THIS WEEK
The No. 18 University of Iowa soccer team is set to host No. 15 Penn State on on Thursday at 7:00 p.m (CT) at Iowa Soccer Complex. Iowa then hits the road to travel to Evanston, Ill. where they take on Northwestern at 1:00 p.m. at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
– Both matches this week will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required for both).
– 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 NITTANY LIONS
– Penn State sits at 8-2-1 on the season with a 2-1-0 record in conference. The Nittany Lions resume includes wins over No. 8 Texas Tech (4-0), No. 19 Saint Louis (2-1), and a tie with No. 23 Georgetown (0-0).
– The Hawkeyes will be the sixth ranked opponent that Penn State has faced this season. Penn State’s record this season agaisnt ranked teams is 2-2-1.
– Penn State is led by Kaitlyn MacBean with 10 goals on the season. MacBean has 49 shots on the season with 24 of them on goal (.490). MacBean’s 10 goals on the season rank tied for third in the country and first amongst Big Ten players.
– MacBean averages 4.45 shots per game, which ranks 13th in the country and third amongst players in the Big Ten.
– Jordan Fusco leads the team with six assists and is second on the team with 12 points. Fusco’s six assists on the season rank tied for 10th in the country and second amongst Big Ten players.
– Penn State has outscored their opponents 25 to six on the season, including 17 to one in the first half. The Nittany Lions have posted six shutouts on the season.
– Penn State goalkeeper, Amanda Poorbaugh, has allowed six goals on the seasin with 29 saves. Poorbaugh’s save percentage is .829, averaging 2.64 saves per game. Poorbaugh allows 0.55 goals per game.
SERIES HISTORY – PENN STATE
The Hawkeyes trail the Nittany Lions in the all-time series, 4-26-1. The Hawkeyes have won two of the last three matchups between Penn State. Penn State’s last victory over Iowa came on March 25th, 2021.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
– Northwestern sits at 5-5-1 on the season with an 0-3-0 record in Big Ten Conference play. The Wildcats defeated No. 21 Virginia Tech earlier in the season, 1-0.
– Iowa will be the fourth ranked opponent Northwestern has faced this season. Northwestern’s record this season against ranked opponents is 1-0-2. The Wildcats fell to No. 9 Penn State (1-0) and No. 17 Ohio State (2-1).
– The Wildcats are led by Kennedy Roesch with four goals on the season to go along with one assist. Roesch leads the team with 26 shots including 11 on goal (.423).
– Caterina Regazzoni has 23 shots on the season with 15 of them on goal (.652). She has two goals and is the co-leader on the team with three assists.
– The Wildcats have outshot their opponents 145-79 on the season, outscoring them 13-11. The Northwestern offense averages 1.18 goals per game.
– Reiley Fitzpatrick has a save percentage of .645, allowing 11 goals so far on the season with 20 saves. Fitzpatrick averages 1.01 goals allowed per game and has posted three shutouts on the season.
SERIES HISTORY – NORTHWESTERN
The Hawkeyes trail the Wildcats 9-15-2 in the all-time series between the two teams. The Hawkeyes have won two of the last three while Northwestern one last time the two teams meant up in 2023. The first meeting between the two opponents came on October 10th, 1997, where the Wildcats defeated the Hawkeyes 4-1.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
– 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
– Millie Greer (#39) and midfielder Sofia Bush (#87) were ranked top-100 freshmen at the end of the season by Top Drawer Soccer.
– 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 are currently ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll. Iowa is currently ranked #13 in the NCAA’s RPI (Rating Percentage Index).
– The Hawkeyes have won six of their last seven games. The one game the Hawkeyes didn’t win over the seven game period was a tie at No. 17 Ohio State, 1-1.
– Iowa is currently averaging 17.70 shots per game which ranks 31st in the country and second amongst Big Ten teams. Penn State averages 18.73 shots per game which leads the Big Ten. The Hawkeye’s then average 9.10 shots on goal per game which ranks 15th in the country and first amongst Big Ten teams.
– Iowa’s seven wins are the most wins without a loss to start a season since the Hawkeyes started 9-0 in the 2019 season.
– Enneking, Johnston and graduate-student Rielee Fetty were voted team captains.
LAST WEEK
The Hawkeyes had a two-game road trip last week. The Hawkeyes opened traveling to Columbus, Ohio to take on No. 17 Ohio State. Ohio State scored in the eighth minute of the game to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 advantage. The goal was the first goal the Hawkeye defense had allowed in six games, a program record. Maya Hansen’s third goal of the season came in the 67th minute as the Hawkeyes went on to tie the Buckeyes on the road, 1-1. Iowa then traveled to Champaign, Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini. The first half was scoreless despite the Hawkeyes outshooting the Illini five to two in the first 45 minutes. Berit Parten broke the draw with her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 60th minute of the game, assisted by Kenzie Roling and Eva Pattison. Millie Greer then added to the Hawkeye lead off of a header, assisted by Rielee Fetty to push the Hawkeye lead to 2-0. Illinois would convert on a penalty kick in the 87th minute to trim the Hawkeye lead to 2-1, which would go on to be the final score. The goal was the first goal the Hawkeye defense allowed in the second half all-season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
– Iowa has allowed just four goals so far this season.
– Iowa’s six-game shutout streak came to an end last week, which was a program record for consecutive shutouts.
– The Hawkeyes saves percentage of .871 is tied for 22nd in the nation.
– The penalty kick goal against Illinois was the first goal the Hawkeye defense has allowed in the second half this season. The Hawkeyes allow 0.1 goals per second half.
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.
-Enneking has 27.5 career shutouts, passing former Hawkeye Hannah Clark (2012-15), to become the school’s all-time leader in shutouts. Enneking needs five victories to tie the all-time school record for career victories, currently being held by former Hawkeye Claire Graves (2016-19).
– Enneking became the first Hawkeye to win Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week three times in a career and also the first Hawkeye to win the award in back-to-back weeks.
– Enneking’s save percentage of .867 is 27th amongst all goalies in the country and ranks fourth amongst Big Ten goalies.
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 47 shutouts
– Defeated eight 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
FRESHMAN SENSATION
– Berit Parten has scored a goal in five of the last seven games. Parten has scored six goals across those seven games (FGCU, No. 18 Wake Forest, Baylor, Iowa State, Illinois).
– Parten leads Iowa in goals (6), points (12), shots (33), and shots on goal (18).
– Parten was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week earlier this season. Parten was the 12th Hawkeye to be named Freshman of the Week and the first Hawkeye to win the award since Kenzie Roling in 2021.
2 FOR THE MONEY
Iowa’s record is 50-2-3 in its last 55 games when scoring two goals or more, which dates back to October of 2017. The Hawkeyes are 7-0 this year in multi-goal games.
90 TRACKER
Miah Schueller, Eva Pattison, and Millie Greer all registered 90 minutes for the Hawkeyes. 15 Hawkeyes registered minutes in the draw vs. the Buckeyes. Eva Pattison and Miah Schueller were the two Hawkeyes to play 90 minutes last Sunday. 18 Hawkeyes registered playing time in the 2-1 victory over the Fighting Illini.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes host Indiana on Oct. 6th at 1:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on B1G+.