The Iowa women’s soccer team faced a dip in form once the Big Ten schedule started. Through the team’s first three games, Iowa only managed two draws and faced its first loss of the season.
The defense remained stout through the run, letting up just two goals, but the offense was waning, only managing to score one goal across the three games.
“I think we just need to be more clinical and pay attention to the little details,” fourth-year midfielder Rielee Fetty said. “Throughout all the lines, we have another level we can get to with communication, or a better connection on the field.”
One challenge Iowa faced is fatigue, something that Hawkeye head coach Dave DiIanni felt showed up in the team’s 0-0 draw against Minnesota on Sept. 24. He said it was the coaches’ job to focus on quality over quantity, and that they aim to make sure practices are sharp, detailed, and shortened in duration.
“Our coaches do a fantastic job of what we call load monitoring,” fourth-year defender Samantha Cary added. “They track our mileage and max velocity and other data to see who maybe needs an extra off period or who doesn’t need to participate in a drill.”
Cary added that a lot of things the players do during the day — like getting in another protein shake or getting to bed earlier to aid in recovery — can make the difference for games later in the year.
“It’s important that our student athletes are taking care of themselves off the field,” DiIanni said. “I know they’re doing that and pushing through a bit of fatigue.”
There’s plenty of leadership across this team, and DiIanni thinks their experience in the competitive Big Ten is invaluable. Fourth-year players like Cary and Fetty help guide some of the younger players and make sure everyone is prepared ahead of games.
“I think our younger players are doing a fantastic job right now,” DiIanni said. “You know they’re in their freshman year in college, there’s always going to be some ups and downs in consistency, but I think they’re doing an amazing job.”
Despite the rough stretch, DiIanni remains positive about the team. He thinks they’re close in every match, but the Hawkeyes need to focus on some of the details to turn those ties into wins.
“For us right now it’s just about continuing to polish our identity and how we want to play,” DiIanni said.
Although the team was frustrated with the first three game’s results, they haven’t allowed their heads to drop and remain focused on the second half of the season.
“I think this is a really strong group in terms of chemistry and unity,” DiIanni said. “They support one another, but they also want to challenge each other to improve.”
Cary and Fetty said the team is still confident in its ability and believe they can make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament.
Cary thinks the adversity the Hawkeyes are facing will make them stronger.
“I think we just need to kind of calm down right now,” Fetty said. “We’ve been doing good, and we’re in a good spot. We just need to dig in and figure out as a team who we want to be at the end of the season.”
The team’s positive attitude has started to pay off. Iowa got back-to-back wins in the Big Ten with a dominant 4-0 win in West Lafayette, Indiana, against Purdue on Sept. 28 and a strong 1-0 win against Rutgers at the Iowa Soccer Complex on Oct. 1.
“We’ve changed our identity a bit,” Cary said following the win against Rutgers. “I don’t think we’re the underdogs anymore. We’ve decided we’re dark horses. We don’t care if others don’t give us respect because we respect us. We know we’re good.”