Oct. 4, 2004
IOWA CITY – This Week
The University of Iowa field hockey team returns to action after a week off to host three home games. The Hawkeyes will play a non-conference game Thursday against the Pacific Tigers at 3 p.m. Iowa will then play a pair of games against Big Ten opponents, taking on Ohio State Saturday and Michigan Sunday. Both games are slated to start at 11 a.m.
Michigan will take on Pacific Saturday at 1:30 p.m., while Ohio State will battle the Tigers Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Hawkeyes split a pair of road games two weeks ago, falling to Northwestern 1-0 in double overtime and defeating Indiana 4-1.
After a scoreless regulation and first overtime against Northwestern, Wildcat senior Candice Cooper scored the game’s only goal on a rebound in the circle.
The Hawkeyes were out-shot by Northwestern 15-14, and the Wildcats drew 10 penalty corners to Iowa’s nine.
Hawkeye goalkeeper Barb Weinberg made seven saves on the day, including three in overtime.
The offense broke out against Indiana, led by a hat trick off the stick of Margot McMahon.
Iowa opened the scoring in the final five minutes of the first half on McMahon’s first goal of the game.
Indiana tied the game at 46:53 with a goal from Lydia Schrott on a penalty corner. McMahon re-gained the lead for the Hawkeyes four minutes later with her second unassisted goal.
Freshman Caroline Blaum scored her first career goal at the 56:18 mark off an assist from senior Sarah Dawson. McMahon added an insurance goal on a penalty stroke with 1:32 left in the game.
Non-Conference Loss
The loss to the Wildcats will not effect the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten standings, as the game was scheduled as a non-conference game. Iowa and Northwestern will meet again on October 29 in Iowa City for its scheduled Big Ten game.
On Pacific
The University of the Pacific Tigers are 4-6 overall and 1-2 in the NorPac Conference.
The offense is led by Vianney Campos, who has a team-best 15 points on six goals and three assists. Right behind her is Lindsey Rovai, who has 14 points on six goals and two assists.
The Tiger goalkeeper is Kim Myers, who has a 1.81 goals against average and a .725 save percentage.
Iowa leads the all-time series 2-0.
The Tigers are coached by Linda MacDonald, who is in her seventh season.
On Ohio State
The Ohio State University Buckeyes are 5-5 on the season and 0-2 in the Big Ten Conference.
The Buckeyes’ leading scorer is freshman Yesenia Luces, who has a team best five goals and 11 points. Curlyne Wynn has four goals and eight points.
The Ohio State goal is guarded by Lindsay Williams, who has a 2.03 goals against average and .805 save percentage. She recently became the Buckeyes’ all-time saves leader.
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series with Ohio State 37-8. The Buckeyes have won the last five meetings, with the last Iowa win coming on October 8, 2000.
On Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines are 9-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference. They are ranked eighth in the latest STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll.
The Wolverine offense is led by senior Jessica Blake, who has 39 points on 17 goals and five assists. Classmate Adrienne Hortillosa has ten goals and seven assists for 27 points.
Sophomore Beth Riley is the Wolverine’s goalkeeper and has a 1.38 goals against average and .729 save percentage.
Iowa leads the all-time series with Michigan 34-7, but the Wolverines have won the last five meetings.
Michigan is coached by former Hawkeye Marcia Pankratz, who is in her seventh season.
Tip Your Hat
Senior Margot McMahon’s hat trick against Indiana was the second three-goal game of her career.
The first came last season in Iowa’s 6-1 win over New Hampshire (Sept. 7).
Position Change
Sophomore Kelly Slattery has moved from the forward line to the backfield to help bolster the Hawkeye defense.
Double (OT) Trouble
Iowa’s double overtime loss at the hands of Northwestern on September 24 was their fourth-consecutive loss in double overtime. The last time the Hawkeyes won a game in double overtime was October 5, 1997 against Penn State.
Iowa is 5-9-4 all time in double overtime.
Sweet Caroline
Freshman Caroline Blaum scored her first-career goal in Iowa’s 4-1 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. She has started all nine games and taken seven shots.
Team Leaders
Senior Sarah Dawson leads the team with eight goals, 19 total points and 33 shots. She is tied with junior Debbie Birrell for the team lead with three assists.
Having a Stroke
At the midway point of the season, the Hawkeyes have already drawn more penalty strokes than all of last year. Iowa has earned five strokes in nine games, as compared to just three in 19 games last year.
Senior Lauren Stiver is 3-of-4 in penalty strokes so far, while classmate Margot McMahon is 1-for-1.
Welcome to the Jungle
Since the facility was introduced in 1989, it has been known to opposing teams that to visit Grant Field usually meant leaving unhappy.
Iowa stands 95-21 in the facility and is 11-2 in NCAA games played at Grant Field.
Originally named the Hawkeye Field Hockey Field, the facility was renamed Grant Field September 22, 1991, in honor of longtime University of Iowa Women’s Athletics Director, Dr. Christine H.B. Grant. The Hawkeyes set a home attendance record October 24, 1993 with 1,339 fans watching Iowa defeat No. 4 Penn State, 4-0.
Iowa has gone undefeated on its home field in six separate seasons, including a 40-game home winning streak.
The Only Brick in the Wall
All-American goalkeeper Barb Weinberg will anchor the Iowa defense this year, and she better be in shape, because she won’t be getting a rest for the entire season. Weinberg is the only goalkeeper on the Iowa roster.
2004 Captains
The Hawkeye tri-captains this season are seniors Margot McMahon, Lauren Stiver and Barb Weinberg.
Family Ties
Hawkeye ties always seem to run deep. This season, two seniors are the younger sisters of former Iowa all-Americans.
Tammy Leister is the younger sister of 2002 all-American Tiffany Leister, while Sarah Dawson is the younger sister of 2000 all-American Natalie Dawson.
Hawkeye Ties
When the Hawkeyes face a Big Ten foe, more than likely they will be facing a coach with University of Iowa roots. Four of the seven head coaches in the Big Ten either played or was an assistant at Iowa before taking her respective job.
Michigan State’s Michelle Madison (1982-89), Indiana’s Amy Robertson (89-92) and our own Tracey Griesbaum (92-99) were all assistants with the Hawkeyes before being named to their head jobs. Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz played for Iowa from 1982-85.
The Head Coach
Tracey Griesbaum returns to the helm of the Hawkeye field hockey program for her fifth year.
She has done a good job rebuilding the Iowa program, recording a 45-29 record.
Before taking the head coaching job at Iowa, she was with United States Field Hockey. Griesbaum not only served as a full-time assistant, but was the head coach for the United States Under-21 Team. She led the Under-21 team to a second-place finish at the Pan American Junior Championships and a spot in the 2001 Junior World Cup.
Her work was good enough to earn her the 2000 United States Field Hockey Coach of the Year award.
Before taking the job with USA Field Hockey, Griesbaum was an assistant coach at Iowa for eight years.
The Assistants
Former Hawkeye Lisa Cellucci and Carla Tagliente will return as the assistant coaches this season.
Cellucci was a four-year starter in the cage for Iowa. From 1995-98, Cellucci was a three-time All-American, four-time Regional All-American and a four-time All-Big Ten selection.
After graduation, Cellucci was an assistant coach at James Madison, where she helped the Dukes to a 15-7 record.
Tagliente was a four-time all-America selection for Maryland from 1997-2000.