Hawkeyes Fall to Maryland in NCAA Tournament

Stats | Boxscore

Nov. 12, 2011

Box Score

• 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

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The 12th-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team fell to fourth-ranked Maryland, 4-2, Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The match was held at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on the campus of the University of Maryland. The Terrapins advance to play No. 3 Syracuse (18-3) Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore Kim Scraper scored two goals to lead the Iowa offense. Scraper finishes the season with 19 goals and 39 points, the most for a Hawkeye in a single season since former All-American Lauren Pfeiffer recorded 20 goals and 44 points in 2008.

“I thought we started off very well,” said head coach Tracey Griesbaum. “I think our game plan was paying off and I think giving up, as with any sport, that second goal going into the locker room at half time was pretty soft. I think Maryland executed very well, but I think that was hard to come back from. I think that made Maryland get more confidence in the second half and really opened it up. It was nice for us to get on the board again and I think we just ran out of steam when we knew we had to get two goals to get back in the game.” Maryland (16-4) struck first with a goal off a corner at the 4:18 mark to take an early 1-0 advantage.

Iowa (15-5) answered with a score at the 16:35 mark. Scraper slammed home a goal off a nice pass from junior Sarah Drake to make the score 1-1.

The Terrapins scored a goal on a penalty corner with no time left on the clock at the end of the first half to take a 2-1 halftime lead. Maryland tallied a score at the 43:04 mark of the second half to make the score 3-1.

The Hawkeyes answered moments later at the 44:51 mark. Scraper tallied her second goal of the contest to cut the Terrapin lead to 3-2. She dribbled close to the goal and chipped it over the Maryland goalkeeper.

The Terrapins pushed their lead to 4-2 with a goal at the 50:37 mark.

The Iowa offense applied pressure in the final minutes but was unable to come away with a score, giving Maryland the 4-2 first round victory.

Hawkeye goalkeeper Kathleen McGraw recorded 12 saves.

“We had pretty lofty goals for today,” said McGraw. “We wanted to come in here and upset Maryland and prove to everyone that the Big Ten is a force to be reckoned with. We fell a little bit short of that, but we’re going to keep our heads up and use this experience for next year when we plan to go all the way in the tournament. So, it was a good experience, not exactly what we wanted in terms of the result, but we have to take it for what it is and grow from it.”

“The players really valued this season and having this experience,” said Griesbaum. “I don’t think it was a fluke. We are a legitimate team in this tournament and I think it’s going to pay off, obviously not for Becca [Spengler] as a senior, but I do think she has a lot to be proud of. Coming off the season we had last year, as the lone senior, that’s really awesome for her. I’m glad she got to get in the tournament. For all of our returners, this is our standard, being in the NCAA tournament. So we have to build on it and put ourselves in a better place next year.”