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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa soccer team posted a 4-0 shutout victory over Maryland on Senior Day Sunday at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Senior Claire Graves earned the win in goal to tie Hannah Clark as the winningest goalkeeper in the program history with 36 victories.
Senior Isabella Blackman scored the game-winning goal in the 22nd minute to put the Hawkeyes ahead 1-0. The strike was Blackman’s first of the season and her first goal since her second career game as a freshman. Senior Olivia Fiegel was credited with the assist.
In the 31st minute, sophomore Riley Whitaker extended the Hawkeye lead to 2-0 as she bent a kick into the back of the net off a corner kick. The strike was Whitaker’s first goal of the season and second of her career.
The Hawkeyes put the game away early in the seconds half when senior Natalie Winters joined the scoring party in the 50th minute. Winters blasted a shot past the Maryland goalkeeper in the 50th minute following assists from Fiegel and Samantha Cary. It was Winters’ fifth goal of the season.
Iowa added a fourth goal in the 82nd minute when freshman Gianna Gourley played a cross when the Maryland goalkeeper played a ball on the right side of the box. Trying to head the ball away from the goal, the Terrapin defender knocked in an own goal.
HEAD COACH DAVE DIIANNI SAYS…
“That was probably the best game we played all year. We played with an urgency that we needed to get three points today, that was important. We lost to Maryland last year, it was away, but we didn’t play well, we got jumped on right from the beginning, so this was a sense of redemption.”
SOPHOMORE DEFENDER RILEY WHITAKER SAYS…
“It was a huge win, especially coming off Rutgers, we knew we needed to bounce back and get those points so we could separate ourselves form the rest of the Big Ten and we wanted to win for the seniors, too.”
SENIOR MIDFIELDER ISABELLA BLACKMAN SAYS…
“I was so happy, it was so much fun scoring the first goal of the game and knowing my entire family was here. I had a bunch of friends here from high school, coaches from high school. Then of course, having my team here celebrating as well, and they all knew how much I wanted it, so it was so much fun.”
“This win was very much needed, I think that we knew that since it was Senior Day and losing (Friday), we couldn’t come out with a loss or even a tie, so we all just knew we had to play our hardest and get the win.”
OF NOTE
– Four goals are the most Iowa has scored in a B1G game since the last time Maryland played at the Iowa Soccer Complex on October 8, 2017 (4-0).
– It is Iowa’s eighth game of the season with three or more goals.
– Fiegel made her first start of the season and recorded her first two assists of the season.
– Sophomore Monica Wilhelm made her second appearance of the season, finishing the final nine minutes in goal.
– Today’s win was Iowa’s 13th of the season, tying for the third-most in a single season in program history.
– The Hawkeyes had 15 shots to Maryland’s six.
– Twenty-five Hawkeyes saw action in the contest.
NEXT UP
The Hawkeyes travel to Madison to take on Wisconsin on Thursday at 7 P.M. (CT). The game will be streamed on BTN+.
