Upper Iowa was unable to qualify for the GLVC Tournament, after suffering a 7-0 loss to the Maryville Saints.
Senior keeper
Archie Watts made his first save of the game in the 10
th minute, but his deflection was kicked into the back of the net by senior midfielder Tim Smith. Sophomore defender Quinn Connolly and freshman midfielder Yayo Mutombo assisted on the play. The Saints quickly took a 2-0 lead on a goal from junior midfielder Gavin Kalish, who was assisted by junior forward Jimmy Doherty and Smith. Sophomore forward
Fabio Bender had a great opportunity to answer for the Peacocks, but his shot on goal was saved in the 15
th minute. Maryville scored their final goal of the half in the 22
nd minute, on a shot into the right corner of the goal by junior midfielder Mason Crew, who was assisted by freshman midfielder Clayton Hamler.
Maryville's stupendous play would continue in the second half, taking a 4-0 lead on a goal by Mutombo in the 54
th minute. Sophomores midfielder
Mateo Rodriguez and defender
Dexter Garrett would both fire shots on goal a few minutes afterwards, but were unable to find the back of the net. Smith, freshman defender Pedro Meidanis, and sophomore forward Luca Bartoni would each score one goal each in the second half, giving the Saints a 7-0 victory. Watts would go on to make three saves in the second half, including back-to-back saves in the 88
th minute. Following the loss, the Peacocks finished the season with a record of 7-7-3, finishing 9
th in the GLVC after originally being projected to finish 13
th in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Peacocks will be saying goodbye to four seniors in Watts, forward
Frider Blunck, and midfielders
Patrick Carney and
Federico McCants. McCants has spent his entire four-year career with Upper Iowa, appearing in eight games while being named to the 2022 GLIAC All-Academic Team. Carney came to UIU for his senior season, appearing in every game for a total of 1,324 minutes while scoring and assisting on one goal. Blunck has spent all four years with UIU, starting every game this season while recording five goals and five assists. He has scored 13 goals and recorded eight assists throughout his collegiate career. Watts spent his junior and senior season with Upper Iowa, recording 117 saves with six shutouts throughout his career. He was named an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2022.