No. 25 Minnesota Downs Iowa, 1-0

Stats

Oct. 31, 2008

Box Score

IOWA CITY, IA – The University of Iowa soccer team closed out its regular season Friday night on a sour note, falling to No. 25 Minnesota, 1-0, at the UI Soccer Complex.

Minnesota’s was aggressive on the offensive side in the first half, popping off 11 shots and six corner kicks. The Iowa defense held the Golden Gophers at bay until Tamara Strahota scored her fifth goal of the season in the opening seconds of the second half to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead.

Iowa (9-10-1, 3-6-1) made one last-ditch effort to tie the match in the final minute. Senior Stephanie Hyink blasted a shot on goal while Minnesota (18-2-0, 8-2-0) keeper Lindsey Dare was scrambling to get back into the box, but Hyink’s shot was headed out by a Golden Gopher defender.

“We never backed down tonight,” said Head Coach Ron Rainey. “Minnesota is a very good team and I thought we really responded well in some areas tonight. We’ve got to be on top of our game this week to prepare for the Big Ten Tournament.”

The intense match between the two rivals saw four yellow cards issued and a combined 31 fouls between the two squads. Freshman goalkeeper Emily Moran made seven saves in the loss.

With the regular season wrapped up, eight of the Big Ten’s best teams converge on Iowa City next weekend to participate in the Big Ten Tournament, and Iowa is one of them. Check back with hawkeyesports.com later this weekend to see a full bracket and start times. The tournament kicks off this Thursday, Nov. 6 and will take place at the UI Soccer Complex.

No. 25 Minnesota 1, Iowa 0

Scoring SummaryNo. Team        Time    Goal Scorer (Season Goals)  Assist(s)1.  Minnesota   45:52   Tamara Strahota (5) Kaitlin Wagner

Shots: Minnesota 18, Iowa 9

Corners: Minnesota 7, Iowa 5

Fouls: Minnesota 20, Iowa 11

Saves: Iowa (Emily Moran, 7), Minnesota (Lindsey Dare, 3)