Harding Men's Soccer
Harding (2-3-1, 2-1-0) vs. Upper Iowa (4-3-1, 1-2-0)
Location: Searcy, Ark. (Stevens Field)
Time: Thursday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m.
Series: Tied 1-1
Coaches: Harding – Odie Guzman (12-22-6, 3rd Season); Upper Iowa – Jason Carlson (12-10-3, 2nd Season)
Live Video/Stats: Available through a link on HardingSports.com
Harding
Harding looks to maintain its place among the top four teams in the MIAA on Thursday at 6 p.m. when the Bisons host Upper Iowa in conference action.
Harding enters the game 2-1-0 in MIAA games and tied with Lindenwood for second place behind undefeated Northeastern State (4-0-0). The top four teams qualify for the MIAA Tournament.
Harding is playing only its second home game of the season. The Bisons last played a home on Sept. 9, a 4-2 loss to Ouachita Baptist. Harding went 2-1-1 on its recent four-game road trip. The trip began with a 2-1 victory over Southern Nazarene in MIAA play, continued with a 1-1 non-conference tie at Oklahoma Christian, then a big 6-1 MIAA victory at Southwest Baptist before concluding with a 4-0 loss to No. 16 Northeastern State.
Harding has scored 12 goals this season and yielded 13. Seniors Jacob Stevens and Cole Walker lead the Bisons with three goals and one assist each. Stevens has both of Harding's game-winning goals this season and is tied for the MIAA lead in the category. Redshirt freshman Daniel Gamboa scored his first collegiate goal at Southwest Baptist and leads the team with 16 shots.
The Bisons rank third in the seven-team MIAA in goals per game (2.00) and fourth in goals against average (2.09). Harding leads the MIAA in both fewest fouls (9.67) and fewest yellow cards (1.33).
Upper Iowa
Upper Iowa enters the game 4-3-1 overall and 1-2-0 in MIAA games. The Peacocks are ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II Central Region in the latest NSCAA regional rankings.
Upper Iowa's MIAA victory was a 5-1 triumph over Southwest Baptist. The Peacocks have also suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Northeastern State and 2-1 overtime loss to Lindenwood.
Upper Iowa has scored 15 goals and allowed 11. The Peacocks rank fourth in the MIAA in goals per game (1.88) and third in goals against average (1.29).
Eight different players have scored goals for Upper Iowa, led by Johnny McBeth, who is tied for the MIAA lead with four. McBeth is a freshman midfielder from Glasgow, Scotland.
Connor Rortvedt has started all eight games for the Peacocks and has a 1.22 goals against average, a 77.8 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Series
Harding and Upper Iowa have split two games in the series, each winning games at home. The Bisons won 3-0 in Searcy in 2012, and the Peacocks won 4-3 last season in overtime in Fayette, Iowa.
