IOWA CITY, Iowa – Three University of Iowa women’s soccer players received Big Ten Conference postseason recognition on Friday.
Fifth-year captain Samantha Cary was named Second Team All-Big Ten. Freshman Sofia Bush was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection and redshirt junior Zoë Bessert earned Big Ten Sportsmanship Team honors.
Cary won three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards in 2023, the only conference player to earn that recognition multiple times this season.
Playing a team-high 1,467 minutes, Cary leads a Hawkeye defense that posted 10 clean sheets in the regular season.
Iowa’s .588 shutout percentage ranks second in the conference and is the program’s best since the 2014 season. The Hawkeyes allowed just two goals through the first 12 games of the year. Cary also has one goal and one assist.
Cary is a four-time Big Ten preseason honoree and three-time league all-academic selection.
Bush has been an instant-impact player for Iowa this season as a true freshman. Making 11 starts and participating in all 17 regular season games, the Marion, Iowa, native earned five points offensively at the midfielder position.
Bessert participated in six games this season, making one start on Senior Day against Southeast Missouri State. A leader on and off the pitch, she drilled a goal on her lone career shot, a penalty kick against Nebraska.
Eighth-seed Iowa (9-4-4, 3-4-3) opens Big Ten Tournament play at top-seed Michigan State (12-3-3, 7-1-2) in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is set for Noon (CT). The winner will advance to the semifinals on Nov. 2, with the championship match to be played on Nov. 5. The semifinals and championship match will be played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.