAD… Upper Iowa men's soccer hosts their first home game Thursday, Sep. 1 at 6:00pm. The Peacocks will battle with Colorado Christian for their first contest on the new turf at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Several days later, UIU's crew will trek over to Quincy University for a matchup on Monday, Sep. 4.