THIS WEEK
The sixth-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team begins a four game road trip Friday at Indiana beginning at 2 p.m. (CT). The Hawkeyes will then travel to No. 5 Louisville for a top ten matchup beginning at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
FOLLOW LIVE
• Friday’s game will be broadcast on B1G+ and Sunday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• Iowa field hockey fans can follow all contests via live stats on hawkeyesports.com. Game updates are also available on X/@iowafieldhockey.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Iowa is ranked No. 6 in this week’s NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes were previously ranked No. 3 last week and No. 1 in the four weeks prior for the second time in program history (2021). Iowa has been ranked in 78 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.
• No. 6 Iowa leads the nation in scoring margin (3.09). The Hawkeyes rank second in scoring average (3.75), shutouts (7), and shutouts per game (.58), third in goals per game (3.75) and points per game (10.25), and fourth in goals against average (0.67), goals (45), points (123), and goals allowed (8).
• Freshman Dionne van Aalsum leads the nation in goals (23), goals per game (1.92), points (50) and points per game (4.17). The Castricum, Netherlands, native was named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on September 13, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 11, Sept. 18) and Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season (Aug. 26, Sept. 5, Sept. 11).
• Sophomore Mia Magnotta was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29 and NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the week on August 30. She has only allowed eight goals this season and has recorded 31 saves. She has been in goal the duration of the season including all of Iowa’s seven shutout victories.
• Iowa has defeated the top-ranked team in three straight seasons (3-1 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2021, 2-0 vs. No. 1 Northwestern in 2022 and 3-2 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2023).
• The Hawkeyes return seven starters and 14 letterwinners from a team that finished 12-8, advancing to the Elite Eight for the 21st time in program history in 2022.
• The Hawkeyes made their fifth straight and 27th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history — the most of any team as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
• Fifth-year senior Esme Gibson (second-team) earned All-Big Ten recognition for the 2022 season.
• Head coach Lisa Cellucci is in her tenth season at the helm of the Hawkeye field hockey program and her 24th season overall. Cellucci has been a part of 289 Iowa victories and in 2020, she led the program to the Final Four for the 12th time — the first since 2008. Iowa has posted double digit win totals in eight of her ten seasons. The Hawkeyes have won three Big Ten titles (2019, 2019 (BTT), 2021) under her watch.
• Cellucci earned her third straight Big Ten Coach of the Year honor in 2021. She is the first coach in Big Ten history to be named Coach of the Year in three consecutive seasons.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Hawkeyes are 29-27 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Iowa has qualified for five straight NCAA Tournaments — the longest streak since making a school record 15 consecutive tournaments from 1982-96.
CELLUCCI REACHES MILESTONE
Head coach Lisa Cellucci — the three-time reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year — earned her 100th career victory on Aug. 26, 2022 when the Hawkeyes downed No. 20 Wake Forest in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The tenth year head coach is the fourth Hawkeye head coach to reach this 100-win milestone.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Iowa is ranked No. 6 in this week’s NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in 78 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.
• The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 for four weeks in row earlier this season (Sept. 5 – Oct. 2). It was the second time in program history the Hawkeyes have been ranked No. 1 (2021) by the NFHCA.
ALL ABOUT THE DEFENSE
Iowa has surrendered eight goals in 12 games, and the Hawkeye defense has only allowed 86 shots and 40 shots on goal.
• The Hawkeyes have recorded seven shutouts in 12 games, three being against ranked opponents. Iowa shutout No. 14 Michigan in its Big Ten opener.
• Iowa’s defense ranks second in the nation in shutouts (7), and shutouts per game (.58) and fourth in goals against average (0.67) and goals allowed (8).
DIONNE VAN AWESOME
Freshman Dionne van Aalsum leads the nation with 23 goals, 50 points, 1.92 goals per game, and 4.17 points per game.
• The Castricum, Netherlands, native was named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on September 13. She was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 11, Sept. 18) and Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season (Aug. 26, Sept. 5, Sept. 11).
• She scored eight goals in wins over Western Michigan and UMass Lowell to became the first Hawkeye to record a hat trick since Maddy Murphy vs. Indiana in 2019 and the first Hawkeye with four goals in a game since Kim Scraper vs Brown in 2016.
DOWN GOES NO. 1 FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON
Freshman Lieve van Kessel’s first career goal in overtime sent the seventh-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team to an upset victory over top ranked North Carolina, 3-2, on the Tar Heels home turf on August 27, 2023. Dionne van Aalsum was the key player in sending the matchup into overtime after scoring her second goal of the game with six minutes left in regulation.
• This was the Hawkeyes’ first win against UNC in Chapel Hill.
• This is the second time in program history that Iowa went 2-0 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge (since 2002).
• This was only North Carolina’s third loss in Karen Shelton Stadium which opened in 2018.
• This was the first loss for the Tar Heels since November 2021, and their first regular season loss since October 2021.
• The Hawkeyes have downed the No. 1 team in the nation three years in a row (3-1 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2021, 2-0 vs. No. 1 Northwestern in 2022 and 3-2 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2023).
• Prior to 2021, Iowa hadn’t defeated a No. 1 ranked team since 2008. The win snapped Northwestern’s 12-game winning streak dating back to last season.
FRESHMAN, FRESHMAN, FRESHMAN
• Six of Iowa’s seven goals in opening weekend were scored by freshmen, including all three against No. 1 North Carolina.
• The three-time Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week Dionne van Aalsum has gone ten-for-12 in multi-goal games in collegiate career.
• Freshman Miranda Jackson has recorded two goals against ranked foes, No. 12 Wake Forest and No. 14 Michigan. She has recorded four goals this season ranking second in the Hawkeye offense.
• Freshman Rachel Herbine recorded her first career goals and first multi-goal game against Merrimack College.
• Freshman Lieve van Kessel’s first career goal was in overtime against the No. 1 Tar Heels.
MAGNOTTA IN GOAL
Sophomore goal keeper Mia Magnotta has played the duration of all 12 games this season. She has only allowed eight goals, tallied 31 saves, and has been part of seven Hawkeye shutouts. The Forty-Fort, Pennsylvania native tallied a career high eight saves against No. 2 Northwestern this past weekend breaking her previous career high six saves that she recorded in win over No. 1 North Carolina at the beginning of the season.
• Magnotta ranks fourth in the nation in goals against average (.67) and eighth in save percentage (.795).
• Magnotta was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29 and NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week on August 30.
IRON HAWKS
Four returning Hawkeye position players played the duration of last season and rarely leave the field — Harper Dunne, Esme Gibson, Sofie Stribos, and Lieve Schalk.
HELPING THE CAUSE
Iowa has 33 assists on its 45 goals this season with eight different players tallying at least two assist. Six different Hawkeyes have at least three assists on the year. The Hawkeyes rank sixth nationally in assists per game (2.75) and eighth in assists (33).
EXPERIENCE GALORE
• For a third straight year, the Hawkeyes boast a roster with 14 upperclassmen, including two fifth-year seniors, five seniors and six juniors.
• Fifth-year senior Sofie Stribos has started in 67 consecutive games.
• Senior Harper Dunne started in 65 consecutive games before a season ending injury.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
Sofie Stribos – 70
Leive Schalk – 50
Esme Gibson – 26
Mia Magnotta – 15
Milly Short – 12
Dionne van Aalsum – 12
Gia Whalen – 12
A STORIED HISTORY
• The Hawkeyes have made 27 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history — the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
• Iowa has made 12 NCAA Final Four appearances, including winning the 1986 NCAA Championship.
• The program’s 30 NCAA Tournament victories and 12 NCAA Final Fours are the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
SCOUTING INDIANA
• Indiana is not ranked in the NFHCA poll.
• The Hoosiers are 5-7 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten play.
• Graduate Student Sarah Charley leads the team with four goals and three assists.
• Assistant Coach Leah Zellner is a 2023 Iowa graduate.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
• Louisville is ranked 5th in the NFHCA poll with an overall record of 11-1.
• The Cardinals have recorded wins over Northwestern, 1-0, and Ohio State, 2-1. Their one loss came to North Carolina, 0-2.
• Senior Aimee Plumb and fifth-year Emilia Kaczmarczyk lead the team in scoring with five goals each.
SERIES RECORDS
• Iowa is 5-8 all-time against Louisville.
The Hawkeyes last beat Louisville in 2021, 2-0.
• Iowa is 25-7 all-time against Indiana.
The Hawkeyes have beaten Indiana in 12 of their last 13 competitions – most recently beating the Hoosiers 5-1 last season.
UP NEXT
Iowa continues Big Ten play on the road facing Maryland at 4 p.m. on October 20th in College Park, Maryland.