Oct. 18, 2006
IOWA CITY, IA –
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This Week
Iowa’s field hockey team will face Northwestern (1-3,6-8) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Evanston, IL. This game will be an out of conference game. The Hawkeyes defeated Northwestern on October 8, 3-1 on Grant Field.
Last Week
The University of Iowa field hockey team earned its second conference win of the season in double overtime against Michigan State 2-1. The win improves the Hawkeyes’ record to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play. Sophomore Caitlin McCurdy led the Hawkeyes by scoring both goals, while senior Heather Schnepf continued her dominance on defense. Schnepf made several crucial defensive stops throughout the game.
Northwestern
Northwestern has a record of 1-3 in the Big Ten and 7-8 overall. Northwestern has played Ohio State and Kent State since they were in Iowa City. They will play Penn State on Friday. Northwestern was defeated by Ohio State 4-0 but bounced back to beat Kent State 2-1. The Wildcats are coached by Kelly McCollum who is in her third year at the helm. She holds a record of 21-32.
Wildcats are on the Prowl in Evanston
Evanston, the home of Northwestern, has been somewhat of a safe haven for the Wildcats. They boast a record of 5-1 at home, with their only loss coming in double overtime to No. 13 Indiana.
3 Wildcats With 5 goals
Three Northwestern players are tied for the team lead in goals with five: Senior Christina Foley, sophomore Annie Bosslet and sophomore Jill Putnam. Bosslet scored the lone Northwestern goal at Grant Field against Iowa.
Iowa vs. Northwestern History
In a series that began in 1977, Iowa holds a solid 44-19-4 advantage over the Wildcats.
McCurdy Scores Two
Sophomore Caitlin McCurdy scored both of Iowa’s goals last Saturday. The goals raise her season total to nine. The game against Michigan State marks the fourth time this season that a single player has scored two goals in one game. Lindsay Duffy scored twice against Kent State, Kara Zappone twice against Ohio State and McCurdy against Duke.
Crunch Time
After the Hawkeyes visit Northwestern they will head to No. 8 Penn State (2-1, 11-3) on Oct. 27. The Hawkeyes will then stop in Louisville, KY to end their regular season with No. 11 Louisville (10-6) on Oct., 29.
Logjam in the Big Ten
There is a three way tie for first in the Big Ten. Michigan, Indiana and Ohio State are all 3-1. Penn State is next in line at 2-1. Iowa has played all three of the first place teams. Losing to Michigan (2-1) in overtime, Indiana (2-1) and Ohio State (4-3) in overtime.
Getting Closer
Iowa is getting closer to re-entering the STX/NFHCA top 20. The Hawkeyes are currently ranked 22nd.
Defensive Mindset
Hawkeye back senior Heather Schnepf has once again been the anchor of the Iowa defense. Schnepf has been at the right place at the right time making many crucial defensive stops throughout the entire year. Schnepf has also been taking her game to the offensive side of the ball. This season she has a career high six assists, tied a career high four goals and has attempted the second most shots in her career with 22 (she attempted 24 as a sophomore).
Youngsters Being Tested
A total of eight underclassmen have been in the starting line-up regularly. Five sophomores which include Lauren Pfeiffer, Caitlin McCurdy, Lindsay Duffy, Lissa Munley and Roz Ellis. Three freshmen starters are Tricia Dean, Jess Werley and Meghan Beamesderfer. The underclassmen have scored 15 of the 28 team goals.
Stiff Competition
The seven teams that Iowa has lost to are all ranked in the top 20 and have a combined record of 81-27.
So Close, But So Far Away
This season Iowa has a record of 3-5 in games decided by one point. Three of the losses came during overtime.