Take a look at Iowa’s shots, goals, and penalty corners per half, and you will see some very lopsided numbers.

Statistically, the first period has been a lot slower than the second. As far as shots go, the No. 14 Hawkeyes have put 11 more on the net after the intermission, 61-50. Out of those shots, 15 have gone in during the second half, while only eight have found the back of the net before halftime.

This trend has been especially evident in the Hawkeyes matchups with Wake Forest on Sept. 7 and also in their Sept. 13 meeting with Central Michigan. Against the Demon Deacons, the Hawks scored the contest’s only goals in the second half and took five more shots.

Keeping on trend in the match with the Chippewas, Iowa exploded for five second half scores after being outplayed in the early moments of the contest and taking a 2-1 lead into the break.

The Hawkeyes slow starts and second period successes can be partially attributed to the team’s halftime adjustments, Iowa head coach Tracey Griesbaum said. However, she would like to see her play more of a complete game.

“We want to start strong and finish stronger,” the 14-year head coach said. “I think there’s a greater sense of urgency [in the second half].”

How do the 5-3 Hawkeyes translate that sense of urgency and success after the break into the first half? Dani Hemeon has scored 2 of her 3 goals in the latter period this season. The junior thinks the first five to 10 minutes of the game are pivotal in setting the tone for the remainder of the time.

“A lot of times we’ve just started off a little slow, and then, eventually, we kind of keep on this uphill grind,” the Gilroy, Calif., native said. “And then in the second half we just do very [well].”

All three of Hemeon’s scores have come on penalty corners, another statistic that is skewed for Iowa. The team has taken 22 in the  second half as opposed to 18 in the first.

That metric goes hand-in-hand with shots. If the Hawkeyes are taking more shots in a given period, they will be on the attack more and draw more corners, which means more scoring chances.

With Big Ten play beginning this weekend, sophomore Natalie Cafone is looking for her team to step up and put everything together during conference play. She said the added level of competition is a strong challenge for the Hawkeyes.

Griesbaum echoed Cafone’s statements, saying one of the Hawkeyes’ main focuses in their 6-0 rout of Kent State on Sunday was to get out and attack early — which the Hawks did. The team scored two goals in the first 11 minutes of the match, one of them coming from Cafone at the 1:50 mark.

“[We need to] play a full game,” Cafone said. “I just think that we need to play 70 minutes and as a team.”