NOTEBOOK: Iowa Hosts Kansas, DePaul

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Head coach Dave DiIanni is in his ninth season at the helm of the soccer program. Last fall, DiIanni’s team posted a 12-6-2 record, tying for fourth in the Big Ten for Iowa’s highest regular season conference finish since 1999. The Hawkeyes return six starters and a host of other key contributors from the 2021 team. That includes a group of six fifth-year players from a class of seven seniors all with starting experience.
• The Hawkeyes qualified for the Big Ten Tournament in 2021, advancing to the semifinals as the tournament five seed before falling to Rutgers. Iowa has qualified for three of the last four Big Ten Conference Tournaments, not counting the unorthodox 2020 event which saw all teams compete and which the Hawkeyes went on to win for the first time in school history.
• In 2019 and 2020, Iowa made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. The 2020 group earned Iowa’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament.
• Iowa returns 51.6 percent of its goal scoring production from last season. The Hawkeyes lose leading scorer Alyssa Walker but return a majority of the 11 goal scorers from last season. Assist leader Hailey Ryberg is back this season after dishing seven assists across seven different wins in 2021. Newcomer Kyndal Anderson hammered home Iowa’s first goal of the season in last Sunday’s, 1-0, victory at Cal Poly.
• Three Hawkeyes — Hailey Rydberg, Kenzie Roling, and Samantha Cary — were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List. Iowa was picked to finish eighth out of 14 teams in the preseason coaches’ poll.
• Three players that earned Big Ten Conference postseason honors last season return in 2022. Sara Wheaton was named to the All-Big Ten second team, while Hailey Rydberg picked up third-team honors. Addie Bundy was a unanimous selection on the All-Freshman team.
• Rydberg and Sara Wheaton were also named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches North Region third team a season ago

LAST WEEK

• The Hawkeyes opened the season at No. 13 UCLA. Iowa jumped out to a strong start, getting multiple looks in the first 20 minutes, including a shot in the eighth minute from senior Hailey Rydberg, which rattled off the crossbar. Both teams headed into the half scoreless, but the Bruins came out firing on all cylinders and scored in the 60th minute. A shot by senior Samantha Cary off a free kick opportunity in the second half looked true, but UCLA goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy came up with an impressive save to help secure the, 1-0, win.
• Iowa bounced back with a 1-0 shutout victory at Cal Poly on Sunday. Iowa outshot the Mustangs, 9-6, including four from newcomer Kyndal Anderson. The graduate transfer sent a header through the net off an assist from senior Sara Wheaton. Anderson’s four shots lead the Hawkeyes through two games.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
A class of seven senior leaders all with starting experience help anchor the Hawkeyes this season.

• Midfielder Hailey Rydberg was a third-team All-Big Ten selection last season, starting all 20 games and posting two goals with seven assists across seven wins last season.
• Defender Sara Wheaton earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and was Iowa’s Defensive Player of the Year on a defense that gave up just 20 goals and posted six clean sheets on the year.
• Other notable veterans include goalkeeper Monica Wilhelm (87 saves, nine wins), defender Samantha Cary (19 starts, two goals), Natalie Massa (20 games played, 4 starts), and fifth-year players Josie Durr and Jenny Cape who return to the pitch after being sidelined in 2021.

MEET THE NEWCOMERS
The Hawkeyes welcome 14 newcomers in 2022, including eight incoming freshmen and six transfers.

• The freshman class features Kellen Fife, Aubrey Hahn, Emma Kozicki, Morgan Leitz, Halle Skibo, Makenna Vonderhaar, Camille Welker, and Broolyn Woods.
• Iowa also welcomes graduate students Cassidy Formanek (Houston), Molly Gervase (Denver), Caroline Halonen (Northern Michigan), and Anastasia Savich (Butler), as well as transfer students Kyndal Anderson (Furman) and Elle Otto (Mississippi State). Anderson scored the game-winner against Cal Poly on Aug. 21.

2 FOR THE MONEY
The Hawkeyes are undefeated in their last 31 games when scoring two goals or more. Since the start of the 2018 season, Iowa has a record of 30-0-1 when scoring two goals or more. That includes a 9-0 record in 2021, 2-0 in 2020, 13-0-1 in 2019 and 5-0 in 2018. The Hawkeyes won their final two games in 2017 when scoring two-plus goals. The last time Iowa lost a game while netting at least two goals was Oct. 1, 2017, at Michigan State (L, 3-2).

TEAM CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Seniors Hailey Rydberg, Samantha Cary, and Sara Wheaton were voted team captains for the 2022 season. Both Rydberg and Wheaton were captains in 2021.

DEPTH AT GOALKEEPER
Iowa features depth at goalkeeper with redshirt senior Monica Wilhelm and junior Macy Enneking holding down the net.  The Iowa defense posted seven shutouts and held 18 opponents to two scores or fewer through 20 games last season with both players in goal throughout the year.

• Redshirt junior Monica Wilhelm notched 58 saves while allowing just 17 goals through 16 starts. Wilhelm tallied a career-best 11 saves against Rutgers on Oct. 10.
• Sophomore Macy Enneking saw action in five games down the stretch in 2021, including four starts. She tallied 27 saves and allowed three goals in that span.
• In 2020, Enneking was the only unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection and earned Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player accolades for allowing just one goal in four games at the conference tournament. She tallied 52 saves across 11 games and averaged a conference-best .912 save percentage, allowing just five goals in 956 minutes played.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Eleven different Hawkeyes combined for 31 goals in 2021. Alyssa Walker (‘21) led the way offensively with nine goals and 20 points, finishing third in the Big Ten in goals scored.

• As for Iowa’s returning players, forward Kenzie Roling put up six goals for 12 points to finish second on the team in both statistical categories. Samantha Cary and Hailey Rydberg each sank a pair of goals, while defenders Sara Wheaton, Natalie Massa, and Maggie Johnston each scored one goal apiece.
• Rydberg tallied a team-best seven assists, while freshman Addie Bundy was close behind with six assists. Iowa outshot opponents, 290-243, and won the shots on goal battle,139-110, last season.

LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa hosts Pacific on Sept. 1 at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Then, the Hawkeyes head to Waco, Texas on Sept. 4 to take on Baylor. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on both nights.