SEARCY – Upper Iowa midfielder Leandro Pena scored two second-half goals, and the Peacocks defeated Harding 2-1 on a windy Thursday night in MIAA play at the Stevens Field.

Harding dropped to 2-4-1 overall and 2-2-0 in conference play with the loss. Upper Iowa, the No. 4 ranked team in the NSCAA Division II Central Region Rankings, improved to 5-3-1 overall and 2-2-0 in the MIAA.

With Harding leading 1-0 at halftime, Pena tied the game in the 73rd minute after taking a pass from Johnny McBeth and beating Harding goalkeeper Tyler Melson inside the far post.

Pena struck again with the game-winning goal in the 86th minute. Upper Iowa midfielder Rafael Pedroso corralled a loose ball and fed it to Pena whose shot from 35 yards out gave the Peacocks the victory.

Harding struck first with a penalty kick goal from senior Jacob Stevens in the 27th minute. The Bisons received a free kick at the edge of the 6-yard box after referee DeShun Beard called Upper Iowa for a back pass to goalkeeper Connor Rortvedt.

On the free kick, Beard spotted a handball in the box and Stevens scored his team-leading fourth goal on the ensuing penalty kick.

Melson kept the game scoreless when he saved a penalty kick in the 11th minute. After a foul in the box, Upper Iowa's Rhys Williams fired hard and low to the left, but Melson made a diving save. Melson had four saves in his first start as a Bison.

Harding's next action is Saturday against Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas.