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THE MATCH-UP
The University of Iowa soccer team returns home for a pair of Big Ten Conference matches this weekend at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The Hawkeyes host No. 23 Rutgers (9-1-2, 3-1-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) before taking on Maryland (7-3-2, 1-3-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
• Live stats for both contests will be available on hawkeyesports.com by visiting the Iowa soccer schedule page.
• Both matches will be streamed live on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
• Fans can follow the Iowa soccer program on Twitter (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live in-game updates.
PROMOTIONS
• Thursday’s game against Rutgers is Iowa soccer’s “Fight For Iowa” game, while Sunday’s matchup against Maryland is the annual “Pink Game.”
THE SERIES
• Iowa is tied 2-2 in the all-time series against Rutgers with the first matchup coming in 2003 — a 2-1 Hawkeye victory. Iowa is 2-1 against Rutgers in Iowa City.
• Iowa and Maryland are tied 1-1 all-time. Both teams have wins on their opponent’s pitch.
SOPHOMORES STEP UP
• Four sophomores – Devin Burns, Kaleigh Haus, Olivia Fiegel, and Natalie Winters – lead the team in goals, assists, and points.
• The quartet has combined for 17 of Iowa’s 21 goals this season. They also own 45 percent of Hawkeye assists in 2017.
• Burns scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season in Iowa’s 2-2 road draw at Michigan on Sept. 29.
• Goalkeeper Claire Graves has competed in 960 minutes of action, collecting 32 saves and three shutouts.
STUENKEL, DRKULEC FIND NET
Senior Karly Stuenkel and sophomore Hannah Drkulec scored their first goals of the season in Iowa’s Oct. 1 loss at Michigan State. The duo was the seventh and eighth different Hawkeyes to score in 2017. It was Stuenkel’s 11th career goal, while it was Drkulec’s first career strike.
APPLYING PRESSURE
The Hawkeyes out-shot Michigan and Michigan State 37-20 in two matches last weekend. Iowa is out-shooting its opponents, 53-50 in Big Ten matches and 151-127 (+24) overall.
IRON HAWK
Junior defender Morgan Kemerling has played 990 of Iowa’s 1017 minutes during the 2017 season. The Illinois native has played every minute of 10 of the team’s 11 contests, including the last seven games. The only match Kemerling didn’t play the duration was in Iowa’s 8-1 victory over Southern Utah on Aug. 31.
OF NOTE…
• Senior defender Rachele Armand saw her first game action since Sept. 10 in Iowa’s Oct. 1 road loss at Michigan State. Armand, who played 69 minutes against the Spartans, missed the Hawkeyes’ first three Big Ten games with a concussion.
• Freshman Morgan Krause has started Iowa’s last four games as a defender. She registered her first career point via an assist at Michigan State.
SCOUTING No. 23 RUTGERS
• Rutgers was dealt its first loss of the season last week, falling 2-1 against Minnesota.
• The two goals were the first two scored against the Scarlet Knights this season. Rutgers opened the season with a program-record 924:07 scoreless minutes.
• Goalkeeper Casey Murphy leads the conference in shutouts (9), saves per game (.820), and save percentage at .914.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
• Maryland is 1-3-1 in Big Ten play this season and 7-3-2 overall. The Terrapins have lost or tied their last three matches. Their last victory came over Illinois (1-0) on Sept. 22 in Champaign.
• The Terrapins have outshot opponents, 151-127, and are averaging 12.6 shots per game.
• Freshman Mikayla Dayes has a team-leading three goals and two assists. Senior Madison Turner is third in conference in shots per game, averaging 3.56.
• Goalkeeper Rachel Egyed has four shutouts and 44 saves this season.
QUICK HITTERS
• Iowa has outscored opponents 21-15 this season. The team is averaging 13.5 shots per game and has collected 21 goals, 24 assists, and 66 points this season.
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top 50 nationally in assists per game (22nd), points per game (43rd), and assists (30th).
• Iowa’s eight goals, 10 assists, and 26 points against Southern Utah on Aug. 31 are high-water marks in the Big Ten this season.
• Sophomore Claire Graves posted her third shutout of the season — and seventh of her career — in Iowa’s 1-0 win over Montana. Graves is 5-5-1 with 32 saves and a 1.41 goals against average in 2017.
• Senior Karly Stuenkel, junior Rose Ripslinger, and sophomore Natalie Winters were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List. Stuenkel is Iowa’s 2017 team captain.
B1G LEADERS
• The Hawkeyes are fourth in the Big Ten in assists per game (24) and assists per game (1.91).
• Sophomores Devin Burns is tied for fourth in the league in goals per game (.550).
• Burns is also fifth in the conference in points per game (1.36) and is tied for fifth in points (15). She is also tied for fourth in game-winning goals (2).
RECORDS, RECORDS, WE LIKE RECORDS
• Iowa tied a single-game goals record in its 8-1 victory over Southern Utah on Aug. 31. It was the third time in program history the team scored eight goals in a game and the first since 1998 during the program’s second season.
• Sophomore Devin Burns tied a pair of individual single-game records in the triumph over Southern Utah. The forward tallied the eighth hat trick in school history, tying the goals record, and she added an assist to become the third Hawkeye — first since 2003 — to finish with seven points in a match.
• Sophomore Natalie Winters tied a single-game assists record in Iowa’s 5-1 victory at Richmond. She is the fourth Hawkeye to accomplish the feat.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes head to the Hoosier State for a pair of matches, beginning with an Oct. 12 game at Indiana in Bloomington at 6:30 p.m. (CT). Iowa then travels to West Lafayette on Sunday to face Purdue at noon.
