Notes: Kent State and Queens

THIS WEEK
The 15th-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team continues the 2025 season, hosting two opponents at Grant Field in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes will face Kent State on Friday, September 2, at 1 p.m. (CT), followed by Queens on Sunday, September 7, at 1 p.m. (CT)

FOLLOW LIVE
• Both games will be able to 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.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Hawkeyes went 1-1 at the 2025 Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Iowa City, downing No. 20 Wake Forest (5-4) before falling to No. 2 North Carolina (1-4).
• Iowa is 13-13 all-time against the Demon Deacons. The Hawkeyes have won 13 of the last 14 meetings in the series. 
• Dionne van Aalsum scored three goals through two games on the weekend. 

2025 TEAM INFORMATION
Letterwinners Returning/Lost 16/9
Starters Returning/Lost 8/2
Milly Short (18 starts, 1133 min., one goal, two assists)
Fiene Ten Seldam (18 starts, 1022 min.)
Sabrina McGroarty (18 starts, 1002 min., one assist)
Lieve van Kessel (18 starts, five goals, one Assist)
Gia Whalen (17 starts, two goals)
Dionne van Aalsum (17 starts, nine goals, one assist)
Rachel Herbine (17 starts, five assists) 
Newcomers 10

SCOUTING KENT STATE
• The Golden Flashes went 1-1 in their opening weekend.
• They dominated Mercyhurst 10-1 in their home opener before falling to #13 Ohio State on the road 3-9. 
• Eva Usoz earned NFHCA preseason watchlist honors. 

SCOUTING QUEENS
• The Royals fell to Longwood University (1-3) on their opening weekend, starting 0-1. 
• Queens went 2-13 overall last season.  

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2024
• The Hawkeyes finished their season with a 9-9 overall record. 
• Head Coach Lisa Cellucci concluded her 11th season at the helm of the Hawkeye field hockey program and her 25th season overall. Cellucci has been a part of 302 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.
• Four Hawkeyes — Hillary Cox, Lauren DeRose, Hannah Maney and Mack Panko, earned NFHCA Division I Scholars of Distinction for the 2024-25 academic year.
•Three Hawkeyes earned NFHCA All-West Region selections. Van Aalsum was recognized on the first team for the second straight season. Junior Milly Short and sophomore Gia Whalen earned second-team honors.
• Fifteen field hockey student athletes were named Fall Academic All-Big Ten selections. Redshirt sophomore Lauren DeRose finished with a 4.0 GPA.
• Freshman Sabrina McGroarty was named to the all-freshman team after playing a big role in the Hawkeye defense that registered eight shutouts. The Mickleton, New Jersey, native started every game and tallied an assist.
• The Hawkeyes defeated four ranked opponent last season. Iowa downed No. 3 Ohio State, No. 17 Penn State, No. 18 Cal, and No. 18 Wake Forest.

IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Iowa opens the season at No. 15 in the NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in 94 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.
• The Hawkeyes were ranked for the duration of the 2024 season.

CELLUCCI INTO HALL OF FAME
• Iowa head coach and alumni Lisa Cellucci is being inducted into the Iowa Athletics  Hall of Fame on August 29th as part of the eight-person 2025 class.  
• Cellucci is a three-time NFHCA All-American selection (1995,1996,1998), a three-time NFHCA West Region All-American (1995, 1996, 1998) 
• She is a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, earning first-team honors in 1995 and 1996 and second-team distinction in 1997 and 1998
• She ranks as Iowa’s all-time leader in program saves with 592
• Cellucci led the team to two Big Ten regular season titles with an undefeated conference record of 10-0 in both seasons, one Big Ten Tournament championship, three NCAA Elite Eight appearances and an NCAA Final Four

HOW THE HAWKS STACKED UP
• The Hawkeyes finished fourth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in shutouts per game (.50).
• The Hawkeyes finished second in the B1G and third in the nation in save percentage (.800).
• Iowa finished fifth in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation in average goals against (1.18).
• Iowa finished fifth in the Big Ten and 37th in the nation in defensive saves (4).

BALL TO NET
• The Hawkeyes return 21 of their 28 goals from last season.
- van Aalsum (9)
- van Kessel (5)
- Whalen (2)
- Jackson (1), Short (1), Maney (1), Reed (1), Haig (1)

SHUTOUT SHUTDOWN
The Hawkeye defense had eight shutouts under their belts last season.
• The largest shutouts came against New Hampshire and UC Davis, with the Hawkeyes holding both teams to zero while scoring five goals.
• Iowa’s defense ranked fifth in the nation and third in the conference in shutouts per game (.470).

ABOUT THE DEFENSE
The Hawkeyes outscored their opponents 76-69 last season. Iowa surrendered 23 goals in 19 games, and the Hawkeye defense allowed 243 shots and 115 shots on goal. 
• The Hawkeyes recorded nine shutouts, three being against ranked opponents.
• Iowa’s defense ranked fourth in the nation in shutouts (9) and shutouts per game (.50).

MAGNOTTA IN GOAL
• In the 2024 season Magnotta allowed 23 goals, and registered 88 saves.
• Magnotta currently ranks in the top-10 in four Big Ten categories: third in saves per game (4.89, 28th nationally), second in save percentage (.793, sixth nationally), sixth in average goals against (1.18, 17th nationally), and fifth in goalie win-loss percentage (.500, 39th nationally).

CONSECUTIVE STARTS
Mia Magnotta - 39
Milly Short - 38

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• 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.

HAWKEYES ON 2024 NFHCA ALL-REGION TEAM 
•  Dionne van Aalsum was named a first-team selection, while Milly Short and Gia Whalen earned second-team honors.
• Van Aalsum was recognized on the first team for the second straight season. The Castricum, Netherlands native played in every game and had nine goals and one assist.
• Short was named to the second team after a season of impressive defense, playing a role in eight shutouts. The Worcester, England native started every game and had a goal and two assists.
• Whalen was listed as a second team selection after holding down the midfield for the Hawkeyes. The Paoli, Pennsylvania native played in every game and registered two goals.

5 HAWKEYES EARN BIG TEN HONORS IN 2024 
• Five University of Iowa field hockey student-athletes – Milly Short, Dionne van Aalsum, Gia Whalen, Sabrina McGroarty, and Mia Magnotta – earned Big Ten Conference recognition for the 2024 season.
• Short, van Aalsum and Whalen were named to the second team while McGroarty was an All-Freshman team selection. Magnotta was Iowa’s sportsmanship nomination. 

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes head to Louisville, Kentucky to take on Miami (OH) on Friday, September 12 at 2:30 p.m. (CT) and Louisville on Sunday, September 14 at 12:30 p.m.