For the first time in program history, the Hawkeyes played the Lions of Columbia University on Sunday. 

The matchup proved to be worthy of its spot in the record books. After being shut out in the first half, the Hawkeyes scored three goals in the second half to win 3-1.

Columbia’s goalkeeper Alexa Conomikes’ remarkable play helped keep the Lions in a game the Hawkeyes could’ve ran away with quickly. Conomikes racked up an impressive 14 saves over the course of her 58 minutes of action.

Despite Conomikes’ stellar play, the Hawkeyes were able to overcome their slow start by staying patient.

“We were pressing a little too much. We just needed to have more poise with our attack and to be a lot smarter. We knew the goals would come if we just continued to follow the game plan,” head coach Lisa Cellucci said.

The grind of the low scoring affair wore heavily on both the Hawkeyes and the Lions. Iowa’s Meghan Conroy and Emily Deuell both fell victim to the umpires’ green caution cards in the second half.

“It was pretty rough out there. There was a bit of biff between the two teams, but that’s just field hockey,” forward Maddy Murphy said.

The veteran leadership of Katie Birch helped the Hawkeyes fight through the emotional toil the second half brought the Hawkeyes. 

“There’s always going to be decisions that don’t go your way. You’ve just got to recognize that there are more important things going on. You have to put your head back on and get on with game. You have to try and help your team as much as possible,” Birch said.

After almost 39 minutes of scoreless action, the Hawkeyes’ patience and poise finally paid off. Sofie Stribos broke the 0-0 tie in the 39th minute of action. After Stribos scored, the floodgates opened up for the Hawkeyes. Birch put one in the back of the net in the 51st minute, then Murphy scored in the 53rd minute.

Murphy’s third goal of the season proved to be the final nail in the Lions’ coffin. With just 6:26 remaining in the game, the Lions found themselves down by two goals. Even after pulling Conomikes to get an extra forward on the field, the Lions were no match for the Hawkeyes.

After their win over Columbia, the Hawkeyes record improved to 3-1 on the season. The Lions dropped to 1-1 on the season.

The weekend proved to be a productive one for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Before capping the weekend off with their win over Columbia, the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the brakes off of the Central Michigan Chippewas on Sept. 6.

The Hawkeyes are currently ranked eighth in the nation according to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll. This season, the Hawkeyes are 1-1 against fellow teams ranked inside the NFHCA top-25. The Hawkeyes defeated the 10th ranked Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. Iowa’s loss came at the hands of the first-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.

Iowa will take the field Friday at Grant Field as it takes on the California Golden Bears. The game will present Hawkeyes with yet another opportunity to prove themselves to be a national force all season long.