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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Redshirt freshman Josie Durr scored her second game-winning goal in as many games to lead the University of Iowa soccer team to a 2-0 win over VCU and the Hawkeye Invitational title on Sunday at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
The Hawkeyes remain unbeaten on the season at 4-0-1. Iowa has surrendered one goal in five games.
After playing a scoreless first half, Durr received a cross from freshman Riley Whitaker in the 50th minute and headed the shot over VCU goalkeeper Audrey Sanderson, giving the Hawkeyes a 1-0 lead.
Durr missed a potential second goal in the 58th minute, but Iowa added an insurance goal 20 minutes later. Junior Bianca Acuario sent a cross to freshman Olivia Hellweg, who put away her first career strike in the 78th minute to extend the lead to 2-0.
Weather caused havoc in the game as play was stopped for an hour because of lightning and in the second half, torrential downpour hit Iowa City. The rain persisted for the final 25 minutes of game action.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior Morgan Kemerling, juniors Natalie Winters and Claire Graves, and Durr were named to the All-Tournament Team. Kemerling and Graves played the full 180 minutes of the Hawkeye Invitational. Graves made six saves in the tournament and recorded a shutout. Durr scored two game-winning goals for Iowa, while Winters scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Central Michigan.
DURR ON THE OFFENSIVE
Durr started her second straight game and scored her second career goal in the process. The redshirt freshman took three shots in her 57 minutes of action, putting two of them on goal.
OF NOTE
- Junior Claire Graves earned her fourth shutout of the season and the 15th of her career. She moved in to second place all-time for career shutouts.
- Freshman Jenny Cape made her Hawkeye debut and junior Olivia Fiegel made her first appearance of the 2018 season.
- Hellweg scored her first career goal and Acuario registered her first career point. Hellweg was the fifth Hawkeye to score this season.
- Iowa defenders — freshman Sara Wheaton, junior Hannah Drkulec, and Kemerling — played the full 180 minutes of the Hawkeye Invitational.
QUOTING HEAD COACH DAVE DIIANNI
“Credit to VCU, they are a good team. Overall, we played two very good teams this weekend. It took us 45 minutes to figure things out tactically. They put us in tough positions and put a lot of pressure in our midfield.”
“I am proud of our girls. They showed more mettle today, especially in the second half. They played a little tougher on the home field. I’m proud of the two goals they scored. They were things we talked about this week in training. Good win heading in to the in-state rival and we look forward to Friday’s game against Iowa State.”
QUOTING CAPTAIN MORGAN KEMERLING
“We did not come out and defend our home field like we should have. During the lightning delay and halftime, we had to get our head back in the game and defend this like it is our home field. We came out with that mentality in the second half.”
UP NEXT
Iowa will travel to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State in an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Sept. 7.
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