THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s soccer team kicks off the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series vs. Iowa State on Thursday night at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. Kickoff has been adjusted to 8 p.m. (CT). Admission is free to all home soccer events.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
- Thursday’s match will stream on B1G+ (subscription required).
- Links to streaming and live stats can be found at hawkeyesports.com/soccergameday.
- Fans can follow the Iowa soccer program on Twitter (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live in-game updates.
SCOUTING THE CYCLONES
- Iowa State opened the season with a pair of victories, defeating Arizona, 2-1, on Aug. 17 before shutting out Northern Colorado, 1-0, on the road. The Cyclone defense allowed just 16 shots and four SOG.
- The Cyclones return key production from last year’s campaign, which finished 3-10-4 overall and 0-7-2 in Big 12 Conference play. Senior Emma Mira is back after posting a team-best nine points in 2022, along with Lauren Hernadez and Salome Prat, who finished with four points, apiece.
- Prat and Abigail Salome scored vs. Arizona, while Mira made the game-winner at Northern Colorado.
- One position where the Cyclones retool is at goalkeeper; redshirt freshman Avery Gillahan grabbed three saves at a .750 save percentage in Iowa State’s season-opening victories, replacing three-year starter Jordan Silkowitz in goal.
SERIES HISTORY – IOWA STATE
Iowa owns a 14-8-2 advantage over the Cyclones. Last year’s win in the series went to Iowa State, 2-1, in Ames.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Head coach Dave DiIanni is in his 10th season at the helm of the Iowa women’s soccer program. Last fall, the Hawkeyes finished 5-6-7 overall with a 2-3-5 Big Ten record, a few points shy of conference postseason qualification. Iowa returns eight players with at least three years of collegiate playing experience, including seventh-year player Josie Durr and fifth-year Samantha Cary, who was a captain last fall. Cary helps lockdown a Hawkeye defense that averaged just one goal allowed per game over the past two seasons while posting 13 clean sheets during that span.
- Many of those veterans played for Iowa during its Cinderella-run in the 2020-21 postseason, which saw a two-win regular season result in the first Big Ten Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament win in school history. One such player is redshirt junior Meike Ingles, who scored all four of her goals that year in the postseason, including three game-winners during the Big Ten Tournament. Ingles netted a hat-trick in fall 2021 vs. Illinois (10/17) and scored Iowa’s first goal of the 2023 season at FGCU.
- Another offensive headliner at is junior Elle Otto, whose three goals, five assists and 11 points last season are returning team-bests. Otto registered one goal and one assist last time out vs. Kansas City.
- Senior Macy Enneking returns in goal. Enneking ranks fifth in program history for career wins (15) and sixth in career shutouts (11).
- Iowa welcomes 16 newcomers, including 13 freshmen and three transfers.
- Cary, Enneking and Ingles were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List.
- Cary, Enneking, and senior Maggie Johnston were voted team captains for the 2023 season.
IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES
Iowa’s corn farmers are proud to sponsor the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series to celebrate our great state and the sports rivalry that unites it. The Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board partner with Learfield on behalf of both Iowa State University and the University of Iowa Athletic Department for the title sponsorship of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series™.
2023-24 marks the 18th year of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, which tracks the head-to-head match-ups between the Cyclones and Hawkeyes with each victory earning points toward the overall series championship. The schools compete in women’s soccer, volleyball, football, women’s and men’s cross country, women’s and men’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s wrestling, women’s tennis, gymnastics and softball. Wins in football are worth three points, while wins in all other sports are worth two points. The all-time series is tied at 8-8-1. The Cyclones were series champions last year.
LAST WEEK
Iowa opened the season with a pair of shutout victories over Florida Gulf Coast (Aug. 17) and Kansas City (Aug. 20). The Hawkeyes downed FGCU, 1-0, at Pickering Field in Fort Myers, Florida, before heading home to wrangle the Roos, 2-0, at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The start of both games were delayed due to severe weather.
- After over two hours of delay on account of lightning, The Hawkeyes emerged from the locker room with an electric attack vs. FGCU, producing ten shots and five shots on goal in the first 25 minutes of action. The seventh shot connected when redshirt junior Meike Ingles zipped a stinger through the bottom of the net in the 13th minute of play. That score would prove to be the game-winner, but Iowa kept up the attack, outpacing the Eagles in shots (25-4) and shots on goal (10-2).
- Iowa’s home opener vs. Kansas City was postponed until the evening on Sunday due to extreme heat. The Hawkeyes got out to another hot start, with seventh-year player Josie Durr sending a goal in the 20th minute off an assist from junior Elle Otto. Four minutes later, Otto was back in on the action, sliding to send a transition ball from junior Kenzie Roling up and over the lunging Kansas City goalkeeper for a score.
- The Hawkeye defense was stifling both times out, allowing just seven shot attempts and four shots on goal. Goalkeeper Macy Enneking answered the bell when called upon, producing a pair of saves in each game en route to two clean sheets.
FINDING THEIR GROOVE
Faced with extended pregame -weather delays in both of their opening-week outings, Iowa’s energy met the moment out of the gate on each occasion. According to junior Elle Otto, one strategy was especially helpful in keeping spirits high: “The dance parties in the locker room,” says Otto. “We lift each other up by being positive. We try to come out there on the front foot.”
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Hawkeyes are led by a veteran core that spans the pitch.
- Along with midfielder Josie Durr (7th-Year) and defender Samantha Cary (5th-Year), the senior class includes Macy Enneking (GK), Rielee Fetty (M), Kelli McGroarty (F/M) and Maggie Johnston (F/M).
- Redshirt juniors Meike Ingles (F) and Zoë Bessert (F) are also entering their fourth seasons.
- Together, the group of eight players entering their fourth season presently total 249 career starts for the Hawkeyes. Five more juniors round out the Iowa upper class.
FRESH FACES
The Hawkeyes welcome 16 newcomers, including 13 incoming freshmen and three transfers.
- The freshmen class features Ava Kenaan (F), Sophie Kincaid (F), Sofia Bush (M), Sammi Glover (D), Eva Pattison (D), Emma Hampton (D), Sonya Mehta (M), Erika Smiley (M/D), Keira Smyser (F/D), Millie Greer (M), Kearstyn Gladden (D), Abby Skiff (M) and Kassidy Lanthier (GK).
- Iowa also welcomes three transfers in sophomore forward Shae Doherty, sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Kane and senior midfielder Kelli McGroarty.
- In 2021, McGroarty led La Salle in goals (3), shots (46) and shots on goal (24).
- Kane (Pamona-Pitzer) and Doherty (Belmont) each had successful rookie outings, combing 21 starts and 35 games played as freshmen.
- Six newcomers made their first career appearances for the Hawkeyes last week. McGroarty and Greer started both contests, joined in the lineup by Doherty in the home opener vs. Kansas City. Bush, Skiff and Pattison also saw the pitch.
2 FOR THE MONEY
The Hawkeyes are undefeated in their last 38 games when scoring two goals or more. Since the start of the 2018 season, Iowa has a record of 35-0-3 when scoring two goals or more. That includes a 1-0-0 record this season, 4-0-2 record in 2022, 9-0 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).
SHARING THE WEALTH
Three different Hawkeyes scored goals last week, including Meike Ingles (at FGCU) along with Josie Durr and Elle Otto (vs. Kansas City). Junior Kenzie Roling leads the Hawkeyes with two assists.
- Last season, eleven different Hawkeyes combined for 26 goals. Departing seniors Hailey Rydberg and Caroline Halonen led the way with five goals apiece, followed by Otto with three goals.
- Returning Hawkeye goal-scorers from 2022 are Otto (3), Durr, Samantha Cary, Morgan Lietz, Kellen Fife, Addie Bundy and Camille Welker.
DEPTH IN GOAL
Iowa again features depth at goalkeeper. Enneking, a senior from Hilliard, Ohio, is already one of the winningest goalkeepers in Iowa history heading into the season, moving up to fifth in the Hawkeye record book following last week’s outings with 15 career victories. Enneking’s 11 career shutouts rank sixth in program history.
- Sophomore Aubrey Hahn also returns for the Hawkeyes. Ennenking and Hahn are joined by freshman Kassidy Lanthier and sophomore Taylor Kane, who made seven starts and posted a .920 save percentage last season at Pamona-Pitzer.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
The addition of a new operations building, completed in 2022, marked the beginning of a new era for the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. The space houses the Hawkeyes’ locker room and team rooms, athletic training room, coaches’ offices, press box and more. Last season also brought upgraded field lights, providing increased visibility and interactive fan capabilities. This season, the facility debuts a new video scoreboard to further advance the match day environment.
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa travels to Starkville, Mississippi, on Aug. 31 for a showdown with Mississippi State at the Mississippi State Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT). The Hawkeyes host Senior Day the following Sunday, Sept. 3, starting at 1 p.m. vs. SEMO at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex.
