THIS WEEK
The sixth-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team continues its 2024 season in a home opener at Grant Field in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes will face Miami of Ohio on Friday at 2 p.m. (CT).
FOLLOW LIVE
• The game will be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).
• Iowa field hockey fans can follow all contests via live stats on hawkeyesports.com. Game updates are also available on X/@iowafieldhockey.
2024 TEAM INFORMATION
Letterwinners Returning/Lost 17/4
Starters Returning/Lost 9/2
Lauren DeRose (10 starts)
Harper Dunne (45+ minutes in every appearance)
Annika Herbine (18 points)
Miranda Jackson (730 minutes)
Mia Magnotta (69 saves)
Lieve Schalk (19 starts)
Milly Short (1,127 minutes)
Dionne van Aalsum (28 goals; led the nation)
Gia Whalen (19 starts)
Newcomers 7
SERIES RECORDS
• Iowa is 10-1 all-time against the Redhawks.
• The Hawkeyes are 3-1 when playing Miami of Ohio at home.
• The first meeting between the teams was at a neutral site in 1985, Iowa winning, 7-1. The most recent meeting between the two was in 2014, Iowa winning 3-1.
SCOUTING MIAMI OF OHIO
• The Redhawks opened their 2024 season, 2-0.
• They defeated Bucknell, 2-1, and Saint Francis, 5-0.
• In the MAC preseason poll, Miami secured the top spot with 63 points and champion in the MAC Tournament with six votes.
• The Redhawks went 15-8 last season, including a 6-1 record in conference play.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2023
• The Hawkeyes finished their season with a 13-6 overall record. Iowa made its sixth straight and 28th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history — the most of any team as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
• Iowa finished the season ranked No. 8 in the NFHCA poll.
• Head Coach Lisa Cellucci concluded her tenth season at the helm of the Hawkeye field hockey program and her 24th season overall. Cellucci has been a part of 293 Iowa victories and in 2020, she led the program to the Final Four for the 12th time — the first since 2008. Iowa has posted double digit win totals in eight of her ten seasons. The Hawkeyes have won three Big Ten titles (2019, 2019 (BTT), 2021) under her watch.
• The Hawkeyes had two student athletes earn NFHCA All-America honors – freshman Dionne van Aalsum earned her first career All-America nod, as she was named first team. Gibson earned second team and was named an All-American for a third straight season.
•Three Hawkeyes earned NFHCA All-West Region selections. Gibson earned her fourth all-region accolade and was also named to the NFHCA Senior Team. Van Aalsum also earned first team honors while Sofie Stribos earned second-team.
• Three Hawkeyes — Dionne van Aalsum (Freshman of the Year/First-Team), Esme Gibson (First-Team), and Harper Dunne (Sportsmanship Award) earned Big Ten recognition for the 2023 season.
• 12 field hockey student athletes were named to fall academic all-Big Ten. Senior Harper Dunne finished with a 4.0 GPA.
• Freshman Dionne van Aalsum was named Big Ten Freshman of the year and received first team honors after leading the nation in goals and points through the duration of the season. The Castricum, Netherlands, native was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week four times last season (Sept. 11, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Oct. 30), Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times (Aug. 26, Sept. 5, Sept. 11, Oct. 30), and NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on September 13.
• Iowa has defeated the top-ranked team for the third straight season (3-1 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2021, 2-0 vs. No. 1 Northwestern in 2022 and 3-2 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2023).
• The Hawkeyes defeated six ranked opponent last season. Iowa downed No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Rutgers, No. 5 Louisville, No. 12 Wake Forest, No. 14 Michigan, and No. 19 UAlbany.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Iowa opens the season ranked No. 6 in the NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in 83 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.
• The Hawkeyes were ranked in the top 10 for the duration of the 2023 season.
• The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 for four weeks in row last season (Sept. 5 – Oct. 2). It was the second time in program history (2021) the Hawkeyes had been ranked No. 1 by the NFHCA.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Iowa traveled to Evanston for the second straight year for the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
• Iowa has qualified for six straight NCAA Tournaments — the longest streak since making a school record 15 consecutive tournaments from 1982-96.
• The Hawkeyes have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history — the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference — and have made 12 NCAA Final Four appearances, including winning the 1986 NCAA Championship.
• The Hawkeyes are 30-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The program’s 30 NCAA Tournament victories and 12 NCAA Final Fours are the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
SEASON OPENING SHOOTOUT
Iowa defeated Wake Forest for the fifth consecutive year in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to open the season.
• The Hawkeyes and Demon Deacons needed more than 80 minutes to finish game one of the 2024 season, before Dionne van Aalsum found the back of the net as her shootout goal propelled Iowa to victory,
• Mia Magnotta stopped Ashley Hart the Demon Deacons fifth shooter to set up the opportunity for van Aalsum to clinch the match. van Aalsum got the ball past the Wake Forest goalkeeper and sent the Hawkeyes to a 1-0 record.
• The Hawkeyes have won seven straight season openers.
PRESEASON B1G HONORS
Mia Magnotta, Milly Short and sophomore Dionne van Aalsum have been named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List.
• It is the second straight season Magnotta has a been preseason honoree.
NFHCA PRESEASON HONORS
Mia Magnotta, Dionne van Aalsum, Gia Whalen and Sabrina McGroarty were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Watchlist.
• The NFHCA Watchlist represents top collegiate student-athletes who are early contenders for this year’s NFHCA All-Region and All-American teams.
DIONNE VAN AWESOME
Van Aalsum led the nation throughout last season with 28 goals, 62 points, 1.47 goals per game, and 3.26 points per game. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the year and earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition.
• She scored eight goals in wins over Western Michigan and UMass Lowell to become the first Hawkeye to record a hat trick since Maddy Murphy vs. Indiana in 2019 and the first Hawkeye with four goals in a game since Kim Scraper vs Brown in 2016.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
The Hawkeyes outscored their opponents 59-21 last season. Iowa surrendered 21 goals in 19 games, and the Hawkeye defense allowed 175 shots and 91 shots on goal.
• The Hawkeyes recorded eight shutouts, three being against ranked opponents. Iowa shutout No. 14 Michigan in its Big Ten opener.
• Iowa’s defense ranked third in the nation in shutouts (8) and shutouts per game (.42).
MAGNOTTA IN GOAL
Sophomore goalkeeper Mia Magnotta played the duration of all 19 games last season. She allowed 21 goals, tallied 69 saves, and was part of eight Hawkeye shutouts. The Forty-Fort, Pennsylvania native tallied a career high eight saves against No. 2 Northwestern breaking her previous career high six saves she recorded in win over No. 1 North Carolina at the beginning of the season.
• Magnotta ranked second in the conference and sixth in the nation in goals against average (1.09).
• Magnotta was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29 and NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week on August 30.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
Mia Magnotta – 23
Milly Short – 22
Gia Whalen – 20
• Senior Harper Dunne had started in 65 consecutive games before a season ending injury a season ago.
FRESHMEN IN ACTION
Freshmen Lexie Haig, Hannah Maney, Sabrina McGroarty and Fiene ten Seldam made their collegiate debuts in the season opener against Wake Forest.
• They have all appeared in both games for the Hawkeyes this season.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes host New Hampshire at Grant Field on September 6 at 2 p.m.