THIS WEEK
No. 24 University of Iowa women’s soccer travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Thursday to face Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. (CT). On Sunday, Iowa closes the road stretch in Austin, Texas, with a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Longhorns.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
- Thursday’s match will stream live on ESPN+ (subscription required). The game against Texas will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
- Links to streaming and live stats can be found at the gameday page on hawkeyesports.com.
- Fans can follow the Iowa soccer program on Twitter/X (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live in-game updates.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
- WMU opened the year with a 3-0 win over Northern Kentucky. Graduate forward Jen Blitchok notched a pair of goals along with a score by senior Abby Werthman; six different Broncos recorded assists.
- Last season, the Broncos finished 12-4-3 overall and 8-0-3 in the Mid-American Conference before a loss in the conference tournament.
- Blitchok, Werthman and senior Jenna Blackburn were the team’s top point scorers a year ago; senior goalkeeper Lauren Boafo returns (0.84 GAA).
- The Broncos played exhibitions against Notre Dame and Northwestern this month and competed with Purdue and Michigan last spring. They will face Wisconsin on Sept. 1.
SERIES HISTORY – WESTERN MICHIGAN
Iowa leads the series, 2-0-0. The Hawkeyes are 11-2 against Mid-American Conference programs.
SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS
- Texas debuted at preseason No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
- The Longhorns are 2-0 this season with wins over Houston (1-0) and Cal State Bakersfield (4-0).
- Seniors Lexi Missimo and Trinity Myars lead the team with four points each; Missimo scored a goal in each game and Myars notched a goal and two assists against the Roadrunners.
- Goalkeeper Mia Justus notched seven saves across the pair of shutouts.
- Texas was 17-5-2 last season with a 6-3-1 record in Big 12 play.
SERIES HISTORY – TEXAS
Iowa has never played Texas in women’s soccer. The Hawkeyes have defeated three SEC opponents in program history, including Mississippi State (2023), Missouri (2016) and South Carolina (2006). Iowa is 3-11-2 against the league all-time, including eight losses to Missouri between 2001-2009. Further south, Iowa is 2-2-2 against other SEC foes. Texas will be the first ranked opponent for Iowa this season; the Hawkeyes were 3-2-1 against ranked opponents in 2023.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Head Coach Dave DiIanni seeks his 100th win at Iowa this week. DiIanni is in his 11th year at the helm of the Iowa women’s soccer program, where he has amassed 99 wins with the Hawkeyes.
- Last season was another for the history books, as Iowa won the program’s second Big Ten Tournament Championship. Iowa qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time since 2019 and fourth time in school history.
- Iowa is ranked No. 24 this week in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
- Iowa opened the season ranked No. 25 to start the year; that was the first preseason ranking in program history. The Hawkeyes earned their first postseason ranking last fall, checking in at No. 24 to finish the year. Iowa peaked at No. 14 in the national polls last season, another all-time best.
- The Hawkeyes return three of four starting defenders from last year’s team that posted program records for shutouts (13) and goal against average (0.76). Graduate-student Maggie Johnston, sophomore Eva Pattison and sophomore Millie Greer return alongside veteran goalkeeper Macy Enneking.
- Greer (#39) and midfielder Sofia Bush (#87) were ranked top-100 freshmen at the end of the season by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Offensively, Iowa returns five of six leading point scorers, including leading-scorer Kelli McGroarty. The graduate student brings back a team-best 18 points and seven goals from 2023.
- The roster features 10 newcomers, including six freshmen and four transfers.
- Bush, Enneking and Greer were named Big Ten Players to Watch. The Hawkeyes were ranked eighth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. Enneking is a United Soccer Coaches national preseason honoree and was named to the Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List.
- Enneking, Johnston and graduate-student Rielee Fetty were voted team captains.
LAST WEEK
Iowa opened the season at the Rumble in the Rockies tournament hosted in Missoula, Montana. The Hawkeyes led Oregon State, 2-0, in the second half of the season opener on a pair of goals from freshman Berit Parten. Then, adversity struck. Due to weather, the game was postponed, and the Beavers opted not to make up the rest of the match the following day. By rule, the game was officially marked no-contest and statistics were voided. The Hawkeyes bounced back on Sunday against Colorado College, erasing an early deficit to win, 4-1, against the Predators. Another freshman, Berkley Binggeli, posted a brace of her own, notching the go-ahead score in the 57th minute and another goal in the 81st minute to help put the game away. Otto recorded two assists and Roling notched a goal with one assist.
FRESH FACES
Iowa welcomes six freshmen and four new transfer additions.
- Three freshmen hail from the state of Michigan, including Charlotte Bien (M), Keira Billis (M) and Caleigh Collard (F/M). Forward Abby Warner is a native of Pella, Iowa, while Berit Parten is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and Berkley Binggeli (F/M) comes from Heber City, Utah.
- Parten posted a hat-trick in the preseason exhibition against South Dakota last week and two goals in the canceled game with Oregon State. Parten has started each time out.
- Binggeli registered the first official brace of the season against Colorado College. Prior to Parten and Binggeli’s efforts, the last Hawkeye to score two goals in a match was Hailey Rydberg (‘22) against Nebraska in 2022. Both of Parten’s goals came in the first half, while each of Bingelli’s goals were scored in the second half.
- Graduate-student Maya Hansen (F) joins the Hawkeyes from South Dakota State, where she holds program records with 44 goals, 107 points and 18 game-winning goals. The Savage, Minnesota, native is a three-time All-Summit League First Team selection and a two-time all-region honoree.
- Graduate-student Lauren Geczik (F/D) joins the program from Texas A&M, where she made 29 starts through 39 games. Geczik scored 13 points on four goals and five assists with the Aggies.
- Graduate-student Madison Wilson (M) led Dayton with 16 points last season, where she started for four seasons.
- Junior Alexia Griffin (D) started in every game at Southern Miss over the past two seasons. Griffin tacked on one goal a year ago while leading the Golden Eagle defense.
RETURNING FIREPOWER
Five of Iowa’s top-six scorers return from last season. All but one are seniors or fifth-year players.
- Returning Totals/2023 Totals: 80/105 Points, 26/36 goals, 28/33 assists
- McGroarty led the Hawkeyes with 18 points and seven goals last season. Senior Kenzie Roling led the team with five assists and totaled 11 points for the year.
- Senior Elle Otto scored 13 points on five goals and three assists in 2023.
- Fourth and fifth-year players combine for 19 of Iowa’s 26 returning goals and 55 of 80 total points returning on offense. Iowa is 43-2-3 in its last 48 games when scoring two goals or more, which dates back to October of 2017. The Hawkeyes scored multiple goals in 10 matches last season.
- Bush secured eight points on three goals and two assists as a true freshman in the midfield.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Iowa allowed just 17 goals in 2023, setting new program bests for goals against average (0.76) and shutouts (13). Both records had stood since the first season under Head Coach Dave DiIanni in 2014.
- Three starters return from that top statistical defense in program history, including sophomores Greer and Pattison with captain Maggie Johnston. Senior Miah Schueller also has starting experience at defender.
- Iowa outscored opponents 36-17, dominating opponents in shots (307-164) and SOG (149-75).
A KEEPER!
Goalkeeper Macy Enneking set a program record for shutouts last season (12.5), tying for fifth nationally.
- The Hilliard, Ohio, native has started all five years at Iowa, anchoring the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of conference tournament championships.
- Enneking is the first Hawkeye named to the Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List and the first Iowa player featured on the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List.
SINCE 2019, IOWA…
- Won both Big Ten Tournament Championships in program history (2021, 2023)
- Won each of two NCAA Tournament victories in program history
- Made three of four NCAA Tournament appearances in program history
- Has earned 10 postseason wins
- Has posted 42 shutouts
- Defeated seven ranked opponents, six top-15 opponents and two top-five opponents
- Saw Coach DiIanni surpass 300 career wins and become the winningest coach in program history
- Set a new home attendance record (2,629); the overtime win over Bucknell was the first NCAA Tournament game hosted at the Iowa Soccer Complex
2 FOR THE MONEY
Iowa’s record is 44-2-3 in its last 49 games when scoring two goals or more, which dates back to October of 2017. The Hawkeyes are 1-0 this year in multi-goal games.
90 TRACKER
No Iowa position player recorded 90 minutes last week. Twenty-two Hawkeyes saw the pitch on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Iowa opens a four-game home stretch on Aug. 29 against FGCU. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT).