Oct. 5, 2011
This Week
The University of Iowa soccer team hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the annual “Pink Game” on Saturday night at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m., with free pink headbands being handed prior to kickoff.
Fans can follow the action with Gametracker on hawkeyesports.com.
Scouting The Opponents
Minnesota’s freshman forward, Taylor Uhl, has scored half of the team’s goals this season. Uhl has hit the net eight times in 23 attempts and recorded one assist. Uhl also has four game-winning goals to her name. Senior Josie Solie has scored three times, while junior Nicole Baier and senior Shari Eckstrom have each posted two goals.
Junior Cat Parkhill has earned every decision in goal this season for the Gophers. Parkhill’s 50 saves and two shutouts have led the team to a 4-7-2 record. The junior has allowed 17 goals.
Minnesota head coach Mikki Denney Wright took the reins in 2004 and has helped the team improve each season with a .611 winning percentage entering the 2011 campaign. In 2010, Denney Wright led the Gophers to a 14-6-3 record, including a 4-4-2 mark in conference play. The Gophers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010.
Last Week
Iowa hosted Michigan and Michigan State, finishing the weekend with one win and one loss.
Iowa welcomed Michigan to town Friday night. The Hawkeyes defense allowed one goal in the 1-0 loss, and senior keeper Emily Moran made 10 stops in 90 minutes of play.
The team bounced back quickly, earning a 1-0 win over Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Junior Dana Dalrymple scored on a short pass from freshman Cloe Lacasse in the eighth minute. The play was set up by senior Alyssa Cosnek. Cosnek gathered the ball on the left side and played it ahead to Lacasse at the corner of the box.
The Iowa defense was equally as successful in executing the game plan. Iowa’s back line, in combination with veteran keeper Moran, kept two of the conference’s most skilled attackers out of the books. Moran recorded nine saves, and the defense held the Spartans to 20 shots, allowing the midfielders and forwards to posses the ball for much of the game.
The Hawkeyes improved to 10-1-2 on the season and 2-1-2 in league play.
Think Pink
The Iowa women’s soccer team and athletics department are encouraging fans to take part in the “Pink Game” by wearing pink to support breast cancer awareness. The Holden Cancer Center has also provided informational materials that will be available at all UI pink events.
The first 200 fans will receive free pink tigerhawk headbands.
Hawkeyes Rising
The Hawkeyes are currently ranked third in the NSCAA’s Great Lake regional top-10. With a 10-1-2 record, Iowa has held the No. 3 spot for three consecutive weeks after moving up from No. 5 in the Sept. 20 poll.
Big Ten Competition
The Big Ten Conference is one of the nation’s most competitive women’s soccer leagues, with Penn State among the top-25 and four other institutions receiving votes in the NSCAA poll released Oct. 4.
The Hawkeyes have received votes for several weeks, after gaining national recognition for their school record-setting 12-game unbeaten streak. Iowa received 35 votes this week.
The conference had six squads — Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan — make it to the NCAA Women’ s Soccer Championship in 2010. Three of those advanced to the second round and Ohio State made it to the semifinals, before falling to eventual national champion Notre Dame, 4-3.
Moran Moving Up
Senior goalkeeper Emily Moran has made an impact on the Iowa women’s soccer program in her three years as a starter. With leadership and skill, Moran has become Iowa’s all-time career wins leader, currently with 32 to her name.
In addition to career wins, Moran has 10 season victories, one away from tying category leaders Britta Vogele, Liz Hendel and Missy Wickart.
Moran’s name is also inked in several other all-time leader categories. The Kent, Ohio, native has 309 career saves, currently second on the top-five list. She is sixth on the season individual saves list after making 99 stops in 2010. Moran has 54 saves this season.
Lacasse Named Top-20 To Watch
Freshman Cloe Lacasse was named one of the Big Ten Conference’s Top-20 College Players to Watch by topdrawersoccer.com Sept. 22. The Hawkeye newcomer is one of only two freshmen in the conference to make the top-20 cut.
Lacasse leads Iowa’s offensive efforts in its best start in program history at 10-1-2. The Sudbury, Ontario, native has scored 10 goals and tallied five assists. Lacasse has played a role in over a third of Iowa’s goals this season (34). In addition to the top-20 accolade, Lacasse was also recognized by the league office as the Freshman Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Sept. 5, 12).
The freshman is leaving an impact on the Iowa program, rapidly climbing the season goals and points lists. Lacasse has 10 goals and 25 points through 13 games, trailing the No. 1 spot in each category by five goals and 11 points, respectively.
Iowa In The Big Ten Standings
Iowa is fourth in the Big Ten standings after a split weekend in conference action. The team dropped its first game of the season to Michigan, but rebounded to take down Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes have maintained their spot among the top-half of the conference leader board since the beginning of the season. With a 2-1-2 record in Big Ten competition, Iowa is one of five teams that have only seen defeat once.
2011 By The Numbers
The women’s soccer team has started the season with a bang. The mix between experience and newcomers has been perfect, allowing Iowa to score at a record-setting pace.
Iowa has put up 34 goals this season — 33 among nine players and one own goal. The team trails the 1999 team for most goals in a season (49). The 1999 squad is Iowa’s most successful team in history, finishing the season 13-7-0.
The Hawkeyes are quickly gaining on the 12-year old record as they only need 15 goals to equal the mark and 16 to best it.
Additionally, Iowa’s defensive efforts are noteworthy. The team has only allowed nine goals through 13 games. The previous fewest goals allowed mark (22) was set in 2006.
Lacasse Climbs Record Books
The freshman from Sudbury, Ontario, has made an impact with her aggressive play through the first half of her rookie campaign.
Lacasse earned a place on Iowa’s single season goals (10) and points (25) top-10 lists after leading Iowa’s offense through 13 games.
The newcomer has played a role in 15 of Iowa’s 34 goals this season, scoring 10 times and earning five assists. The only opponents to keep her out of the books were forced to focus a defensive effort on her, allowing her teammates to score five times in the three matches.
With six games remaining, Lacasse aims for the top spot in each category, trailing Sarah Lynch in both. Lynch had 15 goals and 36 points during the 1999 season.
Hawkeyes Sets School Record
The 2011 squad is on a roll this season with a 10-1-2 start. The eight-game winning and 11-game unbeaten streak are both bests in program history.
The Hawkeyes equaled the previous best start with a win over George Washington (Sept. 2), improving to a 4-0 record, then bested it with a 3-1 victory against American (Sept. 4).
The previous most successful start was recorded by the 2000 team. Under head coach Wendy Logan, the team recorded wins over UW-Green Bay (5-1), Northern Illinois (3-0), UNLV (3-0) and Utah State (2-1).
Freshman Gets Conference Nod
Lacasse was announced as the conference’s Freshman Athlete of the Week on for the second consecutive week Sept. 12.
The Sudbury, Ontario, native led Iowa’s offense for the fourth week in a row, scoring three goals and recording one assist. Lacasse played a role in four of the team’s nine total goals against Iowa State and South Dakota.
Lacasse was previously named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 5, following Iowa’s wins over George Washington and American. She became the second Iowa freshman to earn the award and the only one to earn back-to-back honors.
Moran Sets School Record
The senior from Kent, Ohio, became Iowa’s career wins leader with 24 after earning two victories vs. DePaul (Aug. 19) and SEMO (Aug. 21).
Moran topped former Hawkeye keeper Britta Vogele, who collected 23 victories between 2001-04. Moran currently has 32 wins.
The senior has made 305 saves in 73 games played and recorded 17 shutouts.
Senior Earns Conference Honor
Emily Moran was honored by the Big Ten Conference with the Defensive Player of the Week distinction Aug. 22.
Moran earned the nod for her efforts in Iowa’s shutout win over DePaul and a 2-1 defeat of SEMO. In addition to the 2-0 record, Moran etched her name atop the programs all-time career wins after earning the 25th of her career.
Iowa On The Big Ten Network
In addition to one game being televised live, Iowa will showcase its talent on btn.com for several games this season. The network will live stream six home games throughout the season, including Iowa’s final home game of the season Oct. 23.
Iowa made its lone appearance on the Big Ten Network when it traveled to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on Purdue. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes of play.
Looking Ahead
Next week, Iowa begins a three-game road stretch. Iowa visits Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 14 and University Park, Pa., on Oct. 16. After taking on Ohio State and Penn State, the team will cross over its home state en route to Lincoln, Neb., to take on Big Ten newcomer, Nebraska on Oct. 20.