Iowa Travels to Michigan for a Pair of Contests

Oct. 7, 2015

THIS WEEK
The 20th-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team wraps up a five-game road trip this weekend when it travels to the state of Michigan. The Hawkeyes face 16th-ranked Michigan on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) before concluding the weekend with a nonconference showdown at Central Michigan at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday.

LIVE STREAMING
Iowa field hockey fans can follow all contests via live stats on hawkeyesports.com. Click on the “GameTracker” or “Live Stats” link found on the field hockey schedule page to access the live stats feed.

LINK UP WITH THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa field hockey program and to access exclusive coverage, “like” The University of Iowa Field Hockey Team on Facebook and follow @IowaFieldHockey on Twitter and Instagram.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING — TEAM STATS
? Through 12 games, Iowa has tallied the second most assists in the Big Ten and the fourth most in the country with 42. The Hawkeyes average 3.50 assists per game, ranking fourth nationally and second in the conference.
? Iowa’s average of 9.83 points per game ranks 11th in the country and third in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have tallied 118 points in 12 games, the ninth most nationally.
? Iowa’s 38 goals are tied for the 11th most in the country. The Hawkeyes’ average of 3.17 goals per game ranks 17th nationally.
? The Hawkeyes are outscoring their opponents, 38-23, and average a 1.25 margin of victory — 18th best in the country.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING — INDIVIDUAL STATS
? Junior Stephanie Norlander is tied for fourth in the country in points scored with 29. Her average of 2.42 points per game ranks sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten.
? Norlander’s 13 goals in 2015 are the most in the Big Ten and rank fourth in the country. Her average of 1.08 goals per game ranks fifth in the NCAA.
? Freshman Makenna Grewe and sophomore Melissa Progar are among the best in the country when it comes to assists. Grewe is tied for second in the country in assists with 10, while Progar is tied for third with nine. Grewe’s average of 0.83 assists per game ranks sixth nationally, while her four-assist game against Saint Louis (Sept. 13) is tied with Teresa Benvenuti of Princeton for a 2015 NCAA single game high.
? Grewe’s seven goals in 2015 are tied for sixth among all Division I freshman.
? Grewe’s 24 points are more than any other freshman and rank 12th nationally, while her average of two points per game ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
? The 16th-ranked Wolverines enter Friday’s contest with a 9-3 overall record and rank second in the Big Ten standings at 3-1.
? Michigan is riding a six-game home winning streak, stretching back to its Vermont win on Sept. 11. After opening its season with back-to-back losses against North Carolina and Wake Forest at Ocker Field, the Wolverines have claimed nine of their last 10 outings. Michigan has outscored its home opposition, 21-9, over its last eight games.
? Sophomore goalkeeper Sam Swenson was named the Big Ten’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week after posting seven saves and allowing just one goal in weekend wins against Pacific and Indiana. It marks Swenson’s second defensive weekly accolade of the season.
? As a team, Michigan leads the Big Ten with just 12 goals allowed — seven fewer than any other conference school.
? Senior Shannon Scavelli leads the Wolverines with six goals this season.

MICHIGAN VS. IOWA — THE SERIES
? Iowa is 40-21 all-time against Michigan, including 17-8 when playing in Ann Arbor.
? In the first ever meeting between the two schools (1978), the Hawkeyes topped the Wolverines, 2-0.
?Since 2010, the Hawkeyes have gone 1-7 against the Wolverines. Iowa last defeated Michigan in 2013, when the Hawkeyes won 1-0 in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.
?Since Oct. 1, 2011, Iowa and Michigan have both been ranked when facing each other (six games).

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
? Central Michigan enters Sunday’s nonconference showdown with an 0-11 overall record.
? The Chippewas are 0-2 against Big Ten opponents this season. They fell to No. 19 Michigan State, 5-1, on Aug. 29 and No. 9 Northwestern, 7-0, on Sept. 12. Iowa is the third ranked opponent Central Michigan will face this season.
? Central Michigan is being outscored by its opponents, 57-11, through 11 games. Opponents are averaging 4.55 goals per game against the Chippewas
? Senior Kaysie Gregory leads Central Michigan offensively, having scored seven goals to go along with two assists.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. IOWA — THE SERIES
?Iowa leads the all-time series, 9-0.
? The Hawkeyes have shutout the Chippewas six different times and have outscored them 35-4 in nine games.
? Iowa and central Michigan last met in 2013, when the Hawkeyes trounced the Chippewas, 7-1, in Iowa City.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa is ranked 20th in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Poll, released on Oct 6. The Hawkeyes garnered 64 points in the rankings and are one of four ranked Big Ten schools — Maryland (No. 8), Northwestern (No. 14), and Michigan (No. 16). Iowa has been ranked in the polls each week dating back to Sept. 6, 2011.

LOOKING BACK
On Oct. 2, Iowa fell against 14th-ranked Northwestern, 4-0.

Entering halftime, the Hawkeyes found themselves trailing, 1-0. The Wildcats dominated the first half, outshooting Iowa, 10-2, and holding a 9-0 advantage in penalty corners.

In the second half, Iowa outshot Northwestern, 7-5, and outgained them in penalty corners, 5-1. However, the Hawkeyes were unable to score as the Wildcats added three second half goals to secure the 4-0 victory.

TO BE THE BEST YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE BEST
Of Iowa’s 18 opponents in 2015, seven are currently ranked in the most recent NFHCA Division I Poll released on Oct. 6 — No. 3 North Carolina, No. 7 Wake Forest, No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Stanford, No. 14 Northwestern, No. 16 Michigan, and No. 18 James Madison.

GREWE NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Freshman Makenna Grewe was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week by the league office on Sept. 15. It was the first honor of Grewe’s career.

In three games (Sept. 10-13), Grewe scored three goals and recorded six assists, helping the Hawkeyes to victories over Kent State and Saint Louis.

Grewe got Iowa on the board against fifth-ranked Stanford on Sept. 10 when she tied the game at one in the 38th minute. Iowa eventually fell in heartbreaking fashion, 3-2, losing on a penalty corner with no time left on the clock.

On Sept 12, Grewe scored two goals and recorded two assists in a 7-1 victory over Kent State.

Grewe recorded four assists in Iowa’s 7-0 shutout victory over Saint Louis on Sept. 13, falling one assist shy of tying the school’s single game assists record of five set by Lisa Sweeney in 1991.

BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Three University of Iowa field hockey players — Chandler Ackers, Stephanie Norlander and Alexandra Pecora — have been named to the 2015 Big Ten Players to Watch List, announced by the league office.

Ackers, a junior from White Haven, Pennsylvania, started all 18 contests in 2014, accounting for 11 points on two goals and a team-high seven assists. She was named to the 2014 All-Big Ten Tournament Team, while also garnering Academic All-Big Ten honors. Ackers was also named to the NFHCA Academic Squad for the second-straight year.

A two-time Player to Watch, Norlander was a second-team NFHCA All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2014. She started in all 18 contests, scoring 35 points on 15 goals and five assists during her sophomore campaign. The North Vancouver, Canada, native ranked third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally in goals per game (.83), while ranking fifth in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in points per game (1.94). Norlander also scored four game-winning goals last season. In 2013, Norlander was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in addition to earning NFHCA West Region All-America second-team honors.

Pecora appeared in 17 contests in 2014, starting each game at goalkeeper. The Marlton, New Jersey, native posted a 10-7 mark as a sophomore, collecting 78 saves and recording a .722 save percentage. Pecora tallied a career-high 13 saves at No. 2 Maryland on Nov. 1, and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 following her performance in a 4-0 shutout over No. 5 Penn State.

WHAT A SUMMER IT WAS
A second-team NFHCA All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2014, junior Stephanie Norlander highlights what was a busy summer for several Hawkeyes. A native of North Vancouver, Canada, Norlander competed for the Canadian National Field Hockey Team at the World League 3 semifinals in Valencia, Spain as well as the 2015 Pan American Games, where she helped the Canadians to a third place, bronze medal finish. She scored three goals in Canada’s Pan Am opener against the Dominican Republic en route to a 12-1 victory.

Juniors Chandler Ackers and Alexandra Pecora and sophomores Melissa Progar and Taylor Omweg were each selected and competed in the USA Women’s National Championship at the USA Training Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ackers and Pecora were also selected and participated at the Junior National Team Camp and Trials held at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex also in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Sophomore Veronique Declercq competed for the Belgium U21 Team in various tournaments over the course of the summer.

HAWKEYES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT,br> 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.

IOWA NEWCOMERS
Iowa’s 2015 roster features a lot of youth. Of the 19 student-athletes listed on Iowa’s roster, 12 are either freshmen or sophomores. Iowa’s five freshmen include Lara Bampfield (F), Isabella Brown (MF), Makenna Grewe (MF), Riley Kniptash (F/MF), and Avery Semler (F/MF).

CAFONE REDSHIRTING
The 2014 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American will redshirt during the 2015 season due to injury. Cafone dislocated her shoulder last November and re-injured it during the spring.

WELCOME BACK, JESS
Head coach Lisa Cellucci announced the addition of former Hawkeye Jessica Barnett to her staff in late July. Iowa’s 2012 and 2013 Female Athlete of the Year, Barnett will serve as a volunteer assistant coach. A four-year starter for the Hawkeyes from 2009-12, Barnett was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten, All-Region, and Big Ten All-Tournament team selection. She helped the Hawkeyes earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011-12.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes return to Iowa City next weekend when they host a pair of Big Ten foes in Michigan State (Oct. 16) and Ohio State (Oct. 18).

HAWKEYES ON BTN
Throughout the 2015 season, two Hawkeye contests will be televised live on Big Ten Network — Iowa’s home contest against Michigan State (Oct. 16) and away matchup at Penn State (Oct. 23) –, while five additional matches will be streamed live on the BTN Plus.

All four quarterfinal matches (Nov. 5) of the 2015 Big Ten Tournament, hosted by the University of Indiana, will be streamed on the BTN Plus. Both semifinal contests (Nov. 6) and the championship match (Nov. 8) can be seen live on BTN.

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