Week 7 Preview: Nebraska, at Michigan State

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa soccer team will conclude its three-game home stand, hosting Nebraska on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) at the Iowa Soccer Complex.  The Hawkeyes round out the weekend with a road game in East Lansing, facing Michigan State on Sunday at noon at the DeMartin Soccer Complex (CT). 

WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
• Both games will be streamed online via BTN+ — a paid subscription service.
• Live stats for both contests will be available on hawkeyesports.com.
• Fans can follow the Iowa soccer program on Twitter (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live game updates.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Iowa’s 10-win season is the eighth in school history and the second under head coach Dave DiIanni.  Iowa won 14 games during DiIanni’s first season in 2014.
• The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.  Iowa has 13 votes, putting it in 29th place in the rankings.
• Iowa tied a school record, winning its first nine games of the 2019 season.  The Hawkeyes also started 9-0-0 in 2013.  
• The Hawkeyes fell 2-1 to Northwestern on Sept. 29, despite out-shooting the Wildcats, 25-7.  It was Iowa’s first home loss since Oct. 21, 2017. 
• Iowa had the highest ranking in school history, coming in at No. 19 by United Soccer Coaches on Sept. 17 and 21st by TopDrawerSoccer on Sept. 16.
• The Hawkeyes have scored a Big Ten-best 31 goals through the first 12 games of the 2019 season.  The figure is tied for fourth nationally.
• Iowa has already surpassed its 2018 win total (8-7-3).
• Iowa is 2-0-0 this season against ACC foes, defeating No. 14 NC State, 1-0, on Sept. 6 and Notre Dame, 3-2, on Sept. 15. The victory over the Wolfpack was the team’s third-highest rated opponent Iowa has defeated in school history.

DYNAMO DEVIN
Senior Devin Burns has registered a point in eight of Iowa’s 12 games this season.  She scored her team-leading fifth goal in the Hawkeyes’ 3-1 win over Illinois, giving her 19 goals for her career.  The total is sixth all-time in program history.
• Iowa is 15-0-1 in games in which Burns has scored in her career.

DRKULEC DOES IT ALL
Senior Hannah Drkulec was named a Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17 following her first career two-goal game in the road win at Notre Dame.  One of the two strikes was Drkulec’s first career game-winner.
• It was Drkulec’s third honor of the season, as she was previously named Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 and Sept. 10.   
• Drkulec became the third Big Ten student-athlete all-time to garner Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors in the same season (Lisa Grubb, Ohio State, 2001; Izzy Rodriguez, Ohio State, 2018). 
• The defender was also named to TopDrawerSoccer’s National Team of the Week on Sept. 17.

A PROGRAM FIRST
The Hawkeyes debuted in the United Soccer Coaches poll on Sept. 17, coming in at No. 19.  It was Iowa’s highest ranking in school history and the first time the program has been in the United Soccer Coaches poll (previously NSCAA).  
• Iowa also joined TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 25 for the first time since 2014, when the Hawkeyes were ranked 25th.  

ADDITIONAL HAWKEYE HONOREES
• Senior Claire Graves was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 10 after posting back-to-back shutouts of No. 14 NC State and UNC Greensboro.  She was also named honorable mention on TopDrawerSoccer’s National Team of the Week on Sept. 10.

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
The Hawkeyes rank among the top 15 in the nation in four categories.  Iowa is first in penalty kicks (1.000), fourth in goals (31), seventh in points (83), and 12th in scoring (2.73).  
• Senior Natalie Winters is 13th nationally with three game-winning goals and first in penalty kicks (1.000, 3-for-3).

B1G LEADERS
• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in all six offensive categories — goals (31), points (85), shots (204), goals per game (2.58), assists (23), and assists per game (1.92).
• Senior Devin Burns is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with five goals. Hannah Drkulec, Kaleigh Haus and Natalie Winters are tied for fifth in the Big Ten with four goals.
• Freshman Melina Hegelheimer, sophomore Samantha Tawharu and senior Devin Burns are tied for fourth in the league with three assists.
• Devin Burns is fourth in the conference with 34 shots and fifth in shots per game (2.83).  Burns is also tied for fifth in points (13).
• Senior Natalie Winters is tied for second in game-winning goals with three.

IOWA’S DEFENSE HAS…
• allowed seven or fewer shots in nine of its 12 games.  Iowa allowed just two shots in three games — wins over Western Michigan, Northern Iowa, and Northern Colorado — and three shots in the road loss at Purdue.
• posted five shutouts, including back-to-back-to-back against No. 14 NC State, UNC Greensboro, and Northern Colorado.  

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING
• Iowa is out-shooting its opposition, 204-71, and the Hawkeyes have a 68-36 advantage in corner kicks.  The Hawkeyes have 20 or more shots in five games.
• Seven different Hawkeyes have scored a game-winning goal this season, including career firsts from: Hannah Drkulec, Samantha Tawharu, Emma Tokuyama, and Sara Wheaton.
• The Hawkeyes have scored three or more goals in six games this season, including three  in four straight contests for the first time since the 2016 season.

I SCORE, YOU SCORE, WE ALL SCORE
The Hawkeyes have scored 31 goals in 12 games (Iowa scored 20 total goals in 2018) and 14 different players have found the back of the net. Sixteen different players have tallied a point this season.
• Iowa is tied for the national lead with 14 different goal scorers with Louisiana Tech.
• Freshmen Gianna Gourley, Sara Wheaton, and Samantha Cary, sophomores Samantha Tawharu, Skylar Alward, and Jenny Cape, and senior Emma Tokuyama have scored their first career goals this season.  
• Iowa scored six goals in its 6-1 victory over Northern Iowa on Aug. 25 — the most for the program since 2017.  The six goals (and six assists in the game) are tied for the most in a single game in the Big Ten this season.

DOWN GOES NO. 14
• The Hawkeyes’ 1-0 victory at No. 14 NC State was the program’s third-highest ranked victory in its history and the highest ranked opponent since 2013.  
• Iowa defeated No. 7 Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in 2013.  The program also knocked off 12th-ranked Wisconsin in 1999.

PERFECT PK
Senior Natalie Winters has scored four goals — with three coming on penalty kicks.  She is a perfect 7-for-7 in her career in penalty kicks.

HOME COOKIN’ AT THE ISC
The Hawkeyes home unbeaten streak came to an end last week in an overtime loss to Northwestern. Iowa was riding a 16-game unbeaten streak that dated back to Oct. 21, 2017.  
• Iowa is 13-1-3 dating back to the start of the 2018 season, which includes a 6-1 record at home this season. 

HAWKEYE TIDBITS
• The Hawkeyes are 4-1 on the road this season, a year after going 1-7-0 away from Iowa City. 
• Iowa posted a 1-0 road win at Indiana in its Big Ten Conference opener.  It was the Hawkeyes first victory in a league opener since 2014 and the first on the road in school history.

90-MINUTE CLUB
Iowa has five position players that are a part of the 90-minute club.  The club includes: Riley Whitaker (9 games), Hannah Drkulec (6), Sara Wheaton (6), Samantha Cary (5), and Isabella Blackman (4).

QUICK ATTACK
• The Hawkeyes’ offense has come out fast, scoring in the game’s first seven minutes in four contests — (UNI (6:58), Illinois State (0:47), UNC Greensboro (3:52), Northern Colorado (6:09).
• Iowa has scored first in nine of 12 games this season.  The Hawkeyes fell behind in the road win at Notre Dame, but responded by scoring three times in a 10-minute stretch in the 3-2 victory.

EXPERIENCE GALORE
• The Hawkeyes boast a roster featuring 12 seniors and 14 total upperclassmen.  The 12 seniors are believed to be the most by a team in the nation.
• The 12 seniors have combined to start 398 games in their collegiate careers. 
• Midfielder Natalie Winters has started 69 of 70 games as a Hawkeye, Claire Graves has started 62 contests, and Isabella Blackman has started 60 games.

GRAVES CLIMBING IOWA RECORD BOOKS
Senior Claire Graves currently ranks in the top-four in three career categories in Iowa history.  The Indiana native is second in career shutouts (22), third in career victories (33), and fifth in career saves (210).

Shutouts
1. Hannah Clark, 26
2. Claire Graves, 22

Victories
1. Hannah Clark, 36
2. Emily Moran, 35
3. Claire Graves, 33

Saves
1. Britta Vogele, 489
2. Emily Moran, 350
3. Hannah Clark, 321
4. Claire Graves, 212

BURNS AMONG CAREER LEADERS
• Senior Devin Burns has scored five goals during the 2019 season, giving her 19 career goals, which are the sixth-most in school history.  Linzy Wolman is fifth with 21 goals.
• Burns is also tied for third all-time with nine career game-winning goals.
• She currently has 50 career points — two points shy of tying Bri Toelle (52) for sixth place all-time.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS
• The Hawkeyes were picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten preseason poll.
• Seniors Hannah Drkulec and Isabella Blackman were voted the Hawkeyes’ team captains for the 2019 season.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
• Nebraska has won two of its last three games to improve to 3-6-2 overall and 2-2-0 in Big Ten play.  The Huskers have wins over Illinois and Indiana and losses to Northwestern and Purdue. 
• The Huskers have scored seven goals in 11 games with two coming from Dakota Chan and Sinclaire Miramontez.  Nebraska is last in the Big Ten in total points (18), goals (7), and assists (4).
• Aubrei Corder has played all but 17:57 minutes in goal, where she has posted a 1.16 goals against average with 30 saves.  Cordner has posted three shutouts.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
• The Spartans are 8-3 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play following a 2-0 victory over Purdue on Sept. 29 in East Lansing.  Michigan State plays at Minnesota on Oct. 3 before hosting the Hawkeyes.
• Michigan State is unbeaten at home this season, winning all six of its contests at Demartin Stadium.
• The Spartans are second to Iowa in the Big Ten in four categories, ranking second in points (66), goals per game (2.09), assists (20), and assists per game (1.82).
• Gia Wahlberg leads the Spartans and the Big Ten, and ranks second nationally with nine goals this season.  Wahlberg scored four goals in Michigan State’s 5-1 victory over Marshall. 
• Wahlberg attended the same high school as Hawkeye sophomore Hailey Rydberg.

SERIES RECORDS
• Iowa is 1-10-1 all-time against Nebraska and 7-11-5 all-time against Michigan State. 
• The Hawkeyes posted the first win in school history over Nebraska last season, downing the 22nd-ranked Huskers, 2-1, in Lincoln.  Iowa is 1-0-1 in the last two meetings in the series.   
• Iowa and Michigan State have split the last six meetings. The Hawkeyes got the best of the Spartans in last year’s matchup with a 1-0 home victory, snapping a three-game losing streak.
• Iowa’s last win in East Lansing came during the 2014 season with a 1-0 victory.

NEXT UP
The Hawkeyes return to action Oct. 11, hosting Rutgers at 7 p.m. (CT) at the Iowa Soccer Complex.