|
The Upper Iowa University women’s soccer team began their preparations for today’s contest in a shower, but by the time the game began the rain had all but stopped. However, the rain had left Pattison Field as an area more commonly seen in marshes. Standing water could be seen flying everywhere as the two teams began the contest. Upper Iowa played host to their second MIAA guest in as many days. The Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State traveled to Fayette for their first match of the 2007 season. Upper Iowa entered the game with a 1-0 record after defeating Missouri Western yesterday afternoon 3-0.
At the outset of the match, the Bearcats seemed to have control of the game pushing the Peacocks deep into their own end and at times in the early going, all ten field players were on the offensive half of the field. The Peacocks would occasionally get a run out along the sidelines, but Northwest’s Marti Trummer seemed to be everywhere tracking down UIU advances with her speed. Northwest outshot Upper Iowa 8-1 in the first half. The lone shot attempt for the Peacocks came off the foot of Tiffany Barnish and nearly put the home team in the lead. The ball gently floated over the keeper but hit the crossbar and bounced harmlessly away to a Bearcat defender, who cleared the ball out of danger. After halftime, the Peacocks came out and looked much more organized as they began to move the game into Northwest’s defensive half. Upper Iowa began to find more and more creases and lanes to pass to one another. One of these opportunities came in the 65th minute when Lauren Smith threaded a pass through the defense to the feet of Candice Divoky. The Bearcat keeper, Lauren Hodgson, came out of goal aggressively, but a quick touch by Divoky around a diving Hodgson gave Divoky an open look and she drilled the ball into the back of the goal. Hodgson played a great game in goal and was aggressive all game long to keep the Peacocks off the board besides the one goal. The Bearcats attempted one final push and put a lot of pressure on the Peacock defense over the final few minutes of the game. But the back line and keeper Melissa Heitzman stood strong. For the second game in a row Upper Iowa pitched a shutout due in large part to good goal keeping and great defense from Christine Dwyer, Jennifer Burnett, Erin Rehfeldt, and Tiffany Barnish. The women’s soccer team travels to Lewis University in Illinois next Wednesday, August 29 (1:00). |
 |
|
|
