Aug. 17, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s soccer team passed its first test of the season with flying colors Friday, cruising past Eastern Illinois at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The Hawkeyes (1-0-0) scored three goals in a three minute span and went on to knock off the Panthers (0-1-0) 5-0.
The Hawkeyes performed well on both ends of the ball, taking 22 shots on the night while only allowing four from the Panthers. Iowa has now won its previous nine nonconference matches, and is been unbeaten in the past 11 nonconference matches, dating back to 2010.
“We had some good segments of play in the first half and in the second half,” said head coach Ron Rainey, who collected his 54th victory at Iowa. “When we had good off-the-ball movement, we were able to open them up a little bit and get some good chances. At this point in time, there is a ton we need to work on, but we’re pleased with what we saw.”
Senior Dana Dalrymple got on the board first for the Hawkeyes, scoring an unassisted goal in the fifth minute of play. Dalrymple’s shot found net from the top of the 18-yard box as the Cincinnati, Ohio, native scored her ninth career goal.
The Hawkeyes went into the locker room with a 2-0 lead after sophomore Cloe Lacasse scored in the 33rd minute. After the ball was deflected in the box, Lacasse sent a shot on goal on her third touch to beat Eastern Illinois goalkeeper Jessica Taldone. Iowa out-shot the Panthers 15-2 in the first half.
From the 53rd to the 56th minute, the Hawkeyes would score three goals, two of which came from penalty kicks, and seal the victory. Senior defender Kat Lewis scored in the 53rd minute on a penalty kick after Lacasse drew a foul from inside the box. Lewis fired the ball to the bottom left corner to put Iowa up 3-0.
The Hawkeyes would strike again just 90 seconds later, as junior Ashley Catrell scored her sixth career goal. Catrelll took a shot from inside the box that Taldone was able to save, but couldn’t hold on to the ball. Catrell scored on a rebound goal in the 54th minute.
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“When we had good off-the-ball movement, we were able to open them up a little bit and get some good chances. At this point in time, there is a ton we need to work on, but we’re pleased with what we saw.”
Ron Rainey
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Lacasse would score the game’s final goal in the 56th minute. Lacasse dribbled the ball from midfield and beat two defenders to get inside the box, where a hard tackle from the Panthers would draw a foul and a penalty kick. A low strike on the penalty kick would give the sophomore her second goal of the night. The Sudbury, Ontario, native finished with two goals and an assist. Lacasse scored 12 goals with six assists as a freshman last season.
“It’s nice to see that (three goals in three minutes),” said Rainey. “If we can have that attitude out of halftime and those types of things, it would be a great trait for a time to have. At halftime we talked about playing at our speed and being aggressive in the box, and that ended up giving us those three goals in a short span there in the second half.”
All but one player on the Hawkeye roster saw action in the game, with the exception being an injured Meg Goodson. Six freshmen saw action in the game as well.
“Everybody is working very hard and it’s great to reward them with playing time, but also great to get them acclimated to college soccer,” said Rainey. “It’s a good thing to have everyone get out there and get that experience.”
The Hawkeyes were able to shutout the Panthers thanks in large part to solid play from the back line and a good performance between the posts by freshman Hannah Clark. Defenders Lewis, sophomore Melanie Pickert, sophomore Katie Brown and senior Jade Grimm allowed only two shots when they were on the field, and the Panthers would finish with just four on the night.
Clark started at goalkeeper, playing into the 54th minute without conceding a goal. Sophomore Kiley Beck played the final 35 minutes and would close out Iowa’s shutout.
Iowa’s offense performed admirably as well, putting 13 of 22 shots on target and earning four corners. Lacasse led the Hawkeyes with seven shots, while sophomore Katie Nasenbenny had four.
“We’ll talk about what we need to work on tonight and tomorrow, and then take on North Dakota on Sunday,” said Rainey. “Right now, the goal is simply to just keep improving after every game.”
The Hawkeyes will take on North Dakota Sunday at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The match will begin at 1 p.m.