On Friday afternoon, the No. 8 Iowa field hockey ended its season short as it fell to No. 10 Louisville, 2-1, at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Illinois.
The initial 15 minutes of play saw both teams struggling for any offensive rhythm as the Hawkeyes and Cardinals flexed their defensive prowess.
The Cardinals’ offensive attack applied pressure on Hawkeye second-year goalkeeper Mia Magnotta, testing her to make three crucial saves to keep the Hawkeyes in the contest.
Louisville drew a penalty corner with seconds remaining, though, and Cardinal second-year midfielder Izzy Bianco had an opportunity at the cage but was stuffed yet again by Magnotta.
The start of the second period was much of the same — until eight minutes in.
Iowa third-year forward Annika Herbine drew the first penalty corner of the game for the Hawkeyes.
With an assist from both third-year forward Lieve Schalk and Herbine, Iowa’s Dionne van Aalsum — the NCAA leader in goals — found the back of the cage to put Iowa on the board.
Louisville again drew another late-period penalty corner — this time from first-year forward Lara Niebler — to no avail. And Cardinal fourth-year forward Aimee Plumb too had an opportunity deflected by the Hawkeye defenders.
The second half started off fast-paced with both teams trading offensive attacks.
After Hawkeye second-year Miranda Jackson missed a shot wide, the Cardinal offense used the failed opportunity to strike back.
A save from Magnotta gave the Cardinals an opportunity off of the deflection, in which fifth-year forward Niamh Gowing capitalized for Louisville and notched her first goal of the season to even things up at one.
The final period of regulation was a defensive struggle for both teams as neither could put up a shot attempt. Herbine managed to draw another penalty corner, but the Hawkeyes couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity.
To OT
The first 10-minute stretch of extra time brought the same defensive intensity as regulation did.
Redshirt fourth-year India Reed drew the Cardinals’ third penalty corner of the contest with five minutes remaining, and she got a chance at the goal but couldn’t find the back of the cage, missing it wide.
Seven minutes into the second overtime, Niebler drew another penalty corner for the Cardinals. Off of an assist from Plumb, fifth-year midfielder Minna Tremonti snuck one past Magnotta for her third goal of the season — propelling the Cardinals to the next round but sending the Hawkeyes home.
Offensive struggles, defensive fights
The Hawkeye offensive attack put up seven shots in the contest, yet only one of them was on goal. So Louisville graduate student goalkeeper Merlijn van der Vegt did not record a save in the whole game, allowing the one shot by her to van Aalsum.
But Magnotta had another great performance despite the loss. The Pennsylvania product saved five out of seven shots that came her way. Even with the Cardinals putting up 10 total shots, Magnotta and the rest of the defense fought from until the final whistle.
But it could only do so much, ending the Hawkeyes’ 2023 season short.