Iowa soccer upsets No. 14 North Carolina State on road trip
The Hawkeyes defeated two teams in North Carolina, including a ranked team, as they start the season 6-0.
Iowa forward Samantha Tawharu shoots the ball during a match against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers on Sunday, August 25, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Panthers 6-1. (Emily Wangen/The Daily Iowan)
September 8, 2019
The Iowa soccer team swept its first road trip of the season with wins over No. 14 North Carolina State and North Carolina-Greensboro, 1-0 and 3-0, respectively.
The team is now 6-0, which is its best start since the 2013 season when it started the season with eight straight wins.
Sophomore forward Samantha Tawharu scored the only goal on Friday in the 38th minute, with the assist coming from freshman defender Samantha Cary, who crossed the ball over to Tawharu. It was her second goal of the season.
“I am so happy with this team’s performance against one of the top offensive teams in the country,” head coach Dave DiIanni said in a release. “We knew that to win on the road against them, it had to start with our defensive intensity and shape. We also had to be brave on the ball to try and open them up once we win it.”
The team’s game on Friday was originally scheduled for Thursday, but due to Hurricane Dorian impacting the field conditions in Raleigh, the game got pushed back on a day. Still, that didn’t deter the team, as it thoroughly outplayed the Wolfpack.
The Hawkeyes outshot the Wolfpack 13-4, and gave up only one shot in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Claire Graves made two saves as she preserved the shutout.
“I am appreciative of the team’s combined efforts to follow the scouting report and withstand the momentum swings and emotions that come with playing such a highly-ranked team on the road,” DiIanni said in a release.
The team continued its success early on Sunday against the Spartans. In the 4th minute, senior forward Devin Burns scored her third goal of the season.
Towards the end of the first half, the team put another goal on the board when senior defender and captain Hannah Drkulec scored a header from sophomore defender Riley Whitaker in the 45th minute. It was her second goal of the season.
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The team got their final goal of the game in the 75th minute from senior forward Olivia Fiegel, her first of the season. The goal came off a loose ball from a corner kick.
Once again, Graves made two saves, earning her third shutout of the season and the 20th of her career. The Hawkeyes outshot the Spartans 23-6, and 11 of those shots were on goal.
DiIanni was impressed with his team’s first road trip of the season.
“It’s always a successful weekend when you go on the road and come back with two victories,” DiIanni said in a release. “I liked our approach to today’s game mentally. We were willing to do whatever it took to leave with three points. I am very happy we got two shutouts this weekend and our bench played a role in both games to help stretch the level of quality beyond the starters. Our team responded well to their first Friday-Sunday games, which can be difficult to adjust to physically and mentally.”
The team next takes on Northern Colorado on Friday at 7 p.m. for the start of a two-game weekend set, the next coming on Sunday at Notre Dame.
