Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch – 2017-18 | Wee 2 Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK
The 17th-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team heads west this weekend as they face No. 13 Stanford on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT), California on Saturday at noon, and UC Davis on Sunday at noon.
FOLLOW ON THE WEB
Iowa field hockey fans can follow all contests via live stats on hawkeyesports.com. Click on the “Live Stats” link found on the field hockey schedule page to access the live stats feed. Fans can also follow @IowaFieldHockey on Twitter for live in-game updates.
SCOUTING #13 STANFORD
• No. 13 Stanford finished the 2016 season ranked No. 12 with a 14-6 record. The Cardinals were 2-1 against Big Ten opponents last season.
• Head coach Tara Danielson returns for her eighth season at Stanford.
• The Cardinals earned a berth in the 2016 NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and their sixth under Danielson.
• Stanford returns sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing. Bing finished the season ranked second in the NCAA in goals against average (1.17) and sixth in saves percentage (.755). Bing was also named the 2016 America East Rookie of the Year.
• The Cardinals fell to No. 4 Connecticut (0-2) and No. 14 Northwestern (0-1) in their season openers last week.
IOWA VS. STANFORD — THE SERIES
• Iowa leads the all-time series, 12-8. The Hawkeyes are 3-2 when playing at The Farm.
• The teams last met in 2015. Stanford won the match, 3-2, at Grant Field.
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA
• California ended the 2016 season with a 5-13 record, including an 0-2 mark against Big Ten teams.
• Head coach Shellie Onstead returns for her 21st season at California.
• The Golden Bears return their top-three scores from last season. Junior Melina Moore (6 goals, 3 assists, 12 points), junior Janaye Sakkas (6 goals, 12 points), and sophomore Katrina Carter (4 goals, 3 assists, 11 points) are all back for California.
• California fell to No.5 Syracuse in their season opener last weekend, 0-2.
IOWA VS. CALIFRONIA — THE SERIES
• The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 10-1.
• Iowa edged California the last time they met, 3-2, back in 2009 at Grant Field.
SCOUTING UC DAVIS
• The Aggies capped off the 2016 season with a 5-13 record.
• Britt Broady joins UC Davis as the new head coach this season.
• The Aggies are without their top-5 scorers from last season.
• UC Davis fell to No. 17 Albany in the first round of the 2016 America East Championship, 3-0.
• The Aggies suffered two losses in last weekend’s season openers. They fell to the likes of Michigan State (2-1) and No. 5 Syracuse (3-0).
IOWA VS. UC DAVIS — THE SERIES
• The Hawkeyes are undefeated against the Aggies, winning all three matches between the two.
• Iowa won last year’s match, 5-0, at Grant Field.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Eight of Iowa’s 2017 opponents are ranked in the top-15 of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Rankings (8/22). They include: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Duke, No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Penn State, No. 11 Michigan, No. 13 Stanford, No. 14 Northwestern, and No. 15 Wake Forest.
WEEKEND RECAP
• The No. 17 Hawkeyes fell to No. 15 Wake Forest and No. 1 North Carolina last week at Grant field.
• Iowa fought back from a 2-0 deficient in the first half against Wake Forest. Sophomore Katie Birch scored a pair of goals for the Hawkeyes. The Demon Deacons scored on a penalty stroke in the 45th minute to take a 3-2 lead and secure their first victory of the season.
• The Hawkeyes out-shot the Tarheels in the first half, 4-3, but we were unsuccessful on a penalty stroke in the 15th minute. North Carolina scored all three of its goals in the last 16 minutes of match to win, 3-0.
CORNER SUCCESS
The Hawkeyes scored on two corners last weekend. The combination of junior Makenna Grewe, senior Melissa Progar, and sophomore Katie Birch were responsible for both goals.
HAWKEYES DEBUTS
• All eight of Iowa’s newcomers made their Hawkeye debuts this weekend.
• Nikki Freeman, Mya Christopher, Lucie Daman, and Madeleine Murphy all registered their first collegiate starts.
B1G PRESEASON HONOREES
• Katie Birch, Mallory Lefkowitz, and Melissa Progar earned preseason All-Big Ten recognition.
• Birch, a sophomore midfielder, started all 19 games in 2016. She recorded 12 goals and four assists for 28 points for the Hawkeyes in her freshman campaign — the second most on the team. The York, England, native earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season and was named Freshman of the Year by the league office.
• Lefkowitz, a senior forward started all 19 games last season. She registered one goal and three assists for five points. The Kingston, Pennsylvania, native earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2016 for the second consecutive year.
• Progar, a senior midfielder, who earned preseason All-Big Ten recognition in 2016, started all 19 games last season. She recorded a team-high 12 assists (second in the Big Ten). The Yorktown, Virginia, native earned Academic All-Big Ten and NFHCA Academic honors in 2016.
HAWKEYES SELECTED FOR YOUNG WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
• Seniors Mallory Lefkowtiz, Melissa Progar, Taylor Omweg, and Katie Jones, and junior Makenna Grewe were selected to compete at the 2017 Young Women’s National Championships from June 12-16.
• The Young Women’s National Championship is a high-level, international structured competition that serves as the selection avenue to the Junior National Camps and the Development Squad Camp.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING — INDVIDUAL STATS
• Sophomore Katie Birch, the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, ranked second in the conference in shots (89) and shots per game (4.63) last season. She also ranked ninth in goals (12) and goals per game (0.63).
• Senior Melissa Progar ranked second in the conference in assists (12). Progar’s 0.63 assists per game ranked third among Big Ten opponents.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING — TEAM STATS
• The Hawkeyes ranked third in the Big Ten in goals (64) and goals per game (3.37) last season.
• Iowa’s 15.68 shots per game was the fourth-highest mark in the Big Ten. Iowa also ranked third in assists per game (2.63) and fourth in points per game (9.37).
IOWA 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes return to Grant Field next weekend as they face New Hampshire on Friday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Admission is free.
