IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Soccer is set to host South Dakota on Wednesday for a Noon (CT) exhibition at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Attendance is free for all home matches.
The Hawkeyes return nine starters from a team that made the fourth NCAA Tournament in program history and won the Big Ten Tournament for the second time in the past four seasons. Last time out, Iowa set a new program home attendance record (2,639) for an NCAA Tournament First Round victory over Bucknell.
Returning veterans headline an Iowa roster that includes seven graduate-students and six seniors.
𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. ⚽️#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/upgBFg5ohR
— Hawkeye Soccer (@HawkeyeSoccer) August 5, 2024
Captains Macy Enneking and Maggie Johnston return as graduate seniors. Enneking set a program individual record for goalkeeper shutouts last season (12.5), and Johnston also helped the Hawkeye defense to a school-record 0.76 goals-against average at the defender position.
Fourth and fifth-year players combine for 19 of Iowa’s 26 returning goals and 55 of 75 total points returning on offense. Graduate-student Kelli McGroarty led the Hawkeyes with 18 points and seven goals last season.
Senior Kenzie Roling led Iowa with five assists, part of 11 total points for the Waverly, Iowa, native. Senior Elle Otto contributed five goals and three assists for 13 points.
Iowa also features talented underclassmen, including sophomore defenders Millie Greer and Eva Pattison, who started on a Hawkeye defense last season that produced a program-record 13 shutouts.
Sophomore Sofia Bush contributed eight points through 15 starts as a rookie in 2023. Bush (#87) and Greer (#39) were named top-100 freshman at the end of last season by Top Drawer Soccer.
Ten newcomers will make their Iowa debut, including six freshmen and four transfers with extensive playing experience.
Graduate-student Maya Hansen joins the Hawkeyes from South Dakota State, where she holds program records with 44 goals, 107 points and 18 game-winning goals. Graduate-student Madison Wilson previously played at Dayton. Wilson led the Flyers with 16 points last season.
Another graduate-student, Lauren Geczik, comes to Iowa City from Texas A&M, where she tallied 13 points last season. Geczik made 29 starts and played in 39 games with the Aggies.
Junior Alexia Griffin played at Southern Miss, where she started in all 18 games for 1,439 minutes as a sophomore defender in 2023.
The Hawkeyes open the regular season against Oregon State on Aug. 15 at the Rumble in the Rockies in Missoula, Montana. Iowa opens the home slate on Aug. 29 against Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. (CT).