There are many similarities between the Missouri Reign and Saturday’s opponent, Peoria City.

Both the Missouri Reign and Peoria City are coming off shutout wins, both were against Junction City. Both squads are tied with a 1-0-2 record and currently each have three points in the Gateway Division. Peoria sits in third place due to a goal differential of +2 (the Reign have a 0), making the stakes high for both teams.

Both squads are coming in with confidence with 3-0 and 7-0 victories last time out. Reign coach Dakota Acock reflects on last week’s performance.

“We played a good game last weekend, but we also know that we left some goals out on the field,” Acock said. “Our girls are hungry to get those back this weekend. We always learn from our mistakes (and) celebrate the good moments.”

Playing with confidence is always important. However, when coming off shutout wins that confidence can easily turn into overconfidence. Acock said that his players always try to be the best version of themselves, which helps mitigate the issue of overconfidence. He also mentions that the team knows growth as a unit occurs over the course of the season, not just after one game. 

Acock says his players are hungry for more wins and is proving that in practices.

“I don't think anybody is satisfied with where we're at,” Acock said. “I'm proud of the way that (the players) want to strive to be better every day.”

Holland Hawkins is quickly becoming a name to watch in the division. She has more goals (4) than games played (3) as a member of the Women’s Professional Soccer League. The Springfield, Mo. product, and current Drury athlete, will be a tough task for Peoria to handle. If it keys in on Hawkins, the team is not short on players who can contribute. Georgia Pardalos netted her first goal of the season and the duo of she and Hawkins is quickly becoming a threat for opposing defenses. 

He also says the team has many more motivated players eager to step up and chip in when the opportunities present themselves.

This game officially marks the halfway point of the Reign's second season in existence so every point and every goal is becoming more and more crucial for each squad.

Both teams look to continue their momentum following their lone wins on the season so far. 

The game is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Peoria, Illinois. Peoria has outscored its opponents 9-4 this season, while the Reign have an even five goals for and against on the season.

The Reign are slated to play two games in under 24 hours. Game two is a rematch against Junction City (0-4-0) at 6 p.m. Sunday in Champaign, Illinois. Acock says that it’s a great opportunity for some team bonding and is not concerned about how the players will manage playing two games in a short period of time. 

“They do a good job of taking care of themselves and being ready for the moments when they’re presented,” Acock said.

Before facing the Reign, Junction had to face the second ranked team in the division, FC Pride (3-1-0), on Thursday. It suffered a 2-0 loss and still have not netted a goal this season.