October 2, 2014
- Read the October issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Iowa Field Hockey Media Guide
- USA Field Hockey
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- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
THIS WEEK
The seventh-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team (7-2, 2-0 Big Ten) continues its six-game homestand at Grant Field this weekend, hosting Ball State (3-6, 0-1 MAC) on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT), and No. 11 Northwestern (8-3, 3-0 Big Ten) on Sunday at noon.
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PROMOTIONS
Friday’s contest against Ball State will be the annual “Pink Game” where fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. The first 50 fans will receive a free pink field hockey shirt. Sunday’s contest is “Senior Citizen Day.” Fans will also have the opportunity to register to win tickets for the Northwestern vs. Iowa football game.
WINNING WAYS
With the win over Missouri State, Iowa now owns a four-game win streak while outscoring opponents 19-2 during that stretch (Pacific 5-1, Rutgers 3-0, Indiana 4-1, Missouri State 7-0).
NORLANDER NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
University of Iowa sophomore Stephanie Norlander was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30. Norlander paced Iowa’s offensive attack with a combined five goals on 12 shots over two games, which included a hat trick in the opening 12 minutes against Missouri State.
HAT TRICK
Two Hawkeyes — Natalie Cafone and Stephanie Norlander — have scored hat tricks in the 2014 season. Junior Natalie Cafone’s came against No. 6 Virginia on Sept. 4, in a 4-3 win at home. Sophomore Stephanie Norlander registered hers in the opening 12 minutes in the win over Missouri State on Sept. 28 in Iowa City.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State is led by fifth-year head coach Beth Maddox. Bethany Han paces the Cardinals offense with four goals on 13 shots. Shelby Henley (3-4) has started eight-of-nine games as goalkeeper for the Ball State defense, collecting 63 saves and surrendering 24 goals.
SCOUTING NO. 11 NORTHWESTERN
Tracey Fuchs enters her sixth season at the helm of the Northwestern field hockey prgram. Fuchs has the Wildcats off to an 8-3 start overall, 3-0 in Big Ten play. Isabel Fens paces the Northwestern offense with nine goals on 44 shots. Maddy Carpenter (8-3) has started 10-of-11 games for the Wildcats, collecting 35 saves while surrendering 14 goals.
WE MEET AGAIN
Iowa has familiarity with both opponents this week having played each on the road a season ago. Iowa defeated Ball State, 11-0, on Aug. 22 in an exhibition contest, and fell to Northwestern, 4-3, on Sept. 27.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Hawkeyes hold the edge in the all-time series against both teams this week. Iowa posts a 21-2 all-time mark against Ball State, and a 52-19-4 record against Northwestern.
IN THE RANKINGS
The University of Iowa ranks seventh in the 2014 Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Poll. The Hawkeyes garnered 574 points in the rankings. Iowa has been ranked each week (38 weeks) in the poll dating back to Sept. 6, 2011. Iowa is one of six Big Ten Conference schools in the rankings along with Maryland (second), Penn State (ninth), Northwestern (11th), Michigan (15th), and Michigan State (20th).
HAWKEYES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Natalie Cafone — the reigning 2013 national points leader — ranks second nationally, and leads the Big Ten in goals per game (1.56). UI sophomore Stephanie Norlander ranks 15th (.89). The Hawkeyes also rank fourth-nationally in goals per game (3.50).
IOWA SITS NO. 4 IN RPI RANKINGS
The Rating Percentage Index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank teams based upon a team’s wins and losses and its strength of schedule. Released Sept. 30, the Hawkeyes landed the No. 4 national ranking — the highest ranking in the Big Ten conference.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes conclude their six-game homestand next week with games against Michigan (Oct. 10th), and Miami (Ohio) (Oct. 12th).
QUICK CAP-INDIANA
The eighth-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team earned a 4-1 win over Indiana on Sept. 26, at Grant Field in Iowa City. Junior Natalie Cafone and sophomore Stephanie Norlander each scored two goals, propelling the Hawkeyes to a 6-2 record.
QUICK CAP-MISSOURI STATE
The eighth-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team posted a 7-0 win over Missouri State on Sept. 28, at Grant Field in Iowa City. Twelve minutes was all it took for Norlander to complete the hat trick in the opening period. Goals from Watro and Cafone extended the home team’s lead to 5-0. First career goals from Mallory Lefkowitz and Emily George propelled the Hawkeyes to the final score, 7-0. Katie Jones (1-0) earned her first career start, shutout, and win as goalkeeper.
IOWA AT GRANT FIELD
The Hawkeyes own an overall home record of 142-46, a conference record of 61-25 at home, and an 11-2 record in NCAA Tournament games played in Iowa City.
CAFONE NAMED B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Natalie Cafone was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9. Cafone paced Iowa’s offensive attack with three goals on five shots in a 4-3 win over No. 6 Virginia in Iowa’s home opener on Sept. 4. This marked Cafone’s second Big Ten Player of the Week honor (Sept. 24, 2013).
ALL-AMERICANS
Natalie Cafone and Dani Hemeon were named 2013 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Americans. Cafone was named to the second team, while Hemeon garnered third team honors. Cafone and Hemeon are the 84th and 85th national All-Americans in program history. Only four programs nationally have had more.
CAFONE STEPS UP
Junior Natalie Cafone was named the University of Iowa’s 2014 Female Athlete of the Year. The Fairfield, N.J., native was the NCAA statistical champion for points per game in 2013, leading the nation in points per game (2.48) the first Hawkeye to lead nation in points per game since Kristy Gleason in 1992 (3.95). Cafone was named to the NFHCA Division I All-America second team, NFHCA West Region All-America first team, All-Big Ten first team and the All-Big Ten tournament team. Cafone has scored 36 goals over her last 30 games.
IOWA NEWCOMERS
The Black and Gold feature 10 freshman on the 2014 roster. Taylor Omweg and Veronique Declercq will both see action in the backfield. Torie Berkel, JoElla Guagliardo and Mallory Lefkowitz will contribute to the Hawkeye forward line. Pommeline Kortanje, Emily George, Mackenzie Sapp and Melissa Progar will each add to the midfielder’s depth. Freshman goal keeper Katie Jones rounds out the Hawkeye newcomers.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
21 student-athletes on the UI field hockey roster: – 10 freshmen – Five sophomores – Three juniors – Three seniors
Four members of the Iowa roster were also teammates in high school. Sophie Plasteras and Stephanie Norlander played alongside one another at Handsworth Secondary in North Vancouver, Canada, while Taylor Omweg and Melissa Progar competed for Tabb High School in Yorktown, Va.
HAWKEYES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Hawkeyes have been selected to the NCAA Tournament 22 times in program history — the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes are 26-23 all-time in tournament play, including 9-5 in first round match-ups and 11-6 in second round contests. Iowa has advanced to 11 NCAA Final Fours, winning the 1986 national championship. The Hawkeyes 26 tournament victories and 11 NCAA Final Fours are the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
HAWKEYES SELECTED TO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM
Junior Natalie Cafone and former UI All-American Lauren Pfeiffer were selected to the 2014-15 U.S. Women’s National Team. Pfeiffer, a member of the U.S. National Team since 2009 who has earned 66 caps, was a two time All-American at Iowa. During her career, Pfeiffer earned all-region honors three times, first-team All-Big Ten honors twice, and was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP twice.
NATIONAL ACADEMIC HONORS
The University of Iowa field hockey team was awarded the 2013 Gladiator SGI/NFHCA Division I National Academic Team Award. The National Academic Team Award recognizes those institutions that have achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first semester of the 2013-14 academic year. Brynn Gitt and Jessy Silfer were named 2013 Gladiator SGI/NFHCA Division I Scholars of Distinction. The honor is awarded to student-athletes who achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher through the first semester of the 2013-14 academic year.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Become fans of the official Iowa Field Hockey fan page by going to facebook.com/iowafieldhockey to follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook. Fans can also follow on Twitter: @iowafieldhockey
