Hawkeyes Ready For First Round Of NCAA Tournament

Nov. 12, 2008

NCAA Guide in PDF Format
NCAA Bracket in PDF Format

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa field hockey team (16-4, 4-2) travels to East Lansing, MI, to compete in NCAA Tournament this weekend. Iowa is the fourth overall seed in the tournament and the top-seed in its bracket. The Hawkeyes will face Louisville in the first round Saturday. The match will begin at 10:30 a.m. (CST). The other first round match-up will feature North Carolina against host-school Michigan State. The match will be played at 1 p.m. (CST). Iowa defeated all three teams in its bracket during the regular season, including Michigan State twice in overtime.

IOWA VS. LOUISVILLE
The Hawkeyes defeated the Cardinals on Sept. 28 in Louisville, KY. Senior Lauren Pfeiffer scored the game-winner in the 39th minute of play off a corner. The winning goal was assisted by Sarah Pergine and Tricia Dean. The stingy Iowa defense allowed only four shots and two penalty corners for the game. Louisville, ranked 13th in the latest NFHCA rankings, has claimed a share of the Big East regular season championship each of the last three years. The Cardinals finished 14-6 overall. If Louisville should advance to the Final Four, it will play at home. This will be Louisville’s second NCAA Tournament appearance. They lost to Michigan State in East Lansing in 2003. Pam Bustin is the 11th-year head coach of the Cardinals. She is 128-103 all-time at the helm of the Louisville program.

IOWA AT NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Hawkeyes have faced eight of the other 15 teams in the tournament field. Iowa defeated North Carolina, Michigan State (twice), Louisville, Virginia and American. The Hawkeyes lost to Duke, Penn State and Wake Forest. This marks the third-straight year Iowa has participated in the tournament. In 2006, Iowa fell to Virginia on the campus of Wake Forest, 1-0. The Hawkeyes were defeated by Boston University on the campus of Connecticut, 1-0, in double overtime last season.

Tournament Notes    - Iowa has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 20 times    - The 20 appearances tie for sixth-most all-time    - At 24-20, Iowa has won the fourth-most tournament games         - The Hawkeyes (.545), have the eighth-best winning percentage in tournament history    - The Hawkeyes have made 10 championship round appearances, good for fourth-most all-time    - The 20 appearances and 10 Final Fours both lead the Big Ten Conference    - Iowa won the 1986 National Championship

HAWKEYES WIN THIRD-STRAIGHT BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TITLE
Iowa defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State, 2-1, in overtime in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament Sunday held on the campus of Indiana University. With the victory, Iowa captured its third-straight Big Ten Tournament title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Senior Lauren Pfeiffer was named tournament MVP and junior Tricia Dean was named to the all-tournament team. With two goals against the Buckeyes, including the game-winner, Pfeiffer totaled five tournament goals for the second-straight year. She again tied the record for second-most goals scored during the tournament. Iowa, winner of nine-straight tournament games, claimed its fourth tournament title all-time and third straight. Only one other team has captured three-straight titles – Penn State won four straight from 1995-98. In addition, it marked the first time a championship game was decided in overtime.

IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are ranked sixth in the latest STX/NFHCA rankings. Iowa is ranked fourth in Women’sFieldHockey.com’s latest poll and fifth in the last NCAA RPI rankings. Iowa has played nine of the STX/NFHCA top 20 this season. In addition, the Hawkeyes have played three of the teams receiving votes in the latest poll. The Big Ten Conference currently has four teams ranked in the top 20. Joining the Hawkeyes is Michigan State (No. 10),Penn State (No. 11), and Ohio State (No. 14). Indiana is receiving votes in the latest rankings. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the top 20 of the NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll for 22-straight weeks, dating back to 2006. In 2007 and 2008, the Hawkeyes have yet to fall out of the top 10.

MILESTONE REACHED
The Iowa Hawkeye field hockey program reached its 500th all-time victory with a win over American Friday, Sept. 5. With the 4-1 victory at Grant Field, Iowa reached the plateau with an all-time record of 500-177-25.

FIVE HAWKEYES GARNER ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
The Big Ten Conference announced that five members of the University of Iowa field hockey team have earned all-Big Ten Honors. Seniors Caroline Blaum, Roz Ellis and Lauren Pfeiffer were named to the first team. In addition, junior Meghan Beamesderfer and senior Lissa Munley have been named to the second team. Munley also represents Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award honoree. Thirty-seven Hawkeyes have received all-Big Ten honors under Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum.

First Team -Caroline Blaum, Sr., midfieldRoz Ellis, Sr., defenseLauren Pfeiffer, Sr., defense
Second Team -Meghan Beamesderfer, Jr., forwardLissa Munley, Sr., goalkeeper="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETWO%20HAWKEYES%20NAMED%20NFHCA%20ALL-STARS%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Two%20members%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Iowa%20field%20hockey%20team%20have%20been%20named%20NFHCA%20Division%20I%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Senior%20All-Stars.%20Senior%20back%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=3408" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/pfeiffer_lauren00.html">Lauren Pfeiffer has been named to the squad while senior goalkeeper Lissa Munley has been picked as an alternate. The 2008 NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star game will be played November, 22, at the University of Louisville. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. (CT).

IOWA DOMINATES BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
Iowa earned seven weekly honors this year, including a four-week stretch where a Hawkeye was honored each week. Iowa led the Big Ten in weekly honors earned. Additionally, the seven weekly honors tied a school record set in 1996.

Caitlin McCurdy  Sept. 1 OffensiveCaroline Blaum    Sept. 15    OffensiveM. Beamesderfer Sept. 22    DefensiveRoz Ellis           Sept. 29   DefensiveLauren Pfeiffer  Oct. 6  DefensiveLauren Pfeiffer  Oct. 27 OffensiveM. Beamesderfer Nov. 3  Defensive="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPFEIFFER%20JOINS%20DISTINCT%20GROUP%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Senior%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=3408" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/pfeiffer_lauren00.html">Lauren        Pfeiffer recorded two goals in Iowa's 4-3, overtime victory at Michigan State on Oct.        25. In the process, Pfeiffer scored career goals 46 and 47 and moved into 10th place        all-time on Iowa's career goals list. She passed Kris Fillat who lettered at Iowa from        1988-92. Fillat had 46 career goals. Last weekend at the Big Ten Tournament, Pfeiffer was        named Tournament MVP after she totaled five more goals. With her play over the weekend she        passed Diane DeMiro who lettered at Iowa from 1993-96.
Career Goals -
1. Kristy Gleason (89-93) 1322. Anne-Marie Thomas (79-82) 883. Marcia Pankratz (82-85) 76 Erica Richards (86-89) 765. Liz Tchou (84-87) 756. Ellen Egan (80-83) 687. Kerry Lessard (95-98) 648. Kelly Flanagan (77-80) 629. Lauren Pfeiffer (2005 - ) 5210. Diane DeMiro (93-96) 48="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGRIESBAUM%20WINS%20100TH%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Head%20Coach%20Tracey%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Griesbaum%20celebrated%20her%20100th%20win%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Iowa%20with%20a%203-2%20victory%20at%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Stanford%20Sept.%2013.%20She%20has%20a%20record%20of%20105-60%20all-time%20at%20the%20helm%20of%20the%20Hawkeye%20program.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Griesbaum%20won%20her%20100th%20game%20as%20a%20head%20coach%20last%20season.%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cimg%20src="/images/2016/6/1//thhh.jpg" width="180" height="62" class="imported">