On Aug. 27, the soccer Hawkeyes wrapped up a weekend in which they only managed 1 goal in two games, driving them to spend the next week focusing mostly on offense.
It was a strategy that paid off in their next game on Aug. 31 — they scored a school-record with 8 goals.
Leading the way for Iowa was sophomore forward Devin Burns, who scored 3 goals in fewer than 15 minutes; Burns only had 3 goals all of last season.
Next up for Iowa was a tough Cal-Santa Barbara team, and once again the Hawkeye hero in that one was the Green Oaks, Illinois, native.
Burns scored 2 goals against Santa Barbara, which gave Iowa a 2-0 victory. She credits her scoring outburst to the extra offensive work her team did the week before.
“We did a lot more of offensive stuff in practice,” she said. “For about 30 minutes at the end of a couple practices, we did shooting on goals. That really helped me get my feet underneath myself.”
The Big Ten took notice of Burns’ performance and awarded her with her first Co-Offensive Player of the Week (with Wisconsin sophomore forward Dani Rhodes).
“[The honor] feels great,” Burns said. “All the work the whole team and I put in helped me achieve that goal. It’s a really good achievement.”
Iowa head coach Dave DiIanni was also impressed with Burns’ play on the pitch this past weekend.
“I think she’s feeling good as a forward,” he said. “I think mentally and physically, she’s in a good place, and I think when you’re in that place as a forward in particular, you won’t let up. And you’re seeing that with Devin. Some of that is her finishing in the box, some of that is we’re finding her in areas that are allowing her to be successful, and she’s being rewarded for that.”
Burns’ big weekend came after she went the first three games of the season without a goal.
Her first goal of the season also ended a two-game period in which the Hawkeyes failed to score a goal in regulation and helped rally her team out of their offensive funk.
“It was so exciting,” Olivia Fiegel said about seeing Burns’ first goal of the season. “I think Devin going in and getting those goals, I think it was really good for the team and the forward line.”
The Hawkeyes hope that Burns can continue to score goals this next week, but more importantly, they hope Burns and the rest of the Hawkeyes find ways to score in conference play.
Last year, the Hawkeyes managed just 4 goals in conference play, getting shut out in eight of their 11 matches last year.
This week will be Iowa’s last two nonconference games before they begin their conference slate Sept. 15 against Nebraska.