No. 11 Iowa Rallies to Win 6th Straight

Stats | Boxscore

Sept. 30, 2012

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum collected her 150th career win at Iowa on Sunday, as the No. 11 Hawkeyes downed No. 18 Ohio State (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten), 2-1, at Grant Field.

Griesbaum became the third head coach in program history to win 150 games, joining Beth Beglin (199) and Judith Davidson (185).

“To me that’s pretty insignificant, and I don’t want to disrespect the process of what the team did or how they responded,” said Griesbaum about her 150th win. “I want it for them. I’m coaching to give them the opportunity to do what they did today. If I can be a part of it and do my role, that’s all that matters to me.”

Iowa (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) picked up its sixth consecutive win, a streak that includes three victories against ranked opponents. Iowa also remained perfect at Grant Field this season, improving to 3-0.

The win didn’t come easy for the Hawkeyes, as they used a come-from-behind effort to snap Ohio State’s six game win streak.

Iowa trailed 1-0 at halftime after the Buckeyes’ Peanut Johnson scored at the 27:59 mark.

Senior Jessica Barnett knotted the game, 1-1, during the 61st minute, scoring off a penalty corner. Senior Geena Lesiak and junior Niki Schultheis were credited with assists on the play. Barnett, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, scored her team-high sixth goal of the season.

Senior Sarah Drake gave Iowa the lead with a goal at the 65:21 mark. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native scored via Lesiak’s second assist. It was Drake’s first game-winning goal of the season, and her third score overall.

“I was very impressed with how we stuck with it today,” said Griesbaum. “They showed it’s not over until it’s absolutely over.”

Senior Kathleen McGraw led a strong defensive performance, making four saves. The Atherton, Calif., native is 8-2 in goal this season. The defensive effort was aided by the return of junior back Karli Johansen. Johansen missed the Hawkeyes’ previous five games while playing for the Canadian Junior National Team in the 2012 Pan American Junior Championship.

Iowa hits the road for a pair of games next weekend. The Hawkeyes play at Indiana on Oct. 5. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 2 p.m. (CT). Iowa concludes the trip with a noon (CT) match-up at No. 25 Louisville on Oct. 7.