The Hawkeyes will get a vigorous weekend of Big Ten competition.
By Michael McCurdy
The Iowa field-hockey team (6-2) has no room for sulking after last weekend’s Big Ten performance against Penn State.
Head coach Lisa Cellucci said she understands that after tough losses, players have a tendency to lose themselves and in the process not learn from the defeat. With another ranked team coming to Iowa City this weekend, she said that couldn’t happen.
The Hawkeyes will host No. 6 Maryland at 3 p.m. today. The Terrapins are 5-2, playing four of those games against teams in the top 15. So, if the Hawkeyes want to win this weekend, they must come out attacking early and be able to withstand a scoring run by Maryland, something that lacked against Penn State.
Cellucci said she realizes Maryland is one of the best teams in the country and thinks the Hawkeyes will use that for motivation.
“Maryland takes it to another level compared with other teams in the Big Ten; it’s perennially one of the best teams in the country,” Cellucci said. “It has won eight of the last 12 national championships, so it is not going to be hard for us to get up and play.”
If the Hawkeyes hope to have a successful weekend, they must demonstrate an ability to finish games against above-average competition. Two times this season, they have hung with top-10 teams, North Carolina and Penn State, throughout the majority of the game but then collapsed at the end.
This seems to be a recurring theme for the Hawkeyes, but senior Alexandra Pecora hopes this weekend the team will let bygones be bygones.
“We’re excited to get out there and compete against two very good Big Ten teams,” she said. “It’s always going to be tough in our conference, so we got to come out with the mindset that we’re not going to let up.”
After the Maryland game today, the Hawkeyes will welcome Rutgers at noon Sept. 25. Rutgers is also 5-2 with quality competition against Bucknell, Virginia, and Cornell. The Scarlet Knights come into Iowa City riding a four-game winning streak.
Senior Sophie Plasteras said she understands the magnitude of this weekend’s matchups, knowing that if the team comes out on top, it will be a statement to the rest of the country.
“We’re really excited; we know this has been a big week of practice, and we know we have got to come out with lots of energy this weekend,” she said. “We are just really thrilled, because these are going to be two tough games, but if we play together as a team, I think we’ll see positive results.”
If the Hawkeyes can manage the game along with excelling in their on-the-field tactics with the personnel they have on the field, then there is no reason they cannot come away from this weekend as victors, Celllucci said.
In the Sept. 20 article “Headed back to Jersey” The Daily Iowan incorrectly stated that the Iowa-Rutgers field hockey game was to be played in New Jersey. The game will be played in Iowa City. The DI regrets this error