Hawkeyes score three second half goals, defeat #12 Wake Forest
Talk about a statement season opening victory for Iowa Field Hockey. Recently, the series between the Hawkeyes and Wake Forest had been closely contested, with six of the last seven meetings being decided by one goal. Today, the Hawkeyes scored three second half goals and left no doubt in their 4-0 victory over the 12th ranked Demon Deacons.
“Fantastic start for this team,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “We got off to a fast start and were able to build momentum in each quarter. We grew in monumental ways today. Could not be prouder of the grit and resilience shown.”
The first half was a feeling out process for both teams. There were some turnovers, some missed passes and not a ton of pressure put on either defense. The little pressure that was put on the defense was done by the Hawkeyes and it was enough to get on the board first. True freshman forward Dionne van Aalsum out of Netherlands put Iowa in front with her first career goal in the 12th minute. She made a move past a Wake defender near the top of the circle and dribbled the ball towards her right before firing a shot past GK Ellie Todd for a goal.
Iowa took a slim 1-0 lead into the halftime break, but the action would ramp up in the second half. Wake Forest earned the first penalty corner of the game, for either side, just two minutes into the third quarter. The Deacs corner opportunity was thwarted, as Faye Janse and Nat Friedman had their shots blocked by Iowa defenders.
The Hawkeyes extended their lead in the 43rd minute. Wake Forest defender Mia Schoenback tried a cross field pass, but true freshman Miranda Jackson was there for an easy steal. She took the ball into the circle and fired a shot past GK Ellie Todd to make it 2-0 Iowa.
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Early in the fourth quarter, Iowa threatened to score again. A tipped pass found it’s way into the circle for forward Rachel Herbine. She never got an opportunity to play the ball, as Wake GK Ellie Todd slid into Herbine, which was deemed a foul after review. The Hawkeyes were awarded a penalty corner, but could not convert. However, just three minutes later, in the 51st minute, it was the freshman Dionne van Aalsum again for Iowa. She took the feed from midfielder Jacey Wittel off a foul stoppage and sent a shot far-side past Todd for her second goal of the game.
The three goal avantage turned into a four goal advantage just 54 seconds later. A foul on Wake Forest forward Brooke McCusker earned her a yellow card and a third penalty corner in the quarter. This time, the Hawkeyes converted. Sofie Stribos shot was redirected by a Deacs stick and into the goal to make it a 4-0 lead with under nine minutes to play.
The stats were heavily in favor of Iowa, as the Hawkeyes outshot Wake Forest 11-4 and had a 10-1 advantage when it came to shots on goal. Jacey Wittel and Lieve Schalk picked up assists on the day, while Dionne van Aalsum led the way with three shots on goal. The season opening win marks the sixth straight year that Iowa Field Hockey has started 1-0.
Up Next, the Hawkeyes wrap up the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill on Sunday with a matchup against the top ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. The game is set to start at 12:00pm CT and will be streamed on ACCN+.
