Iowa field hockey splits pair of games at ACC/Big Ten Challenge
The Hawkeyes took down Wake Forest to open the season, and took North Carolina to the final minutes.
Iowa midfielder Sophie Sunderland tries to control the ball as a Michigan player crashes to the turf during the Semifinals in the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament at Lakeside Field in Evanston, IL on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. The no. 8 ranked Hawkeyes defeated the no. 7 ranked Wolverines 2-1.
September 2, 2019
Iowa field hockey traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, over the weekend to open the 2019 season with the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Hawkeyes split a pair of closely contested matches against two top-10 teams.
The Hawkeyes picked up their first win of the regular season against No. 10 Wake Forest, winning 2-1.
Iowa trailed the game 1-0 for close to 30 minutes of game time, until freshman Sofie Stribos tied the score 1-1 with a goal just after the 52-minute mark. Senior Sophie Sunderland managed to conclude the game with another goal, this time on a fast break off a block against Wake Forest.
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Last time the Hawkeyes played against Wake Forest was during the NCAA tournament last season, resulting to a loss of 3-2. The Hawkeyes also beat Wake Forest to begin last season.
After taking down Wake Forest, Iowa took defending champions North Carolina to the final minutes.
Sofie Stribos put Iowa on the board against North Carolina, scoring her second goal in as many games. Iowa held the lead until the 55th minute, until the Tar Heels scored on a corner shot. North Carolina took the lead and sealed the victory with another goal just minutes later.
The Hawkeyes will be return to Iowa City Sep. 6 for their matchup against Central Michigan, following with a match against Columbia on Sep. 8 in Iowa City.