Notes: No. 20 Miami (OH) and Louisville

THIS WEEK 
The 15th-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team hits the road to face two opponents at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Hawkeyes will take on No. 20 Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Sept. 12, at 2:30 p.m. (CT), followed by Louisville on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 12:30 p.m. (CT). 
  
FOLLOW LIVE 
• Sunday’s game can be streamed on ACCNx (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 
• Iowa went 2-0 at home last weekend, defeating Kent State (4–1) and Queens (8–1). 
• Dionne van Aalsum scored eight goals across the two games. 
  
SCOUTING MIAMI (OHIO) 
• The RedHawks are 3-0 through the first two weekends of play. 
• Miami was picked third in the MAC preseason coaches’ poll and climbed to No. 20 nationally following a strong start. 
  
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE 
• The Cardinals are 3-1 through two weekends. 
• Three Louisville players earned spots on the NFHCA Collegiate Preseason Watch List. 
  
2025 TEAM INFORMATION 
Letterwinners Returning/Lost 16/9 
Starters Returning/Lost 8/2 
Milly Short (18 starts, 1,133 minutes, 1 goal, 2 assists) 
Fiene Ten Seldam (18 starts, 1,022 minutes) 
Sabrina McGroarty (18 starts, 1,002 minutes, 1 assist) 
Lieve van Kessel (18 starts, 5 goals, 1 assist) 
Gia Whalen (17 starts, 2 goals) 
Dionne van Aalsum (17 starts, 9 goals, 1 assist) 
Rachel Herbine (17 starts, 5 assists) 
Newcomers 10 
  
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS 
Iowa is ranked No. 15 in the Week 1 NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes have appeared in 95 consecutive polls dating back to 2016. 
  
B1G AWARDS 
Two Hawkeyes earned Big Ten weekly honors on September 8.  
• Felicia Zonnenburg was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after tallying one goal and five assists for seven points, finishing with a perfect 1.000 shot-on-goal percentage. 
• Dionne van Aalsum was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after scoring eight goals and recording 16 points across two games, bringing her season total to 11 goals..  
  
CELLUCCI INTO HALL OF FAME 
• Iowa head coach and alumna Lisa Cellucci was inducted into the Iowa Athletics  Hall of Fame on Aug. 29th as part of the eight-member 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). 
  
DIONNE VAN AWESOME 
Dionne Van Aalsum is tied for fifth among active Division I players with 42 career goals in 39 games. 
• She led the nation with 28 goals as a freshman before scoring nine goals a season ago.  
• She has totaled 11 goals so far in 2025 and is averaging 2.75 goals per game.  
• She is the only player in the top 10 with fewer than 40 games played. 
  
CONSECUTIVE STARTS 
Mia Magnotta - 40 
Milly Short - 39 
  
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 last season. 
• Iowa’s biggest 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 total shots, including 115 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 ranked 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). 
  
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY 
•The Hawkeyes have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances — the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference — and have reached 12 NCAA Final Fours, including winning the 1986 NCAA Championship. 
• Iowa is 30-28 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. The program’s 30 NCAA Tournament victories and 12 Final Four appearances are the most of any Big Ten school. 
  
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2024 
• Iowa finished the season with a 9-9 overall record. 
• Head coach Lisa Cellucci concluded her 11th season leading the Hawkeyes and her 25th season overall with the program. She has been part of 302 Iowa victories. In 2020, she led the team to its 12th Final Four — the first since 2008. Iowa has posted double-digit win totals in eight of her 10 seasons. 
• Under Cellucci, the Hawkeyes have won three Big Ten titles (2019, 2019 Big Ten Tournament, 2021). 
• 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 honors: Dionne van Aalsum (first team), Milly Short and Gia Whalen (second team). 
• Fifteen student-athletes were named to the Fall Academic All-Big Ten team. Redshirt sophomore Lauren DeRose finished with a 4.0 GPA. 
• Freshman Sabrina McGroarty was named to the All-Freshman Team after starting every game and contributing to a defense that recorded eight shutouts. She also tallied one assist. 
Iowa defeated four ranked opponents last season: No. 3 Ohio State, No. 17 Penn State, No. 18 Cal and No. 18 Wake Forest. 
  
HAWKEYES ON 2024 NFHCA ALL-REGION TEAM  
• Dionne van Aalsum was named to the NFHCA All-West Region first team for the second straight season. The Castricum, Netherlands, native played in every game and recorded nine goals and one assist. 
• Milly Short earned second-team honors after anchoring a defense that posted eight shutouts. The Worcester, England, native started every game and added one goal and two assists. 
• Gia Whalen was also named to the second team. The Paoli, Pennsylvania, native played in every game and scored two goals while controlling the midfield. 
  
5 HAWKEYES EARN BIG TEN HONORS IN 2024  
• Five Hawkeyes earned Big Ten recognition for the 2024 season: Milly Short, Dionne van Aalsum, Gia Whalen, Sabrina McGroarty and Mia Magnotta. 
• Short, van Aalsum and Whalen were named to the All-Big Ten second team. 
• McGroarty was selected to the All-Freshman Team. 
• Magnotta was Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award nominee. 
  
UP NEXT 
The Hawkeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers in two games on Friday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. (CT)