The Hawkeye soccer team falls to 0-6-1 in Big Ten with loss to Gophers.

By Courtney Baumann
[email protected]

The Iowa soccer team once again fell in the Big Ten with a loss to No. 14 Minnesota.

The team’s problems with scoring continued in Sunday’s game, the fourth time the Hawkeyes have been shut out in conference play.

“It was a similar game as what’s occurred in the rest of the Big Ten games. We’ve competed for 90-minutes straight for each other and worked hard,” head coach Dave DiIanni said. “Right now, the margin of error for us, because we’re not scoring any goals, is just too small.”

The Hawkeyes created more scoring opportunities than they had in previous Big Ten games, putting 7 shots on the board against powerful Minnesota.

Although Iowa had its chances, Minnesota had more; the Gophers took 24 shots.

This allowed senior goalkeeper and team captain Hannah Clark to log double-digit saves (12), topping her season best of 9.

“I love having [Clark] back there,” defender Amanda Lulek said. “She’s a great leader. As much as I don’t want to make a mistake, it’s great knowing she’s has my back if I do.”

Iowa did not allow the Gophers to score in the first half, but it only took 10 minutes of the second half for them to break through and put a point on the board when Simone Kolander scored her 10th of the season. Minnesota scored again in the 86th minute.

Play was halted with fewer than 12 minutes left in the game when Iowa junior Rachele Armand was kicked in the face attempting to head the ball.

Both Lulek and Clark stayed with Armand while a trainer attend to her to try to keep her calm. Armand was eventually helped up and onto a cart by a trainer and DiIanni.

There was no update on Armand’s status, but DiIanni has no doubt the transfer from Louisville will tough it out.

“She’s going to look real attractive real soon. I told her I have a bunch,” DiIanni said, pointing to his head and its many stitches. “And I’m still good-looking, so she’s good to go.”

DiIanni and the rest of the team have continued to stress that they are getting better and results will come eventually, but it is not always easy for the upperclassmen to be patient.

Senior Brooke Backes admitted it is hard for her to not have a victory yet in conference play.

Knowing that she only has a few games left in her career has made it especially difficult for the Carmel, Indiana, native to stay positive.

The second-year head coach is trying to help her and the rest of the team with that.

“I told them that today wasn’t our day, but we’re going to go back at it on Thursday and go after Illinois, and if not them, we’re going to go after Northwestern,” DiIanni said. “It’ll come for this group because they work hard.”

Follow @cbomb12 on Twitter for Iowa soccer news, analysis, and updates.