Oct. 31, 2011
This Week
The University of Iowa soccer team travels to Evanston, Ill. to face Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The event, hosted by Northwestern, is set to kickoff at 10:30 a.m. (CT) with the No. 6 Hawkeyes taking on the No. 3 Spartans.
Following The Big Ten Championships
Fans can follow the action live at the Big Ten Championships with Gametracker on hawkeyesports.com or on Twitter with @TheIowaHawkeyes or @BigTenChamps. Results, updated stats and updated brackets will be available throughout the week on the Championship Central link on hawkeyesports.com women’s soccer schedule page.
Big Ten Tournament
The Big Ten Conference has reinstated the Big Ten soccer tournament after a two-year hiatus. The last tournament, held in 2008, was at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
Games are scheduled for Wednesday (Nov. 2), Friday (Nov. 4) and Sunday (Nov. 6). The top seven teams in the conference standings advanced to Evanston. Northwestern has an automatic bid as the host team.
This year’s tournament features No. 1 seed Penn State, No. 2 Illinois, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 6 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Northwestern.
Scouting The Opponents
Senior Laura Heyboer and junior Olivia Stander lead Michigan State’s offense with 29 of the team’s 38 goals. Heyboer has scored 18 times this season and tallied nine assists. Stander has found the net 11 times and earned nine assists.
The Spartans’ senior-sophomore combination between the posts has led them to a 14-5-0 record, including a 7-4-0 mark in conference play. Senior Jill Fliestra has started 16 games in goal, making 69 stops and tallying nine shutouts. Sophomore Courtney Clem has three starts, nine saves and one shutout. The pair has allowed 16 goals combined.
Head Coach Tom Saxton is in his 21st season as head of the program. Saxton’s squad currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten standings. The veteran head coach helped to start the women’s soccer program in 1989 as an assistant. He took the head job in 1991.
Last Week
Iowa ended its regular season with a 2-0 win on the road over Wisconsin. Behind a Leah DeMoss goal early in the second half and a Morgan Showalter penalty kick conversion, the Hawkeyes topped the Badgers to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
DeMoss scored on a shot from 18 yards out after the ball played to the lower left corner of the goal slipped past Wisconsin’s goalkeeper. In the 81st minute. Freshman Cloe Lacasse was fouled in the box, allowing Showalter the PK opportunity.
Senior goalkeeper Emily Moran and Iowa’s defense held the Badgers scoreless through 90 minutes of play while limiting the opponents opportunities to three on-target attempts. Moran made three saves in the 35th win and 19th shutout of her career.
Iowa In The Big Ten Standings
The Hawkeyes ended the regular season tied for fifth place in the conference standings. The top-five finish is the second highest the team has seen in the 14-year history of the program. The 1999 team earned a third place finish.
Iowa is 13-4-2 overall with a 5-4-2 record in league play and is tied with Minnesota in the standings. The team’s five conference wins is also the second highest in program history.
Showalter Conference Defender of the Week
Senior Morgan Showalter was named the Big Ten Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week following her stellar performance at Wisconsin over the weekend.
The Cedar Rapids native played a key role in Iowa’s defensive efforts against Wisconsin. The group in the back field held the Badgers scoreless in the 2-0 win after limiting their on-target opportunities to three shots.
In addition to giving Wisconsin’s offense fits, Showalter sealed the Hawkeye win with a penalty kick conversion in the 81st minute. Freshman Cloe Lacasse was tackled in the box, allowing Showalter the PK opportunity.
DeMoss — Under Pressure
Sophomore Leah DeMoss netted her third game-winning goal of the sesason in Iowa’s win over Wisconsin Saturday in Madison.
The St. Charles, Ill., native breaks onto Iowa’s all-time game-winning goals in a season list, tying for sixth with teammate Morgan Showalter (2009) and five former Hawkeyes.
Finding Success
It’s no secret the 2011 women’s soccer team has been breaking records, but the team broke yet another following the win over Wisconsin.
The team became the program’s most successful after finalizing the regular season campaign with a 13-4-2 record overall. The Hawkeyes boast a .737 win percentage, besting the 1999 team’s .650 mark. With 13 wins on the season, Iowa ties the previous mark for wins in a season, set in 1999 as well.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the 2011 squad has set or equaled eight team records, including most victories (13), best winning percentage (.737) most home victories (7), fewest defeats (4), longest winning streak (8), longest unbeaten streak (11), fewest goals allowed (17) and best goals scored against average (0.87)
Freshmen Duo Recognized
Freshmen Cloe Lacasse and Melanie Pickert were recognized by TopDrawerSoccer.com as 2011 Women’s Freshmen Top 100.
Lacsse, a Sudbury, Ontario native, is No. 22 on the list. The Hawkeye newcomer earned regonition earlier in the season as one of the Top 20 Freshman to Watch, published by the same website.
Pickert, a native of Canton, Mich., is No. 77 on the list. Pickert has started every game of the season for the Hawkeyes as a defender.
Scoring Machine
Lacasse scored twice in Iowa’s win over Northwestern (Oct. 23), giving her 12 goals on the season. The freshman moved up to tie with Kate Walse (2000) for second on Iowa’s all-time goals in a season list, trailing leader Sarah Lynch by three.
The Sudbury, Ontario native also tallied an assist in the match, giving her six on the season. The feat helps her break into the single season assists record list at sixth. Lacasse has accumulated 30 points on the season, making her second all-time in the program for points in a season. Lynch leads this category as well with 36.
Moran Breaks New Record
Senior Emily Moran has already claimed the top spot for all-time career wins with 35, but after a victory over Northwestern (Oct. 23), she rose to the top of the season wins leader list as well. Moran ousted former Hawkeye greats Britta Vogele (2002), Liz Hendel (2000) and Missy Wickart (1999), who all recorded 11-win seasons. Moran has earned 12 wins in goal this season, including five shutouts, as the team’s veteran goalkeeper.
Moran is also second on the career saves list (343) and sixth on the saves in a season list (99, 2010).
Showalter All-Time Assists Leader
Morgan Showalter became Iowa’s all-time assists leader this season after surpassing Sarah Lynch (20, 1999-2002) and equaled the season assists record she set in 2008 (9).
The senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa currently has 27 career assists. She became the program’s all-time leader with an assist on sophomore Katie Nasenbenny’s goal against SEMO (Aug. 21). The timing was fitting, as the goal proved to be one of two necessary to beat the Redhawks and help senior Emily Moran to her 24th career victory and the all-time career leader distinction.
Showalter tallied two assists in the win against Northwestern, giving her nine for the season, a mark she reached during her freshman campaign. Showalter is tied atop the list with Linzy Wolman (2000), Sarah Kiefer (2000) and Julie Atkocaitis (1999).
D-Fense, D-Fense
Iowa’s defense has played a major role in the team’s success this season, allowing just 17 goals and boasting a 0.89 goals allowed average.
Only three of 18 opponents have been able to score more than one goal on the Hawkeyes, while seven have been held scoreless.
Credit for the achievment goes to seniors, Moran in goal, Showalter and Rachel Blakesley, junior Kat Lewis and newcomers Katie Brown and Melanie Pickert. The group has ensured the team’s success by clearing attempts from opponents and minimizing the number of shots team’s get on goal (5.52/game).
Ron Rainey
Iowa’s head coach Ron Rainey, became the winningest coach in program history last season and now has 53 wins in six seasons.
Rainey’s 2011 squad is the most successful during his tenure and in the soccer program’s 14 year history. With a 13-4-2 record, the team has the best win percentage of any Iowa team (.737).
Freshman Gets Conference Nod
Lacasse was announced as the conference’s Freshman Athlete of the Week 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.
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, (SEMO, Aug. 21).