Iowa soccer falls at Penn State

The Hawkeyes are now 0-6-0 on the road following a loss to the Nittany Lions.

Iowa+midfielder+Hailey+Rydberg+reacts+as+her+shot+drifts+wide+during+Iowas+game+against+Central+Michigan+on+Friday%2C+Aug.+31%2C+2018.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Chippewas+3-1.

Nick Rohlman

Iowa midfielder Hailey Rydberg reacts as her shot drifts wide during Iowa’s game against Central Michigan on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. The Hawkeyes defeated the Chippewas 3-1.

Michael Whalen, Sports Reporter

The Hawkeye soccer team finished its second Big Ten road trip with a 2-0 loss to Penn State, and they still have yet to win a game on the road, now sitting at 0-6. Since the match against Iowa State, a 2-1 loss on Sept. 7, the Hawkeyes have a 1-5-1 record.

Iowa started the game with junior Claire Graves in goal. She had played the second half of the Ohio State game on Sept. 27, but the Hawkeyes have started redshirt sophomore Cora Meyers the past few games. It was an unexpected change, because Meyers had not allowed any goals in the loss to the Buckeyes.

The Nittany Lions doubled the Hawkeyes shots in the first half, 8-4. Six of Penn State’s shots were on goal, while only 1 was for Iowa. Even while dominating the ball on both sides, Penn State was unable to convert.

Iowa had two real chances in the first half, but both were stopped by the Penn State goalie. With the keepers each having a perfect half, the game was tied at 0 heading into halftime.

The Nittany Lions notched their first goal in the 65th minute, however, with a score by Charlotte Williams. Their second goal came soon after in the 74th minute, when Kristin Schnurr scored on a cross.

Penn State dominated both sides of the ball almost the entire game. It finished the game with an 18-5 shot advantage, holding Iowa to only 1 shot in the second half.

Even with a full lineup, the Hawkeyes were still unable to get the ball moving on offense. The beginning of the second half was a clear example of their play. The Hawkeyes could not get the ball past half because Penn State brought its defenders up to the half to block or chase down any long attempts at clearing by Iowa.

For the amount of defense played, Graves did not do a bad job, making 9 saves on 11 shots on goal. The defense wasn’t able to get the ball on the other half of the field much, but they did prevent numerous good chances the Lions had.

The Hawkeyes are now mired in a six-game road losing streak. This is also their second game in a row in the conference being shut out. After the Indiana game Sept. 23, the offense seemed revitalized, as if it knew what it were doing again.

RELATED: Iowa soccer begins road trip with loss to Ohio State

The Hawkeye offense has not been as strong as its defense, but two games in a row without points is not a good look for any team, especially a team in the Big Ten. If the Hawkeyes want to make any noise in the tournament, or even make the tournament, they need to flip their play around fast.

The Hawkeyes have a lot of time until their next game, Friday against Nebraska. It is another game on the road, so the Hawkeyes have to buckle down in practice this week to change their play style on the road.