Iowa soccer caps off perfect nonconference season

Iowa soccer won 3-2 at Notre Dame on Sunday, finishing its non-conference season with an 8-0 record.

Iowa defender Hannah Drkulec (17) takes a shot during a women’s soccer match between Iowa and Western Michigan on Thursday, August 22, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Broncos, 2-0.

Isaac Goffin, Sports Reporter
September 15, 2019

The Iowa soccer team completed its non-conference schedule on Sunday with a 3-2 victory at Notre Dame, bringing its record to 8-0 and tying for the program’s best start since the 2013 season.

This was the first time the Iowa soccer team defeated Notre Dame in the history of the matchup.

The game got off to a rough start for the Hawkeyes, as in the 10th minute sophomore midfielder Luisa Delgado scored for Notre Dame.

Yet the Hawkeyes were not down for long, as senior defender and captain Hannah Drkulec scored in the 16th minute with an assist from senior midfielder and defender Natalie Winters.

Just 34 seconds later, the Hawkeyes took the lead when redshirt sophomore Josie Durr scored with an assist from senior forward Devin Burns.

Eight and a half minutes later the Hawkeyes scored once again as Drkulec got her second goal of the day and her fourth of the season, this time getting an assist from sophomore defender Riley Whitaker.

“This game had all the momentum swings, talent, and competitiveness,” head coach Dave DiIanni said in a release. “We thought it would be a challenge against a special Notre Dame team. I am proud of how we responded as a team to bounce back from going down early and then take a 3-1 lead nine minutes later.”

The Hawkeyes did give up a penalty kick goal to junior midfielder Sammi Fisher but did not give up any goals the rest of the game, sealing the victory.

“We spoke at halftime about the pressure Notre Dame would impose on us in the second half,” DiIanni said in a release. “We are a better team offensively than what we showed in the second half, but in fairness, much of that had to do with them and how they pushed for the tie.”

The Hawkeyes will have their first two Big Ten games coming up next weekend on the road, facing Indiana and Purdue.

“This team loves to play for each other and are elated with the win,” Dilanni said in a release. “But we understand there is still two-thirds of the season remaining, and we have more growth to do in the Big Ten.”