Hawkeyes Head to Nebraska on Saturday

THIS WEEK
University of Iowa women’s soccer travels to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday to take on the Cornhuskers at Hibner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT).

WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE

• The 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 CORNHUSKERS

• The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers enter the week with similar resumes, standing respectively at 8-1-3 overall and 8-2-3 overall this season; Iowa and Nebraska are tied with eight team points apiece in the Big Ten standings, two points back from a gaggle of five teams tied for second place.
• Nebraska notched conference wins on the road against Ohio State (2-1) and Northwestern (3-2). The Cornhuskers’ lone defeat in conference play was an 0-1 loss at No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 24.
• Iowa and Nebraska saw different results against their common opponents. The Hawkeyes downed Rutgers, 1-0, last Sunday at the Iowa Soccer Complex, while the Cornhuskers tied, 2-2, against the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 28. Iowa fell in a road match against Wisconsin, 1-0, on Sept. 21, while Nebraska tied the Badgers, 1-1, to open conference play on Sept. 15.
• Nebraska’s high-octane offensive attack leads the Big Ten with 2.77 goals per game (36 goals).
• Senior Eleanor Dale leads the nation with 17 goals this season. Dale also leads the Big Ten in points (36), shots (76) and shots on goal (35).
• Nebraska’s number two goal scorer is Sarah Weber, with six goals through 12 games played. Weber is second in the conference in shots (58) and shots on goal (25).
• The Cornhuskers have allowed an 1.15 goals against average; goalkeeper Samantha Hauk has a .762 save percentage this season.

SERIES HISTORY – NEBRASKA
Iowa trails Nebraska, 4-11-1, in the all-time series, with the Cornhuskers winning the first 10 games in the series. The Hawkeyes are 4-1-0 in the last five meetings between the two programs. Iowa defeated Nebraska, 4-0, last season at the Iowa Soccer Complex.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Iowa stands at 8-1-3 overall this season and 2-1-2 in Big Ten Conference play. The Hawkeyes opened the year with a 6-0-1 non-conference record and have won two straight in conference play.
• Iowa has allowed just three goals this season, which ranks second nationally and leads the conference (0.25 GAA). The Hawkeyes have pitched nine shutouts, the program’s most in a single season since 2018. Iowa’s .750 shutout percentage ties for fourth in the country.
• 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. Durr’s three goals tie for an Iowa-best this season.
• 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.
• Along with Durr, standout juniors Kenzie Roling and Elle Otto lead the team with three goals each. Roling’s 11 points and five assists are each team-bests. In 2022, Otto finished with three goals, five assists and 11 points, which were all returning highs, which were all returning team-bests heading into this season.
• Senior Macy Enneking returns in goal. Enneking ranks fifth in program history for career wins (21) and third in career shutouts (18). She leads the Big Ten in shutouts (8), goals against average (.253) and save percentage (.913).
• Iowa welcomes 16 newcomers, including 13 freshmen and three transfers.
• Cary, Enneking and Ingles earned Big Ten Preseason Honors. Cary has earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards this season on Sept. 5, Sept. 12 and Oct. 3. Enneking was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 3.
• Cary, Enneking, and senior Maggie Johnston were voted team captains for the 2023 season.

LAST WEEK
Iowa picked up six points in the conference standings with a pair of shutout victories at Purdue (4-0) and against Rutgers (1-0).

• Iowa put the Boilermakers away early with three first half goals. The first came in the 18th minute when junior Kenzie Roling ricocheted a fastbreak ball from seventh-year Josie Durr off the far bottom corner for her third goal of the season. Four minutes later, senior Maggie Johnston drilled a header to put Iowa up two-nil on an assist from fellow captain Samantha Cary .
• Nine Hawkeyes registered offensive points against Purdue, with sophomore Kelllen Fife and senior Rielee Fetty finding the net on three more assists via freshman Eva Pattison, senior Kelli McGroarty and freshman Sofia Bush.
• The shutout victory against Rutgers came on a 22nd minute game-winner by seventh-year Josie Durr. Senior Rielee Fetty and junior Kenzie Roling each earned assists on the sequence, pushing the ball upfeld to create a one-on-one opportunity against the Rutgers goalkeeper.
• Goalkeeper Macy Enneking finished with three saves to preserve the win over the Scarlet Knights.

B1G RECOGNITION
Two Hawkeyes earned weekly awards from the Big Ten Conference on Oct. 3. Fifth-year Samantha Cary was named Defensive Player of the Week, while senior Macy Enneking was Goalkeeper of the Week.

• Cary previously earned back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards this season on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12. Cary played 175 of 180 minutes at defender en route to a pair of shutouts against Purdue (4-0) and Rutgers (1-0). Cary also notched an assist against the Scarlet Knights.
• Enneking notched two more clean sheets last week; Enneking’s eight shutouts tie for first nationally. She finished with four saves, including three to protect the 1-0 advantage against Rutgers.

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 total precisely 300 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 (12 games played, 12 starts), Sofia Bush (12-7), Abby Skiff (9-2), Eva Pattison (9-4), Sophie Kincaid (6-0), Keira Smyser (3-0), Kearstyn Gladden (1-0) and Sonya Mehta (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 two assists in 2023. McGroarty’s 29 shots and 12 shots on goal are the most for 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, including Samantha Cary (9), Millie Greer (9), Rielee Fetty (4), Maggie Johnston (4), Kenzie Roling, Kellen Fife and Eva Pattison.

2 FOR THE MONEY
The Hawkeyes are undefeated in their last 43 games when scoring two goals or more. Dating back to the 2017 season, Iowa has a record of 40-0-3 when scoring two goals or more. That includes a 5-0-0 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
12 Hawkeyes have goals in 2023, including Josie Durr (3), Elle Otto (3), Kenzie Roling (3), Kelli McGroarty (2), Samantha Cary, Shae Doherty, Sofia Bush, Rielee Fetty, Kellen Fife, Meike Ingles, Maggie Johnston and Sophie Kincaid.

• Roling, who is from Waverly, Iowa, leads the Hawkeyes with 11 points and five assists.
• McGroarty has a team-high 29 and 12 shots on goal shots.
• The Hawkeyes have outscored opponents 19-3 this season. Iowa has a 173-80 advantage in shots against its opponents and an 82-35 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), Addie Bundy, Cary, Durr, Fife, Morgan Lietz and Camille Welker.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Hawkeye defense has allowed just three goals, tying for second nationally in goals against average (0.25). Iowa’s nine clean sheets tie for fourth in the country in shutout percentage (.750).

• Senior Macy Enneking ranks fifth in the Hawkeye record book with 21 career victories (.706 win percentage). Enneking’s 18 career shutouts rank third in program history.
• Enneking ties for first nationally in shutouts (8), ranks third in goals against average (0.253) and is fourth in save percentage (.914). She leads the Big Ten in each of those statistical areas.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes return home to host Northwestern at 7 p.m. (CT) on Oct. 12. That game will be televised on BTN. Iowa hosts Maryland on Oct. 15 at Noon (CT) for the home finale.