No. 3 Iowa field hockey opened its 2021-22 season with a 5-3 win over No. 11 Wake Forest in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Friday afternoon. 

The Hawkeyes registered 13 shots on goal against the Demon Deacons, scoring three times in the first quarter.

“[Scoring] was the thorn in our side last year, so to put three goals in the first two quarters was fantastic,” Hawkeye head coach Lisa Celluci said. “To have the variety and depth of people that did score today was exciting.”

The first-half onslaught of goals Iowa scored was started by senior forward Maddy Murphy, who put the ball in the back of the net just five minutes and 46 seconds into Friday’s game.

Two minutes after Murphy’s goal put Iowa on the scoreboard, junior midfielder Esme Gibson extended the Hawkeyes’ lead, scoring on an assist from freshman Lieve Schalk.

At the end of the first quarter, senior Lokke Stribos scored on a penalty corner to give Iowa a 3-0 lead after 15 minutes of action.

Despite Iowa’s early lead, the Demon Deacons still managed to challenge the Hawkeyes Friday, scoring three goals off penalty corners.

“We put Anthe [Nijziel], Lokke, and Harper [Dunne] in some really difficult positions today, so we need to do a better job in the midfield and frontfield with discipline,” Celluci said. 

With just 10 minutes remaining in Friday’s contest, Iowa led Wake Forest by a slim 4-3 margin. Then, Hawkeye senior Ciara Smith assured an Iowa victory with a goal with just over four minutes remaining in the game.

“In the last few minutes to go two up, it was great for our composure and allowed us to start playing Iowa Hawkeye [field hockey],” Holley said. 

BIG PICTURE

Counting Friday’s game, the Hawkeyes have now defeated the Demon Deacons three-straight times. Iowa has also opened its last four seasons with a victory.

The Hawkeyes’ game against the Demon Deacons was their first of the 2021-22 Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

HERBINE SCORES FIRST HAWKEYE GOAL

Annika Herbine picked up her first goal in the Black and Gold Friday afternoon. The freshman from Macungie, Pennsylvania, put the ball in the back of the net just 45 minutes into her Hawkeye career.

“It felt great,” Herbine said postgame. “I could not have done it without my teammates. I really look up to them and they gave me a lot of confidence on the field for my first game.”

SHARING THE ROCK

Iowa had five different players score a goal on Friday: Murphy, Gibson, Stribos, Herbine, and Smith. The Hawkeyes’ five goal-scorers were assisted by senior midfielder Ellie Holley, junior forward Sofie Stribos, and senior midfielder Meghan Conroy.

Murphy was the only Hawkeye to register both an assist and a goal Friday.

UP NEXT

After a day off Saturday, the Hawkeyes will return to Grant Field in Iowa City to take on reigning national champion North Carolina at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The Tar Heels dropped their first match of the year to Michigan, 3-2, Friday.

Action between the Hawkeyes and Tar Heels can be streamed on BTN+.