IOWA CITY, Iowa – The No. 2 University of Iowa field hockey team blasted Saint Louis, 10-0, to improve to 6-0 to start the 2021 season. It is the Hawkeyes’ best start since the 2001 campaign when they won their first six games.
“We typically play a tough schedule, and this has been fantastic for us to get six wins under our belts,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “We’re going to need it going into the next stretch with the Big Ten slate. It’s all due to their readiness and their preparation every day.”
Iowa’s defense didn’t surrender a shot – and allowed a single penalty corner – to post its fourth consecutive shutout. It’s the longest stretch since the team posted four shutouts to start the 2020 season.
Offensively, it was a variety of Hawkeyes that led to the season-high 10 goal output. Nine different Hawkeyes scored, including a two-goal game from junior Sofie Stribos. The Hawkeyes tallied 40 shots with 26 shots on goal, forcing Saint Louis to make 16 saves.
In the game’s first two minutes, senior Ellie Holley put Iowa on the board with a goal on an assist from senior Nikki Freeman. Three minutes later, senior Ciara Smith dribbled in for an unassisted strike to make it 2-0 and before the quarter ended, freshman Ella Wareham notched her first career goal unassisted, to boost Iowa’s lead, 3-0.
Iowa scored two more goals in the second – from freshman Annika Herbine and senior Makenna Maguire – to push the lead to 5-0. The Hawkeyes doubled their total in the third with five strikes.
Three minutes into the second half, junior Esme Gibson put a goal in off a Billiken save making it, 6-0. Within four minutes, Stribos tallied her first goal and Iowa followed with three goals in a 73 second stretch on strikes from Freeman, Stribos, and senior Maddy Murphy to cap the 10-0 win.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH LISA CELLUCCI
“To put back-to-back games together, putting a lot of people in and continue our scoring and offensive output was fantastic. We have not had this with this many of a variety of goal scorers. They are owning their roles in practice and people are putting outstanding finishes and skill execution skills in practice, so it is no surprise they’re able to do it on the field. We need this to continue into the Big Ten season.”
NOTABLES
• Thirteen different Hawkeyes have scored in Iowa’s first six games. Iowa has 33 goals and 24 assists with 10 players with two or more goals.
• All 24 field players saw action in the game and nine different Hawkeyes tallied a point.
• Senior Grace McGuire tallied her fourth save of the season and the 11th shutout of her career.
• Iowa has allowed just seven shots in the four-game shutout streak.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will be back in action Friday, as they travel to Bloomington to face Indiana in their Big Ten Conference opener.
