Iowa soccer ready to bounce back at home
The Hawkeyes, after losing two consecutive Big Ten matches, play Maryland on Thursday and Michigan State on Sunday.
Iowa Midfielder Hailey Rydberg moves the ball away from Purdue Defender Julia Ware during the Iowa Soccer senior day game against Purdue on Mar. 28, 2021 at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Iowa defeated Purdue 1-0.
September 29, 2021
Iowa soccer discovered the complexity of playing in the Big Ten after losses at Indiana and Purdue last weekend.
The Hawkeyes dropped to 7-3-1 overall on the season and 1-2 in the Big Ten after falling 2-0 to Indiana and 2-1 in overtime to Purdue.
But through the losses, the Hawkeyes learned what aspects of the game they need to improve when they take on Maryland Thursday at 7 p.m. and Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. in Iowa City.
“I think it’s been every phase of the game has been exposed and tested and we’ve gotten better at it,” head coach Dave DiIanni said. “But that’s kind of who we are, we’re process-driven, and we talked a little bit about handling failure and what goes along with that. Being 1-2 in a very difficult Big Ten Conference is not the end of the world.”
The Hawkeyes surrendered a goal in the first five minutes of their match against Indiana last Thursday, and another during the 30-minute mark.
Iowa earned the lead in the 87th minute against Purdue on the second game of the road trip but relinquished a goal less than 20 second before regulation time ended. In overtime, the Hawkeyes fell during the 98th minute.
The road trip marked the first time the Hawkeyes gave up more than one goal in a match.
“I think that just goes to show how good the teams in the Big Ten are,” senior midfielder Hailey Rydberg said. “And that every game, you can’t take mental breaks like we did, and I think that’s just a learning experience for all of us. Just to see that everyone in the Big Ten is going to be good and everyone in the Big Ten is going to capitalize on those chances. So, it was just a big wake up call for us.”
Rydberg added that although the Indiana match wasn’t the Hawkeyes’ best showing, she was happy with how they played against Purdue — despite losing in overtime.
DiIanni said the Hawkeyes didn’t allow Purdue many dangerous chances before the Boilermakers tacked a goal against them in the final minute.
RELATED: Iowa soccer drops both matches on Indiana road trip
Regardless, DiIanni said he will be making defensive changes that will be evident when the Hawkeyes take on Maryland.
The Hawkeyes are still attempting to finish more of their offensive chances. Iowa converted on just one of their 17 shots against Purdue, keeping the Boilermakers in the game.
Sophomore midfielder Rielee Fetty fired off four shots against the Boilermakers on Sunday, including one on goal. Before the match, she tallied four shots the entire season.
“We’re getting the movement down to be able to work together and go for it,” Fetty said.
DiIanni said Maryland is the most athletic team in the Big Ten as the Terrapins come to Iowa City with a 0-1-2 record within the conference. He observed the Terrapins slowing defensively as matches progress and sees a chance for the Hawkeyes to register goals in later minutes.
Michigan State has a 2-1 conference record and plays at Nebraska Thursday before the Spartans head to Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes aren’t expecting the Terrapins or the Spartans to present easy matchups. But Iowa knows it can come out of the weekend with six more points in the conference standings.
“I think this team really is something special,” Rydberg said. “And we just need to prove it to everyone else, and play like we’ve been training, and just keep working on some small details from that we’ve learned from the past few games and just run with it. So, I think coming out, being strong and combative for 90 minutes is going to be super important.”
