Iowa soccer goes cold on road trip
The Hawkeyes fell short as Big Ten play opened.
Fans look on during Iowa’s game against Central Michigan on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. The Hawkeyes defeated the Chippewas 3-1.
September 16, 2018
The Iowa soccer team kicked off its Big Ten play this past weekend on a low note, falling to Maryland, 4-0, on Sept. 14 and losing to Rutgers, 2-1, on Sunday, extending the team’s losing streak to four matches.
The Hawkeyes looked as though they would dominate against the Terrapins, outshooting Maryland, 7-4, in the first half. The Hawkeyes had two beautiful chances, but one was stopped by Maryland keeper Rachel Egyed, and the other went over the crossbar.
After the half, the Terps started to take over. They scored quickly to give themselves a 1-goal lead, and the Hawkeyes couldn’t catch up. Maryland then scored in the 58th, 71st, and 83rd minute to round out the 4-0 victory.
The youth of the Hawkeyes really started to show as Big Ten play began. They knew they were one of the youngest teams, and most of the players hadn’t seen much Big Ten action, if any.
The Hawkeyes know they have to work on its finishing in games, but the practice isn’t showing as much as the coaches had hoped in games.
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This was the first game Hawkeyes gave up goals on non-set pieces. Three of 4 goals the Terps scored were assisted plays, and the fourth was a free kick deflection off an Iowa defender.
The Hawkeyes made their trip from Maryland to Rutgers on Sunday for their second Big Ten game. The Hawkeyes fell to the Scarlet Knights, 2-1, in a hard fought, double-overtime loss.
Iowa started off hot, scoring first. Junior Kaleigh Haus was the goal-scorer for the Hawkeyes in the 14th minute. She had a breakaway off a 50-50 ball and put it in the back of the net. It was the only goal in the first half, and the Hawkeyes went into halftime with the lead.
Rutgers tied the game in the 73rd minute, sending the game into overtime, where the Knights ended the game with 12 seconds left in double-overtime. Rutgers outshot Iowa, 4-0, in the extra time.
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“We grew today in the knowledge that hard work and quality isn’t the recipe for success,” Iowa head coach Dave DiIanni said in a release. “We have to control more of the outcome. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that at the end. We will continue to get better.”
The Hawkeyes were outshot, 16-6, and did not have a shot in the two overtime periods. Four of the 6 shots the Hawkeyes had were on goal, so one positive for Iowa is the team is putting the ball on net. The Hawkeyes on-goal shot percentage was 66 percent, better than the Knights’ 44 percent.
They continued to give up non-set piece goals in their second-straight game. Both Scarlet Knight goals were scored on assists and good setup plays.
After the loss, Iowa is now 4-4-1. The Hawkeyes were 4-0-1 on Sept. 6.
The Hawkeyes stay home for their game, taking on Purdue on Thursday at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
