There were fireworks Sunday afternoon in Iowa City — and they came from a Hawkeye soccer offense that has been quiet all year.
The Hawks scored 3 goals in the first half and then held on in the second to grab a 3-1 victory over a Purdue squad reeling from seven-straight defeats.
“We talked a little bit about how the first 10 minutes were going to be valuable and that we matched Purdue’s energy level,” head coach Dave DiIanni said. “We thought if we could do that, they would give up a little — and they did.
“We were disappointed a little bit that we gave up that first goal, but Purdue puts a lot of pressure on you.”
The goal that DiIanni noted happened just 10 minutes into the game and put the Boilermakers up 1-0, but that lead was short-lived.
Senior Cloe Lacasse scored 85 seconds later with a beautiful 35-yard strike from the right corner.
“It was really cool because it was our last game on this field for the seniors, so it was extra special, I guess,” Lacasse said.
Iowa added to its lead a few minutes later after a nice series of passes between Lacasse and Toelle ended with a goal from senior Emily Scott.
“I saw everyone get sucked over to the right side, and no one was really covering it, so I kind of went for it and called for it,” Scott said.
Just 20 minutes into the game, Iowa was up 2-1, and the offense was clicking on a level that it really has not achieved much this season.
Iowa tacked another goal on five minutes before halftime after a lofty pass from sophomore Corey Burns turned into Lacasse’s ninth goal of the season, and the Hawkeyes went into halftime with a 3-1 lead.
“To be honest, we lost it in the midfield, and they kind of miskicked it over, and I just saw an opening and was just looking to clear it,” Burns said. “I saw Cloe and the back defender right next to each other, and I knew that Cloe was going to beat her.
“It went right over her, and I saw Cloe take it; it wasn’t really planned — it was just a clearance that happened to be an assist.”
While Lacasse’s second goal would prove to be the final score of the day for Iowa, its offense continued to roll in the second half.
The Hawkeyes finished the game with a 23-7 advantage in shots with 13 of them on goal.
The 3 goals scored by the Hawks is the most they’ve scored in a Big Ten match this year and comes on the heels of a win 1-0 against Indiana on Oct. 17.
“In terms of the team, those 6 points are invaluable — it keeps us ahead of Minnesota, which lost last night, and gives us some momentum for these final three road games,” DiIanni said. “It was invaluable for our seniors to win those final two games on their home field; I’m really happy for them.”