Aug. 20, 2009
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- Iowa soccer wallpaper
- Iowasoccer.com
This Week
The University of Iowa soccer team will start the 2009 season by hosting the Missouri Tigers. The match will begin at 7 p.m. at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The match is the first of three consecutive home matches for the Hawkeyes, who host Montana (Aug. 28) and South Dakota State (Aug. 30).
Scouting Missouri
Missouri finished the 2008 season with a 16-5-2, record, including a Big-12 Conference championship. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they fell to Illinois in a second round, double-overtime battle, 1-0.
Head Coach Bryan Blitz is in his 14th season at Mizzou. He welcomes first year assistant coaches Todd Shulenberger and Shaunna Daugherty.
Missouri returns their leading scorer, Alysha Bonnick, who recorded 11 goals last season. Also returning for the Tigers is goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore, who made 80 saves in 2008.
Iowa fell to Mizzou 2-1 in Columbia. Friday’s match marks the eighth all-time meeting between the Hawkeyes and Tigers, with Missouri leading 7-0.
Last Season
The Hawkeyes are returning to action after a second-straight appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa finished the season with a 9-11-1 record. Iowa returns nine starters and 22 letterwinners.
Coming Back
Seniors Alex Seydel and Jackie Kaeding, both of whom have started every match in the careers at Iowa, return for their final season to lead the Hawkeyes. Combined, the duo has played and started 102 games at Iowa.
Also returning for the Hawkeyes are leading scorers Alyssa Cosnek and Keli McLaughlin. Cosnek scored seven goals and McLaughlin had nine which accounted for over half of Iowa’s goals in 2008.
In goal, Emily Moran is back after a great freshman campaign, recording 74 saves and two shutouts. Kali Feiereisel is back for the Hawkeyes after suffering a season-ending injury last year. In 13 games played, Feiereisel recorded 25 saves and four wins.
Postseason Play
Iowa returned to the Big Ten Tournament last year for the second-straight year. The Hawkeyes hosted the conference championship in November, where Penn State defeated Iowa 2-1 in first round action.
Big Ten Tournament
The Big Ten Conference has decided not to hold a tournament this year. The Big Ten Conference and the coaches decided to add games to the regular season schedule and ommit a post season tournament in hopes of advancing more teams to the NCAA tournament.
Local Standouts
This year’s squad includes nine players from Iowa, including eight from eastern Iowa (Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Iowa City).
Freshmen Rachel Spellerberg, Jade Grimm and Katherine Lewis played for the same high school, Kennedy, in Cedar Rapids.
Sophomores Suzy Levett and Morgan Showalter were also high school teammates at Xavier high school in Cedar Rapids.
Jackie Kaeding and Gabrielle Ainsworth are natives of Coralville, while Kelsey Sandon and Jenny Kahler are from Des Moines.
Head Coach Ron Rainey came to Iowa in 2006 when the team only had four Iowans on the roster.
The nine Iowans on the roster are the most since the 2003 squad, which also had nine Iowans.
Hawkeyes on the BTN
The Hawkeyes will make it’s lone appearance on the Big Ten Network on October 4 when they entertain Wisconin at 1 p.m.
Newcomers
Gabrielle Ainsworth, a defender from Coralville. Ainsworth attended Shattuck-St Mary’s Academy in Faribault, MN, and played for Shattuck’s U-18 team.
Stefani Campbell, a forward from Arlington, TX. Campbell was a captain her senior year and all-around District MVP as a midfielder.
Dana Dalrymple, a midfielder from Cincinnati, OH. Dalrymple was a three-time first team all-conference selection.
Jade Grimm, a forward from Cedar Rapids. Grimm was the Iowa High School Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior.
Emily Jaffe, a midfielder from Ann Arbor, MI. Jaffe was a team captain her junior and senior season.
Katherine Lewis, a defender from Cedar Rapids. Lewis was on a state championship team three times in her high school career.
Alyscha Mottershead, a midfielder from Brampton, Ontario. Mottershead was captain of the Canadian National Team at 2008 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Rachel Spellerberg, a goalkeeper from Cedar Rapids. Spellerberg was named to the all-tournament team at the state tournament all four years of her high school career.