The No. 23 Iowa field-hockey team lost to No. 2 North Carolina, 2-0, on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich. The loss dropped the Hawkeyes to 1-1 for the season.

North Carolina, last season’s NCAA runner-up, scored five minutes into the game for an early 1-0 advantage.

Iowa was never able to recover, and the Tar Heels added another goal in the 67th minute.

“We played well,” head coach Tracey Griesbaum said in a release. “Our game plan was followed in both halves. North Carolina has strength in every line, and we did a good job of staying in the play.”  

The Hawkeyes finished off this year’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge with a 1-1 record after defeating No. 11 Wake Forest, 3-2, on Aug. 27.

Iowa will play its home-opener on Friday at Grant Field against Kent State. The game will begin at 5 p.m., and Griesbaum said the Hawkeyes’ participation in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will serve as excellent preparation for the match.

“Our forward and backfield lines played really well this weekend,” she said. “We will need to keep an attacking mentality in order to be successful next weekend.”

— by Nick Szafranski