Hawkeyes Set to Host Home Opener

THIS WEEK
The No. 7 University of Iowa women’s soccer team opens its home schedule with No. 16 TCU on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. (CT). The Hawkeyes then host Western Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. (CT). 

WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE
- Iowa’s match against TCU will broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
- Iowa’s match against Western Michigan 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 X (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live in-game updates.

SCOUTING THE HORNED FROGS
- TCU is 2-0-0 on the season outscoring their opponents, 7-1. In their most recent matchup, TCU shutout UTSA, 1-0.
- Kamdyn Fuller is TCU’s leading goal scorer with two goals on the season. Five other players have scored one goal this season.
- Ally Brown leads the Horned Frogs with two assists. Seven other players have dished out at least one assist this season.
- Last season, TCU went 17-4-2. The Horned Frogs earned a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament where they won their opening round match against Stephen F. Austin. TCU fell to Penn State in the Round of 32.
- TCU added 54 goals in the 2024 campaign. Of their 54 goals, they return five players who accounted for 33 goals.
- TCU returns leading goal and point scorer, junior Seven Castain who added 13 goals, six assists, and 32 points in her sophomore campaign. 
- The Horned Frogs have started two different goalkeepers in their two games. Ybarra Kira started the first match which she allowed one goal and had one save. Olivia Geller started the second game in which she posted a shutout with four saves.

SERIES HISTORY - TCU
This marks the first meeting between the Hawkeyes and Horned Frogs. Iowa was 2-0 against Big 12 opponents in 2024, while TCU was 0-1 against B1G opponents.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
- Western Michigan is 0-1-0 on the season after falling to No. 2 Notre Dame, 2-1.
- Last season, the Broncos went 13-2-6, including 8-0-3 in conference, where they were MAC regular season conference champions. They would go on to win the MAC conference tournament. The Broncos fell to the fifth-seeded Michigan State Spartans in the Round of 64.
- Last season marked the first time that Broncos won both the MAC conference and regular season title.
-  The Broncos graduated, all-american, Jen Blitchok who was the first all-american in program history for the Broncos. She is the career points leader with 71, second all-time in goals with 27, and second in game winning-goals with nine. Blitchok finished last season with a total of 18 goals. She tied for the second most goals per game in the country with .86 per game. Her 18 goals ranked tied for fifth in the country along with 11 assists.
- The Broncos return Abby Werthman who was named the MAC Tournament MVP as well as second-team all-conference honors in 2024. Werthman tallied 12 goals last season to go along with nine assists.

SERIES HISTORY - WESTERN MICHIGAN
Iowa is 2-0-1 against the Broncos. The last matchup came last season where Iowa and Western Michigan tied, 1-1, in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Hawkeyes are 2-0-0 against the Broncos when playing at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The last time the two teams met in Iowa City was Aug. 22, 2019, when Iowa won, 2-0. The two programs first meeting Aug. 25, 2013, when Iowa won, 3-1, in Iowa City.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Sofia Bush, Millie Greer, and Liana Tarasco were named Big Ten Players to Watch. The Hawkeyes were picked sixth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. Bush was also named a midfielder to watch by Top Drawer Soccer.
- The Hawkeyes return last season’s three top goal scorers. Meike Ingles (7), Berit Parten (7), and Sofia Bush (5) all return for the Hawkeyes.
- Iowa is filled with veteran leadership, rostering eight graduate students and three seniors. 
- Iowa’s No. 13 preseason ranking was the highest preseason ranking in program history. It also marked just the second time Iowa earned a preseason ranking.
- The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 7 in Top Drawer Soccer’s poll, the highest ranking in program history.
- The Hawkeyes graduated the program’s all-time winningest goalkeeper in Macy Enneking. Enneking defended the goal for Iowa in each of the last three seasons.

STATEMENT WIN IN FAYETTEVILLE 
- Iowa’s 3-2 victory over No. 6 Arkansas marked the Razorbacks first home regular season loss since 2021.
- The Hawkeye’s 2-0 lead over the Razorbacks at the half, marked the first time Arkansas had trailed at the break at home since 2021.
- It was Iowa’s first time opening the season with a ranked win.
- The victory marked Iowa’s highest ranked road win since April 15, 2020, when they beat No. 4 Penn State, 1-0.
- Prior to Iowa’s win, the Razorbacks were 41-1-4 at home over the last four seasons.

DIIANNI EXTENDED
- Head Coach Dave DiIanni signed a contract extension on Feb. 27, 2025, that extended the programs all-time winningest coach through 2029.
- Last season Iowa finished 13th in the country in attendance and second in the Big Ten.
- The Hawkeyes finished the 2024 campaign ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 14 in Top Drawer Soccer’s poll. The No. 12 postseason ranking was the highest postseason ranking in program history and just the second time the Hawkeyes were ranked in the final poll.
- Iowa is seeking back-to-back ranked wins for the third consecutive seasons. Before DiIanni’s arrival, the Hawkeyes beat back-to-back ranked teams on one occasion.
- DiIanni is now 3-2 in his Iowa career against opponents ranked sixth or higher. Before his arrival, Iowa was 0-7 in those games and was outscored, 29-4.

PRO FACTORY
Four members of Iowa’s 2024 senior class have gone on to sign professional contracts.
- Maggie Johnston: Spokane Zephyr FC
- Maya Hansen: Fimleikfaelag Hafnarfjardar
- Macy Enneking: Fimleikafelag Hafnardjadar
- Madison Wilson: Calgary Wild FC

2 FOR THE MONEY
Iowa’s record is 56-2-3 in its last 61 games when scoring two goals or more, which dates back to October 2017.

2024 SUCCESS
- At 15-3-4 the Hawkeyes tied the program record for most victories in a season. Iowa won 15 games in 2013 and 2019.
- The Hawkeyes finished with four wins against ranked opponents in 2024 which was a program record. Prior to Coach DiIanni’s arrival in 2014, Iowa had a total of nine wins against ranked opponents. In DiIanni’s tenure they have 13.
- Iowa’s eight wins in conference marked a program record for most wins in the Big Ten regular season.
- Iowa advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history a season ago.
- The Hawkeyes defended their home turf, winning nine games at the Iowa Soccer Complex. The nine wins at home tied a program record.
- Iowa rose to as high as No. 9 in the polls last year, at the time, marking a program record.
- They stayed ranked in the top 25 all season, something that previously had never been done.

SINCE 2019, IOWA...
- Won a pair of Big Ten Tournament Championships in 2021 and 2023
- Won all four NCAA Tournament matches in program history
- Made four out of the five NCAA Tournament appearances in program history
- Advanced to their first Sweet Sixteen in program history
- Has earned 12 postseason wins
- Has posted 53 shutouts
- Defeated 11 ranked opponents, nine 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
- Set a home average attendance record (1,479); in the 2024 season. Iowa’s attendance in the 2024 season ranked 13th nationally and second amongst Big Ten teams.

SIDELINE UPDATE
- Katelyn Longino, former associate head coach, accepted the head coaching position at Grand Valley State.
- The Hawkeyes hired assistant coach Maddi Moon. Moon joins the Hawkeyes after spending the previous five years as the head coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Moon led the Tritons to a 14-4-3 conference record. They also won their conference tournament, marking the first conference title in program history.
- Director of operations, Molly Rygh, accepted the director of operations position for the Iowa women’s basketball team. 
- Iowa hired Addie Bundy, a former player (2021-23), to be the new director of operations. Bundy was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in 2022.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Loyola-Chicago on Aug. 28 for a 7:00 p.m. (CT) kick-off. Iowa then returns home to host Saint Louis, for senior night. The match is set to start at 1 p.m. (CT).