THIS WEEK
University of Iowa women’s soccer makes the first of two scheduled television appearances when it takes on Purdue at 5 p.m. (CT) this Thursday at Folk Field. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. Iowa returns home on Sunday to host Rutgers for the annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness. Kickoff is slated for Noon at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
- Thursday’s game will be televised on BTN. Commentators Jack Kizer and Lauren Link are on the call.
- Sunday’s game 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 BOILERMAKERS
- Purdue stands at 3-7-1 overall with an 0-2-1 mark in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers have played four ranked teams this season against a strength of schedule that ranks 28th nationally (Massey Ratings).
- Purdue lost, 1-0, at Rutgers last time out; the Hawkeyes host the Scarlet Knights on Sunday.
- All three of Purdue’s wins came at Folk Field.
- Kayla Bush leads the Boilermakers offensively with eight points on three goals and two assists.
- Purdue’s 1.45 goals against average ranks last in the Big Ten; Iowa’s 0.30 GAA ties for first in the league.
SERIES HISTORY – PURDUE
Iowa leads the all-time series, 10-7-5. The teams tied, 2-2, last season in Iowa City. That contest was one of just three times since the 2017 that Iowa did not win a game in which it scored multiple goals.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
- Rutgers picked up its first conference win last Sunday at Purdue; the Hawkeyes face the Boilermakers this Thursday on the road. Rutgers plays Nebraska on Thursday.
- The Scarlet Knights are led offensively by Allison Lowrey, with a team-best 14 points and six goals. Riley Tiernan is next in terms of offensive production with seven points and a team-high 27 shots.
- Redshirt freshman Olivia Bodmer has posted five shutouts at an 0.84 goals against average in her rookie campaign. Bodmer has a .791 save percentage on 34 saves this season.
- The Scarlet Knights rank 13th in the Big Ten Conference with 37 corner kicks through 11 games this season; Iowa is 12th with 45 corners taken through 10 games.
SERIES HISTORY – RUTGERS
Iowa trails Rutgers, 3-7-0, in the all-time series. Iowa’s last win over the Scarlet Knights came on Oct. 15, 2017, at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The Hawkeyes shutout No. 23 Rutgers that day, 1-0.
PINK GAME
Fans are encouraged to join the Hawkeyes in wearing pink on Sunday to promote awareness for breast cancer. Pink pom poms will be distributed to fans at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Iowa stands at 6-1-3 overall this season with an 0-1-2 start to Big Ten Conference play. The Hawkeyes opened the year with a 6-0-1 non-conference record. The Iowa has allowed just three goals this season, which ties No. 4 Penn State for tops in the conference and fourth nationally in goals against average (0.30 GAA). The Hawkeyes have pitched seven shutouts, matching last year’s total.
- 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 lock down 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 (Oct. 17) and scored Iowa’s first goal of the 2023 season at FGCU.
- Another offensive headliner is junior Elle Otto, whose three goals, five assists and 11 points last season are returning team-bests. Otto already has three a team-high three goals again this season.
- Senior Macy Enneking returns in goal. Enneking ranks fifth in program history for career wins (19) and third in career shutouts (16).
- Iowa welcomes 16 newcomers, including 13 freshmen and three transfers.
- Cary, Enneking and Ingles earned Big Ten Preseason Honors. Cary won back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards this season on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12.
- Cary, Enneking, and senior Maggie Johnston were voted team captains for the 2023 season.
LAST WEEK
Iowa picked up its first loss this season, 1-0, at Wisconsin on Sept. 21. The Hawkeyes tied Minnesota in a scoreless draw on Sept. 24, nabbing one conference point and its seventh clean sheet of the season.
- Iowa allowed just its third goal this season when Wisconsin’s Aryssa Mahrt sent a perfectly-placed ball soaring just past the outstretched arm of Iowa goalkeeper Macy Enneking.
- Enneking has been stellar this season, ranking second in the Big Ten at an 0.31 goals against average and .906 save percentage. She matched a season-best five saves against Minnesota en route to Iowa’s seventh shutout this season.
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 now total 290 career starts for the Hawkeyes. Six more juniors round out the Iowa upper class.
FRESH FACES
The Hawkeyes welcome 16 newcomers, including 13 incoming freshmen and three transfers.
- The following freshmen have seen the pitch for Iowa this season: Millie Greer (10 games played, 10 starts), Sofia Bush (10-5), Abby Skiff (9-2), Eva Pattison (7-2), Sophie Kincaid (5-0), Keira Smyser (3-0) and Kearstyn Gladden (1-0).
- Iowa also welcomes three transfers in junior goalkeeper Taylor Kane, sophomore forward Shae Doherty and senior midfielder Kelli McGroarty.
- In 2022, McGroarty led La Salle in points (17), goals (6), assists (5), shots (42) and SOG (21).
- McGroarty has two goals and five points in 2023, and her 23 shots lead Iowa this season.
- Kane (Pomona-Pitzer) and Doherty (Belmont) combined for 21 starts and 35 games played at their previous stops. Doherty has three points this season for Iowa.
90 TRACKER
Seven Hawkeyes have played the entirety of at least one game this season. Iowa players with at least one 90-minute effort this season include senior Samantha Cary (8), freshman Millie Greer (7), senior Rielee Fetty (4), senior Maggie Johnston (4), junior Kenzie Roling, sophomore Kellen Fife and freshman Eva Pattison.
2 FOR THE MONEY
The Hawkeyes are undefeated in their last 42 games when scoring two goals or more. Dating back to the 2017 season, Iowa has a record of 39-0-3 when scoring two goals or more. That includes a 4-0-0 record this season, 4-0-2 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
Nine Hawkeyes have goals in 2023, including Elle Otto (3), Kenzie Roling (2), Josie Durr (2), Kelli McGroarty (2), Samantha Cary, Shae Doherty, Sofia Bush, Meike Ingles and Sophie Kincaid.
- Roling, who is from Waverly, Iowa, leads the Hawkeyes with eight points and four assists.
- McGroarty has a team-high 23 shots. Durr and Roling lead the way with nine shots on goal, apiece.
- The Hawkeyes have outscored opponents 14-3 this season. Iowa has a 142-67 advantage in shots against its opponents and a 67-32 advantage in shots on goal.
- In 2022, 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 last season are Otto (3), Durr, Cary, Morgan Lietz, Kellen Fife, Addie Bundy and Camille Welker.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Hawkeye defense has allowed just three goals against this season, which ties for fourth nationally. Iowa’s seven clean sheets through 10 games beats its total number of shutouts from last season.
- Iowa has held opponents to two shots or fewer in 11 of 20 halves of competition this season.
- Senior Macy Enneking ranks fifth in the Hawkeye record book with 19 career victories (.686 win percentage). Enneking’s 16 career shutouts rank third in program history.
- In 2023, Enneking ranks second among Big Ten goalkeepers for goals against average (.305) and save percentage (.906). Enneking has permitted just three goals this season and nabbed 29 saves.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Completed in 2022, the new operations building at the Iowa Soccer Complex houses the Hawkeyes’ locker room and team rooms, athletic training room, coaches’ offices, press box and more. Last season brought upgraded field lights, providing increased visibility and interactive fan capabilities. This season, a new video scoreboard further advances the match day environment.
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa travels to Nebraska on Oct. 7. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at Hibner Stadium. The Hawkeyes return home to host Northwestern at 7 p.m. (CT) on Oct. 12. That game will be televised on BTN.