Iowa Soccer shuts out #18 Wake Forest behind two Berit Parten goals
The Hawkeyes came into the weekend feeling like they had a bit to prove. The previous week saw them draw a pair of games, and drop out of the top 25, after earning their first preseason ranking in program history. On Sunday evening, the Hawkeyes made a statement knocking off the 18th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2-0 in front of over 1,500 fans at the UI Soccer Complex.
“I think it just shows how good we are and how much potential we have,” said freshman forward Berit Parten. “We dropped out of the rankings after an unfortunate tie, but I think this shows that we’re up there with those teams and we can play against these teams.”
The Demon Deacons came into the matchup with an undefeated 3-0-1 record, including a win over #20 Mississippi State last week. They showed just how dangerous they can be on the attack just moments into the match. In the third minute, a cross into the box found the foot of forward Emily Murphy and she rattled the crossbar for a near goal.
The Hawkeye defense that is so good year after year locked down after giving up the early opportunity. Wake Forest managed just ten shots on the night, with only two shots getting on goal. It seemed like every time the Deacs got something going, the Iowa defense was there to shut it down. Head coach Dave Dilanni was satisfied with what he saw on the defensive end of the pitch.
“Wake Forest is a heck of a team, incredibly skillful. The way they play, they can make it very difficult for you to defend…I thought we did a great job defensively,” said Dilanni. “I think the chances we gave them were not very dangerous outside of losing track of a player at the back post five minutes into the game. Outside of that, a lot of shots Macy (Enneking) had to make saves on were from outside the box.”
“I thought (the defense) was disciplined. We told them we were okay with them getting balls in certain spaces, but we had to keep balls to one side (of the field)…We executed keeping the ball one one side and locking it and making the field small.”
In the goal scoring department, the Hawkeyes jumped in front off the foot of freshman Berit Parten in the 18th minute. Parten won a ball on the far edge of the box and found herself with a wide open chance. She took advantage of the positioning by goalkeeper Payton Cahill and launched a shot into the top of the goal to give Iowa the lead.
“I kind of slid on (the ball) and then realized I still had it, so I got up and I saw the goalie start creeping into the middle more. I was like, ‘I can get this in’, so I just shot it and thankfully it went in,” said Parten.
A one goal lead against a team with the speed and athleticism on the outside like Wake Forest did not feel like enough. In the 56th minute, the Hawkeyes got a much needed brace from Berit Parten. Kenzie Roling sent a long ball towards the back line and Shae Doherty did an excellent job of putting a header back into a dangerous area. Sofia Bush got the first shot on goal, but it was blocked. In the right place, at the right time, Berit Parten was there for the rebound and punched it in.
“We talk about that in practice a lot. If (the ball) is too far to one side, that player should head it back across, so I knew it was coming back across,” said Parten. “If it wasn’t me, it was going to be (Sofia) Bush who scored it. You’ve just got to be ready and thankfully, no one was around me, so I could just tap it in.”
The freshman from Minnehaha, Minnesota had two goals taken off of her scoresheet in the season opener against Oregon State, but has now scored three goals over the last two games. Parten is trying to become the first Hawkeye freshman to score more than three goals in a season since Gianna Gourley scored five goals in 2019.
“I thought we played well as a team, and we executed the scout, and I was lucky enough to get the goals, but it would have come for any of us,” said Parten. “I’m glad I got them after the two that didn’t count, but whatever I can do that’s good for the team.”
The win over the Demon Deacons will have benefits down the road, as a resume boosting win, once NCAA Tournament time rolls around. In the short term, the win is a confidence boost for a Hawkeye squad that came away disappointed after drawing two games on the road last week.
“This is a good RPI win for us and good RPI wins, as long as you do what you need to do, they carry on until the end. Wake Forest is going to be in the NCAA Tournament, so it’s a big win,” said Dilanni. “It gives us confidence to be able to do that. It’s also understanding that whenever you win these kind of games, the bar gets set higher and what’s expected of you, the standard gets higher. I think anytime you can do that with your team, that’s exciting stuff.”
Wake Forest held the advantage in shots (10-8), but the Hawkeyes were able to put four shots on goal to just two for the Demon Deacons. Berit Parten led the way with three shots, while Emily Murphy recorded three shots for Wake Forest.
Up Next: The Hawkeyes will host the Baylor Bears next Sunday for Senior Night. Kickoff is set for 5:00pm CT on BTN+.
