Hawkeyes hope to continue their run of success this weekend as they close out their nonconference slate.
By Jordan Zuniga
Iowa’s soccer team hopes to close out its nonconference play with two wins this weekend when it takes on Montana and Loyola-Chicago.
Coming off back-to-back wins, the Hawkeyes will play Montana at 7 p.m. today at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
Prior to this evening’s match, the Hawkeyes will recognize their eight seniors: Rachele Armand, Corey Burns, Tina Cardamone, Madeline Crowdy, Laura Lainson, Karly Stuenkel, Katharine Woodruff, and Aubree Larson.
For Iowa’s head coach, Dave DiIanni, the Senior Night will mean a bit more than usual — it is his first class he has coached from the time they were freshmen.
“They are an example of where the program is going,” DiIanni said. “They’ve been a very transitional class through a lot of different varying levels of Iowa soccer. To do that you have to be very committed as a class but also as people, and I thank them for that.”
The Hawkeyes are coming off a weekend in which they scored 10 goals in two games, and they hope for more of the same this weekend.
Doing most of the scoring last weekend was sophomore forward Devin Burns, who had 5 of Iowa’s 10 goals and leads the Big Ten in points with 12.
“I felt like I stepped up and was ready to play this past weekend,” Burns said. “I feel like I was working better with the other forwards and midfielders than I had been earlier in the season, so it was a whole team effort.”
Team captain Stuenkel believes last weekend’s scoring outburst has to do with the Hawkeyes taking more risks on offense.
“I think connecting the ball up the field and placing the ball,” she said. “And taking more shots in general, more risks. I think our offense has been a little more risky than it has in the past which has helped us a great deal.”
Iowa’s offense currently ranks in the top 10 nationally in assists, points, scoring offense, and goals.
But scoring may not come as easily this weekend as it did last weekend, as Iowa’s first opponent, Montana, has allowed just 5 goals in six games.
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Luckily for the Hawkeyes, their defense has been just as solid as their offense this season. Sophomore keeper Claire Graves has posted a 4-1 record with 14 saves and a 0.90 goals against average so far this season.
“They’ve been unbelievable,” DiIanni said. “Morgan Kemerling is playing her best soccer by far, Rachele Armand’s been what a fifth-year player needs to be, a leader both on and off the field. We should be good defensively; that’s our oldest line in terms of age, and Graves has made the saves she’s needed to make this year and that’s allowed us to be a little more solid in the back.”
The Hawkeyes will need both their defense and offense in top form tonight if they are going to beat Montana.
After tonight’s game, the Hawkeyes will host Loyola at 1 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Iowa Soccer Complex.