FAYETTE, Iowa - The Upper Iowa women's soccer team (3-11-2, 1-10-1 GLVC) wraps up its regular season this weekend at Harms-Eischeid Stadium, playing host to No. 24 McKendree (Ill.) (10-1-4, 10-1-1 GLVC) and Illinois-Springfield (4-8-3, 3-7-2 GLVC). The Peacocks play the Bearcats on Friday, Oct. 31, at noon and the Prairie Stars on Sunday, Nov. 2, at noon.
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to attend the games this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options available at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, featuring access to live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.
In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAMS
Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans at our games and to those watching at home. QR Codes will be located around the stadium to scan with your cell phone's camera, which will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
LAST TIME OUT
The Peacocks fell to Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville (Mo.) in St. Louis this past weekend, matching up against two of the GLVC's top five teams. Haylee Allen and Eve Russell each produced shots on goal for Upper Iowa this weekend. Goalkeeper Isabelle Wagner totaled 22 saves across the two matches, including a 17-save mark that ranked second-most all-time in Peacock women's soccer history.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Giovanna Alexa Garcia leads the team in goals this season with three, totaling a team-high six points. Haylie Hutchinson is the team leader in shots (21) and assists (three), ranking second on the team in points and 18th in the GLVC in assists. Allen and Rhea Buchanan both have two goals this season.
Sophomore defender Myriah Roybal has played every minute for the Peacocks this season (1,440), holding steady across the Peacocks' back line while also adding a goal in the match against Southwest Baptist. Defender Natalie Lima ranks second on the team in minutes played, logging 1,395 in her senior season thus far.
Wagner has started the past two games in net for the Peacocks, totaling 22 saves with a 78.6% save percentage.
AROUND THE GLVC
McKendree (Ill.) (10-1-4, 10-1-1 GLVC) leads the conference with 31 points, two points ahead of second-place Missouri-St. Louis (10-3-2, 9-1-2 GLVC). The Bearcats and Tritons have clinched a spot in the GLVC Tournament alongside Drury (Mo.), Quincy (Ill.) and Maryville (Mo.), who all are still alive in the hunt for the GLVC regular season crown. Quincy faces the toughest final weekend of the group, hosting Maryville on Friday and McKendree on Sunday in Quincy.
The Bearcats are ranked in this week's United Soccer Coaches' Poll, staying in last week's spot at No. 24.
With a full-blown title race at the top, there's even more pressure on teams six through nine in the GLVC, as Rockhurst (Mo.) (20 points), Truman State (Mo.) (19 points), Lewis (Ill.) (18 points) and Missouri S&T (17 points) vie for the final three spots in the conference tournament. The Hawks and Miners will meet in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday evening in a decisive matchup.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS - Friday at noon
The Bearcats have won four straight matches coming into the weekend, including a pair of home wins last weekend, defeating UIndy 5-1 and Lewis 1-0. McKendree's lone GLVC loss came to Missouri-St. Louis by a score of 1-0 on Oct. 10.
Sophomore forward Maddie Mauch leads the Bearcats with nine goals on the season. Junior midfielder Maggie Gleckler has a team-best 11 assists, 23 points and 46 shots. Zoe Cormier and Aubrey Andrews each have five goals and one assist, breaking double-digit points for the year this past weekend.
Mauch's tally of nine goals is tied for third in the GLVC with two others. Gleckler's 11 assists lead the GLVC and are the second-most across Division II.
Junior goalkeeper Peyton Baker has tallied 66 saves with an 88.0% save percentage. These marks rank third and first in the GLVC, respectively. Baker has seven clean sheets through 15 games, behind only Agnes Vilen of Maryville (eight) and Katy Fitzler of Drury (eight) in the conference.
Head coach Tim Strange is one of the most accomplished coaches across the GLVC, taking over the McKendree women's soccer program in 1999. Strange coached the McKendree men's soccer program from 1994 to 2012, coaching both programs for 13 seasons. Since the Bearcats moved to the NCAA ahead of the 2013 season, Strange has produced a record of 164-57-35.
ABOUT THE PRAIRIE STARS - Sunday at noon
Illinois-Springfield won its lone game this past weekend, defeating UIndy 1-0 on Senior Day at Kiwanis Stadium. The Prairie Stars sit 10th in the GLVC standings and face Lewis on Friday ahead of the matchup with the Peacocks.
Sophomore forward Mallory Herber leads Illinois-Springfield with six goals and 13 points this season. Herber is tied for ninth in the GLVC in goals. Freshman forward Addison Wittenberg leads the Prairie Stars with three assists, providing the assist to Herber for the game-winning goal on Sunday against the Greyhounds.
Goalkeeper Gigi Yurevich has started 12 games in net for UIS this season, making 32 saves with a 64.0% save percentage. The junior has produced three clean sheets in the last five contests for the Prairie Stars.
Head coach Scott Myers is in his second season with Illinois-Springfield. His record with the Prairie Stars stands at 12-15-6 overall and 11-12-3 in the GLVC heading into the weekend.
