The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Hawkeye field hockey’s Swiss Army knife

Iowas+JoElla+Guagliardo+attempts+to+take+the+ball+from+Rutgers+Nikki+Santore+during+their+match+up+on+Sunday%2C+Sep.+25%2C+2016+at+Grant+Field.+Rutgers+defeated+the+Hawkeyes%2C+2-1.+%28The+Daily+Iowan%2FBrooklynn+Kascel%29
Iowa’s JoElla Guagliardo attempts to take the ball from Rutgers’ Nikki Santore during their match up on Sunday, Sep. 25, 2016 at Grant Field. Rutgers defeated the Hawkeyes, 2-1. (The Daily Iowan/Brooklynn Kascel)

Iowa field hockey’s JoElla Guagliardo does a little bit of it all.

By Michael McCurdy

[email protected]

Last season, Iowa field-hockey player JoElla Guagliardo was a sophomore who got a few minutes in every game but was not the player she wanted to be.

This season has been a different story. She has newly exceeded her minutes-played total from last year, and the season is only at the midpoint. She said it would have been impossible to improve without the help of her teammates, who pushed her everyday.

Senior Sophie Plasteras said she has noticed Guagliardo’s improvement from last year, and the team relies on her a lot to be an effective offensive player.

“JoElla has worked really hard since last year, and she has always been really fit,” Plasteras said. “So now that she is starting and playing a lot of minutes, she is gaining a lot of confidence with her skill, and if she keeps working on that, she will be good to go. I mean she has already contributed a hat trick in one of our games, so I think she is well on her way.”

Guagliardo has not only been a successful field-hockey player for most her life, she also was talented at soccer. At Deerfield High School in Illinois, she led her team to consecutive Central Suburban League championships in 2012 and 2013 and in the process was selected for the All-Conference team.

She contemplated playing soccer in college but instead wanted to play a fresh sport that she would not get so easily worn out in, field hockey.

“Field hockey kind of stole my heart,” Guagliardo said. “It’s new and exciting, and I have been playing soccer for so long that I was excited about a new challenge.”

Iowa head coach Lisa Cellucci must be pleased Guagliardo chose field hockey instead of soccer because of the impact she has had on the team so far this year. Cellucci said she has come a long way from last year and believes next season, there is room for improvement.

“She’s incrementally gotten better with her game and her execution, with the loss of Makenna [Grewe], she has been inserted into the starting lineup,” Cellucci said. “She always has been physically very prepared, that’s kind of what we have relied on for Jo — her fitness and her physical preparation. That’s allowed her to gain some more time and find herself in the lineup.”

Guagliardo not only has excelled in sports throughout her life, she also takes pride in being a hardworking student. Last year, she was Academic All-Big Ten, and she wants to get that honor again.

Throughout her academic life, Guagliardo has taken pride in the classroom. She hopes to get into dental school after graduation and is looking at either the Illinois-Chicago.

“I’ve always been a rigorous student; I try to push myself in all my classes,” Guagliardo said. “I have always been a real hard worker in the classroom, and I take pride in that.”

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