The Iowa field hockey team extended its winning streak to six after beating the University of Massachusetts Lowell, 5-1, at Grant Field in Iowa City on Sunday. 

Iowa freshman forward Dionne van Aalsum, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 5, has led the Hawkeyes with two goals per game this season — good for second in the nation. And Sunday was no different.

Van Aalsum started the Iowa attack at the four-minute mark of the first period for the Hawkeyes, notching a goal off of an assist from freshman forward Miranda Jackson. 

“It was just great to break through at that point,” Iowa head coach Lisa Cellucci said of the goal. “I think everyone took a sigh of relief, like ‘We are all right, and let’s continue to attack and stick to the plan.’”

Iowa freshman midfielder Lieve van Kessel and van Aalsum found the back of the cage twice more in the remaining five minutes of the first period. 

But the River Hawks fought back in the second period. Fifth-year senior Berbel Rozema put Massachusetts-Lowell on the board at the 16th-minute mark. 

The River Hawks shut the Hawkeyes down in the second period as Iowa went into halftime with the same 3-1 lead. 

“We need [adversity] because that’s what’s going to happen in the Big Ten season,” Cellucci said. “It was actually a really well-executed play [UMass Lowell] had, and we will be able to take something from it.”

The Hawkeyes responded after halftime in a big way. 

Van Aalsum completed her second consecutive hat trick as she scored at the 42nd-minute mark unassisted. 

She’s on a roll… the second hat trick of the weekend for Dionne! 🎩

Q3 42:40 | No. 1 Iowa 4, UMass-Lowell 1#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/XeNjtcjthA

— Iowa Field Hockey (@iowafieldhockey) September 10, 2023

Then, with less than two minutes remaining, van Aalsum found the cage again off of an assist from fifth-year senior forward Sofie Stribos — marking van Aalsum’s second consecutive four-goal game.

While the River Hawks’ offense snapped the Hawkeye defense’s streak of three-straight shutout performances, Iowa stepped up when it mattered. 

The Hawkeyes held the River Hawks to just two shots on goal in the second period. Sophomore goalie Mia Magnotta snatched four saves on the day and picked up her sixth win of the season. 

While the numbers may have looked nice on the stat sheet, Cellucci and the Iowa staff still think there is room for improvement on the defensive end.

“We felt like we really needed to clean up on the defensive end of the field,” Cellucci said. “Our presence and readiness were at times a little bit [relaxed]. That’s something we will definitely address. For the most part, our structure was good, and that kept us settled.”

Despite the final score, Cellucci gave high praise for the River Hawks’s game plan against the Hawkeyes. 

“I thought UMass Lowell gave us a really good challenge,” Cellucci said. “Their strategy was great. They were trying to catch us in transition. It took us a little while to adjust to, but again, we were really opportunistic with our goals.”

Up Next

The Iowa field hockey team will take on the University of Vermont and Merrimack College next Friday and Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. 

These will be Iowa’s last non-conference opponents of the regular season. On Sept. 22, the Hawkeyes will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to get their first taste of Big Ten competition.