The Iowa women’s golf team will host its lone home tournament of the year this weekend, the Hawkeye Invitational at Finkbine Golf Course.

The Hawkeyes will face 12 other teams, including Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Sacramento State — Iowa head coach Kelly Crawford’s alma mater — and last year’s invitational winner, Ball State.

Juniors Laura Cilek, Brianna Coopman, and Lauren Forbes, along with sophomore Chelsea Harris and freshman Kristi Cardwell will compete for Iowa. Senior Alison Cavanaugh and freshman Gigi DiGrazia will play as individuals.

After finishing in second place last year, Iowa is expecting to take the top spot this season.

“We lost it last year by a couple shots, and it was a disappointing finish to let Ball State come in and take it from us,” Crawford said. “One hole kind of ate us up, so we’re going to play a little differently on that hole, and I plan on us winning this event.”

Iowa hasn’t competed since finishing the Johnnie Imes Invitational on Oct. 6, but Crawford said practice following that tournament has been very positive. The team has focused on making better decisions and learning to trust their physical skills.

The head coach said players know they haven’t yet played to their abilities, so the team is focused and determined. When players stand over the ball, they should have no fear or doubt as they prepare to swing.

Crawford also doesn’t want the women thinking about where they don’t want to be on the course before their backswings.

“They know that they’re very capable, and when they all come together, and it clicks, it’s going to be a scary thing,” Crawford said. “But if we start missing some putts or missing some shots, it’s easy to lose a little bit of confidence.”

Cold temperatures might also play a factor during the tournament, but Iowa players don’t see it as a problem.

“The cold weather is always a factor, but it’s something you have to recognize and accept,” Coopman said. “The past two weeks or so, we have had some cold weather, so we will be more than prepared.”

Crawford said she isn’t worried about weather affecting the team, either. She said the Hawks tend to battle adverse weather conditions well, as evidenced by their play in the Big Ten championships last spring.

Last year, the Hawkeyes never finished higher than eighth place before finishing second in the Hawkeye Invitational. In addition, six out of the nine players that year posted career-best scores.

“I do see it as a turning point for us,” she said. “I feel that if we can just play our game and play the course the way we know how to play it, we should end up winning this event.”