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Oct. 31, 2007
Upper Iowa earned a home game for their quarterfinal match of the Northern Sun Conference Tournament. The Peacocks came a long way in one year. Last season, they qualified for the NSIC Tournament as the 8th Seed and had to play at #1 Winona State. This season, the team was hosting the first game of the tournament thanks to their 6-2-1 conference record and 3rd place finish. Upper Iowa welcomed Minnesota State Moorhead to Pattison Field on a cool, windy day in Fayette. Upper Iowa dominated the match and took shot after shot, but could not get one to the back of the net. MSU Moorhead hit a goal in the 50th minute from 30 yards away for the game's only goal. The season ended for the Peacocks with the 1-0 loss to the Dragons. The first half of play was controlled by Upper Iowa's offensive attack. The home team took an 18-2 advantage in shots into the locker room at halftime, but could not manage a goal. The only player on the field busier than the Peacock shooters was the Dragon goal keeper, Alison Wanner. Wanner made 9 saves in net for the Dragons to preserve the scoreless tie. UIU's best chance in the first half came on a shot that Amy Campbell kicked over the goalie's head, but the shot bounced away harmlessly after squarely hitting the crossbar. The two teams came back from the break with 45 minutes to score a goal and keep their season alive. The Dragons got a score in the 50th minute when a defensive miscue turned the ball over. Richelle Ross took the ball and moved from left to right before letting loose on a 30-yard, looping shot that went over the Peacock keeper, Sarah Hiatt. The shot was only the second shot that Hiatt faced in goal in the game and it sailed just out of her reach to the top right corner. Campbell and Candice Divoky each had great opportunities at goals as the game progressed, but they either missed the frame or Wanner made the save in goal. The final numbers saw Upper Iowa out shot Moorhead 31-12, but UIU was only able to put 13 on goal, while MSUM found the frame 8 times. Wanner made 13 saves for the Dragons in earning the shutout victory, while Hiatt made 7 saves for the Peacocks. Upper Iowa also held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, but could not get anything done on their sets. MSU Moorhead will now play Northern State on Saturday after the Wolves defeated the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul, 2-0. Upper Iowa was not the only top seed to be upset. The #8 seeded Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State beat the #1 seeded Warriors of Winona State in a shootout (4-3) after the teams played for 110 minutes without a goal. Upper Iowa's final record reached 12-8-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the NSIC regular season. Northern Sun All-Conference Awards will be announced tomorrow and will likely contain quite a few Peacocks after their fine season. |
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