Nov. 11, 2008
IOWA CITY, IA – The University of Iowa field hockey team will travel to East Lansing, MI, to face Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Hawkeyes, seeded first in their bracket and fourth overall, will battle the Cardinals at 10:30 a.m. (CST) Saturday. This marks the third-straight year Iowa has participated in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State and North Carolina will also play in East Lansing on Saturday. That match will be played at 1 p.m. (CST). The winner of both contests will play Sunday at 1 p.m. (CST) to advance to the Final Four.
The Hawkeyes defeated all three teams in their bracket during the regular season, including Michigan State twice in overtime. Iowa won at Louisville on Sept. 28, 1-0. Additionally, Iowa has faced nine of the 15 other teams in the tournament.
Iowa (16-4), winner of five-straight games, is fresh off its third-straight Big Ten title. The Hawkeyes have won nine regular season Big Ten championships and four tournament titles, with the other coming in 1994.
Iowa has enjoyed great success in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes have now appeared in the NCAA Tournament 20 times, reaching 10 Final Fours (both are the most of any Big Ten program). In addition, Iowa won the 1986 National Championship. The Hawkeyes are 24-20 all-time in the tournament.