Sept. 28, 2011
- 2011 Media Guide
- USA Field Hockey
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa field hockey team, ranked 12th nationally, continues conference action this weekend when it travels to 14th-ranked Michigan (7-3) Saturday. The match is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (CT) at Ocker Field.
ON THE NET
Iowa field hockey fans can follow the Hawkeyes with live stats (Gametracker) on hawkeyesports.com. Click on the GT link found on both the front page and the field hockey schedule page.
BIG TEN PLAY BEGINS
Iowa (8-2, 1-1) continues conference play Saturday against Michigan after splitting with Michigan State (W, 2-0) and No. 10 Penn State (L, 3-0) over the weekend. The Black and Gold are the only conference team to have played two league games so far. The Hawkeyes are 212-82-6 against current Big Ten teams and lead every series: (Indiana: 13-6), (Michigan: 39-16), (Michigan State: 46-11-1), (Northwestern: 50-18-4), (Ohio State: 41-13), (Penn State: 23-18-1). Iowa has claimed 11 Big Ten regular season titles in school history and four Big Ten Tournament championships.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan is led by head coach Marcia Pankratz. Pankratz is in her 12th season at the helm of the program. The Wolverines are 7-3, including a home record of 5-1, and are ranked 14th in the latest NFHCA poll. Michigan lost at Ohio State in its conference opener last Friday, 2-1.
SERIES HISTORY
Iowa is 39-16 all-time against Michigan, including a record of 17-6 in Ann Arbor. The two teams first met in 1979. The Hawkeyes have won five of the last nine contests against the Maize and Blue. Three of the nine games have gone to overtime.
FAMILIAR FACE
One of the most definitive statements that reflect upon the quality of the Iowa field hockey program is the number of former Hawkeyes that have chosen to enter the coaching profession. This weekend will be no different, as Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz is no stranger to the Hawkeye field hockey program. Pankratz, an Iowa letterwinner from 1982-85, is tied for third on Iowa’s career goal list with 76. A two-time All-American, Pankratz led Iowa in goals and points in 1984 and 1985. She was twice honored as Iowa’s Female Athlete of the Year and as a Honda Sports Award finalist. Pankratz, the 1986 Big Ten Medal of Honor award winner, was named to the Big Ten’s First Team All-Decade Team of the 1980’s and was inducted to the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
CLIMBING THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are ranked 12th in the NFHCA rankings this week. Iowa will play or has played five of the NFHCA top 20 this season. In addition, the Hawkeyes will play or have played six of the teams receiving votes in the most recent poll. The Big Ten Conference currently has six teams ranked in the top 20. Penn State sits seventh in the rankings. Joining the Nittany Lions is Iowa (No. 12), Indiana (No. 13), Michigan (No. 14), Northwestern (No. 16) and Ohio State (No. 20). All Big Ten teams are at least receiving votes as Michigan State received votes in the latest poll.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes blanked Michigan State Friday in their conference opener at Grant Field, 2-0, extending their win streak to seven games. Becca Spengler and Kim Scraper tallied goals for Iowa. No. 10 Penn State ended the Hawkeyes’ win streak Sunday. The Nittany Lions downed Iowa, 3-0, despite nearly even statistics in shots and penalty corners.
IOWA AT GRANT FIELD
The Hawkeyes are 5-1 this season at Grant Field, with one home match remaining. Iowa is 132-42 all-time on its home turf, including a 58-23 conference record.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Hawkeyes have seven games remaining in the regular season, six of which will come away from Iowa City. The Black and Gold are 3-1 away from Grant Field this season.
SCRAPER SHINES
Sophomore Kim Scraper ranks tied for second nationally in goals per game (1.5) and third in the country in points per game (3.1). Scraper has recorded 15 goals and 31 points, marking the most for a Hawkeye in a season since former All-American Lauren Pfeiffer notched 20 goals and 44 points in 2008. Ellen Egan holds the Iowa records with 42 goals and 93 points in 1983. Scraper has scored at least one goal in each Hawkeye victory.
LEADING THE PACK
The Hawkeyes rank first in the Big Ten in scoring margin (2.40), scoring average (3.70), shutouts (4), goals against average (1.30) and shots (191). The Hawkeyes’ 10 goals and 21 points against Missouri State are the most of any conference team in a game this season. Iowa notched 37 shots at Brown (Sept. 10), marking the most for a league team in a contest this year.
SCRAPER NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK TWICE
Iowa forward Kim Scraper was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week on Sept. 13. Scraper led Iowa to a sweep of Providence and Brown in Providence, R.I., tallying six of Iowa’s 11 goals scored in the two contests. On Sept. 9, in Iowa’s 4-1 win at Providence, the sophomore scored two goals en route to her third multi-goal game of the season. She helped Iowa blank Brown on Sept. 10, 7-0. Scraper tallied her fourth multi-goal game of the year as she recorded four scores in the victory. It marked the first time a Hawkeye had recorded four scores in a game since Pattie Gillern scored five in a win over Missouri State on Sept. 28, 2003. The honor marked the first time Iowa won the conference offensive weekly award multiples times in a season since 2008, when the team earned three offensive weekly accolades. The last time a Hawkeye won the offensive award in back-to-back weeks was Caitlin McCurdy in 2005 (Oct. 17 and Oct. 24).
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Four Hawkeyes (freshmen Brittany Evangelisti and Corinne Allen, sophomore Kelsey Mitchell, junior Geena Lesiak) hail from Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey. The school has won 12 consecutive New Jersey state championships. Jessica Barnett and Karli Johansen are both from Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver, Canada. Seven Hawkeyes hail from New Jersey, three from Pennsylvania, three from Canada, two from California, and one each from Delaware, Michigan, Belgium and Germany.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Iowa has a trio of captains in 2011, senior Becca Spengler and juniors Jessica Barnett and Kathleen McGraw.
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
The 2011 season marks the 25th anniversary of Iowa’s 1986 national championship team. Iowa honored the team at its game against Massachusetts Sept. 4 at Grant Field.
KOBOLDT NAMED TO IOWA HALL OF FAME
Former Hawkeye Mary Koboldt was one of six individuals inducted by the National Iowa Varsity Club and the University of Iowa Athletics Department into the Athletics Hall of Fame this year. A member of the 23rd class, she was honored and inducted into the National Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame at Iowa’s home football game against Tennessee Tech Sept. 3. The Hawkeye honored Koboldt at their game Sept. 4 against Massachusetts. A Hawkeye midfielder from 1982-85, the former U.S. National Team member and U.S. Olympian was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time All-American. Koboldt, a member of four NCAA Tournament teams and two Big Ten championship teams, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after leading Iowa to its first ever trip to the NCAA Final Four in 1984. As a senior in 1985, she was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and was a nominee for the Honda Broderick Award, as the top collegiate female athlete in the country.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Become fans of the official Iowa Field Hockey fan page by going to facebook.com/iowafieldhockey to follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook. Fans can also follow the Black and Gold on Twitter at twitter.com/iowafieldhockey.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa continues action next weekend when it travels to Ohio for two games. The Hawkeyes will face Ohio State in a conference battle Oct. 8 at noon (CT) before traveling to face Ohio in a non-conference contest Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. (CT).
HAWKEYES ON BTN
Iowa’s game at Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 8, will be televised by the Big Ten Network (BTN). It will be shown as a tape delay at 1 p.m. on Oct. 9. Additional Hawkeye contests will be streamed live on BTN.com. In addition, coverage of the Big Ten Tournament can be seen on BTN. Iowa has won three of the last five tournaments.