THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa soccer team is set to host Florida Golf Coast at 7 p.m. (CT) on Thursday in its home regular season opener at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The Hawkeyes close out the weekend facing Wake Forest at 6 p.m.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
- Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
- 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 EAGLES
- FGCU opened the year with a 2-1 loss to Florida International. Graduate midfielder Ashley Labbe scored a goal in the 13th minute of the game, but the Eagles were held scoreless for the rest of the game. FIU scored two goals unanswered (42nd and 71st minutes) to win, 2-1.
- Last season, the Eagles finished 12-5-5 overall and 7-1-3 in the Atlantic Sun. The Eagles went on to win the conference tournament over North Alabama. The conference tournament victory secured the Eagles a bid in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where they lost to No. 2 Texas Tech, 1-0.
- Graduate Ashley Labbe leads the Eagles with one goal and two points.
- The Eagles lost their second game of the season to South Florida, 4-0.
SERIES HISTORY – FGCU
Iowa leads the series, 1-0-0. The Hawkeyes defeated downed FGCU, 1-0, last season.
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
- Wake Forest is 3-0-1 this season with wins over Army (1-0), Temple (4-0) and No. 20 Mississippi State (2-1).
- Junior Hannah Johnson leads Wake Forest with two goals on the season. Six other Demon Deacons have scored a goal on the season.
- Wake Forest has pitched two shutouts with the clean sheets coming from separate goalies. Senior Payton Cahill has started three games and has six saves on the season. Graduate Paige Nurkin started in one game and had one save.
- Wake Forest went 10-3-5 last season, including 4-2-4 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons fell in the ACC Championship to Clemson, 1-0.
- Wake Forest has eight goals on the season, while allowing just two.
SERIES HISTORY – WAKE FOREST
Iowa is 1-0-0 against Wake Forest all-time with the lone win coming in 2000. The last time Iowa faced an ACC opponent was No. 18 Virginia last season, which ended in scoreless draw.
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.
- 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 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
The Hawkeyes traveled to Kalamazoo where they battled Western Michigan to a 1-1 draw. Iowa got off to a fast start with a goal from Meike Ingles in the third minute of the game before the Broncos tied the game at one a piece with a goal form Jen Blitchok in the 30th minute. Iowa dominated WMU in the box score, out shooting them 17-4 in the second half and 25-8 for the game, but the Broncos defense held strong in the draw.
Iowa wrapped up the weekend by notching a draw at No. 12 Texas. The Longhorns came into the season with high expectations, returning 11 starters from a team that won the Big 12 Tournament last season before transitioning to the SEC. The Hawkeyes put on a defensive clinic, shutting out and forcing a draw. Goalkeeper Macy Enneking had five saves in the first half.
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 first-team All-Summit League 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 43 shutouts
- Defeated seven ranked opponents, six top-15 opponents and two top-five opponents
- Saw head coach Dave 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
Sophomores Eva Pattison and Millie Greer were the two position players to register 90 minutes against Texas. Pattison and Greer also played 90 minutes against Western Michigan, they were joined by senior Miah Schueller.
