Skip to main content
iowa logo

Iowa Field Hockey explodes for seven goals in Senior Day win over #3 Rutgers

On3 imageby:Kyle Huesmann•10/27/23•

HuesmannKyle

iowa-field-hockey-explodes-seven-goals-win-rutgers
The Hawkeyes scored a record number of goals on Friday afternoon. (Photo by Dennis Scheidt)

Lisa Cellucci said during that week that she was hoping that having their Senior Day game against #3 Rutgers would provide “super powers” to the team. It could be argued that they did have super powers, as the Hawkeyes exploded for seven goals in a 7-2 win over the Scarlet Knights to cap off a 13-4 regular season. Seven goals is the most for Iowa against an NFHCA ranked team since the poll debuted in 1997.

“We stuck to the game plan and we said we wanted to put them under great pressure. We built the ball really well, we were willing to join and we supported the ball carrier and we just found great opportunities on goal,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “What a fantastic offensive display.”

“That was just heart, grit, effort and dominance,” said Alex Wesneski. “It’s a great day for our seniors, last game at Grant Field and that’s one of the best ways that you can do it.”

You would have never guessed that the game was going to have nine combined goals after the first 15 minutes of play. Neither team registered a shot on goal in the opening quarter, but the Hawkeyes controlled the play. They got some early pressure and forced the Rutgers back line into a lot of touches. The Scarlet Knights were unable to get anything going with their midfielders and forwards.

“I thought we kept our structure really well and we had pretty good defensive discipline, especially on our right side,” said Cellucci. “We defended penalty corners really well and that’s good because their corners are very dangerous.

The dangerous Rutgers penalty corner, led by likely All-American defender Puck Winter, was only able to convert on 1 of their 10 opportunities. In an area where the Scarlet Knights excel, the Iowa defensive corner unit was able to hold strong. Another goal or two on the corner attack and Rutgers would have been able to keep the game within striking distance in the fourth quarter.

“I think a lot of them were reawarded (corner chances). I think we dealt with it really well,” said Esme Gibson. “Mia was great at organizing us when the corner breaks down. The thing to build on is not giving as many away, but we dealt with it well as a unit.”

After getting through the first 20 minutes of the game with a 0-0 tie, the Hawkeyes took advantage of their third penalty corner of the quarter and got on the board with a goal. The insert from Annika Herbine went to the stopper Lieve Schalk and she set it up for Dionne van Aalsum, who beat Rutgers GK Sophia Howard with a straight shot into the goal.

At the half, Iowa dominated the stat sheet. 4-0 advantage in shots and penalty corners, as well as a 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard. After a defensive first half, the goal scoring came in waves. Fortunately, most of the waves came on the Iowa end of the field.

In the 32nd minute, the Hawkeyes doubled the lead off of the stick of Annika Herbine. The junior from Pennsylvania received a pass on the sideline just outside of the 25 yard line. She took it herself, through the spread out Rutgers defense and into the circle, where she chipped one past GK Sophia Howard for the goal to make it 2-0.

“Ella sent me a great ball down the sideline to receive. I took with speed and beat a girl and then right foot flicked it into the back of the cage,” said Herbine.

“She practices that day in and day out and scored a couple of times last season that way,” said Coach Cellucci. “Really glad to see her do that and it was very timely. Goalkeeper went down and a fantastic finish.”

The two-goal advantage did not stick for long, as Rutgers was able to break through on their first penalty corner of the game. Midfielder Paulina Niklaus found the back of goal with a shot from the top of the circle. That cut the Iowa lead to 2-1 with 11:23 left in the third quarter, but the rest of the quarter (and the game) was dominated by the Hawkeyes.

In the 36th minute, Iowa was back on the attack with the ball back on the stick of Annika Herbine. She quickly dribbled into the circle along the baseline on a restart after a whistle and found Miranda Jackson. Jackson put one in front of the goal and Alex Wesneski swept it into the goal. Just as quickly as Rutgers scored, the Hawkeyes had answered back to make it 3-1.

Just minutes later in the 39th minute, Iowa made it 4-1. Dionne van Aalsum found Esme Gibson in transition near midfield with a pass and the fifth year senior did the rest. After corralling the pass, Gibson ran down the middle of the RU defense and once she got into the circle, she ripped a shot that got a piece of the goalkeeper, but ultimately bounced into the goal. A goal by a senior on Senior Day.

“I really thought I was going to mis-trap the pass at first. It came bouncing at me, but then I just saw open space,” said Gibson. “I trust my speed and it was very nice to finally hit a ball properly. It’s been a long time coming.”

To open the fourth quarter, it was Rutgers on the attack. The Iowa defensive penalty corner unit stood tall and turned away three corners, before extending their lead in the 53rd minute. Miranda Jackson got a pass from Alex Wesneski and dribbled towards the end line, where she sent a back hand, sharp angle shot towards the goal. Somehow it found the goal to make it 5-1 Hawkeyes.

Two minutes later in the 55th minute, Annika Herbine dribbled into the circle and sent a pass by a couple of defenders to the front of the goal. Dionne van Aalsum was there waiting and punched it in for the sixth goal of the game.

“We found ourselves in a lot of one on one matchups, where our foot speed outplayed theirs and that’s how we got in behind a lot,” said Cellucci. “We changed our outletting structure and we went four in the back, we were able to really expose them on the overload on both sides and then we built the ball a lot better.”

“Passing the ball, sharing the load, sharing the offense, we talked about sharing the ball and how important it is. Rutgers is so stretched, but there’s so much space if we can counter attack,” said Wesneski. “We were able to find that space and it showed with the amount of goals we put on the board.”

The Scarlet Knights got a goal from Marique Dieudonne in the 56th minute, but 34 seconds later, Jacey Wittel got her first goal of the season for the Hawkeyes. Rutgers wasn’t even able to end the game on a high note, without Iowa adding an exclamation point on their Senior Day victory.

“This is the win we needed to go forward into the postseason,” said Annika Herbine. “We know that we can play to this standard, so that’s where our eyes are going to be.”

A big win over a top five ranked opponent is a huge momentum boost, as Lisa Cellucci and the Hawkeyes turn their focus to postseason play with the Big Ten Tournament next week in Ann Arbor.

“Carry the energy. I’ve never seen us smile so much on the field during a game like that. It was awesome to be apart of, whether on the sideline or on the field,” said Alex Wesneski. “The energy was great, so the momentum carrying forward is something that’s going to have to happen.”

Up Next, the Hawkeyes head to Ann Arbor for the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa will be the 6 seed and will face 3 seed Maryland in the quarterfinal round next Thursday. The opening round will be streamed on BTN+.

“We want to play Maryland because we just really played poorly the first time around and on a neutral field, I think we’re going to have a great opportunity,” said Cellucci.

You may also like