The Iowa field hockey team defeated California-Davis, 5-0, at Grant Field on Friday as they celebrated senior day for all the graduating athletes.
Before the ball dropped, head coach Lisa Cellucci knew it was now or never for her Hawkeyes, as they entered the game on a three-game losing streak.
“We needed a good day,” Cellucci said. “We needed a good day where we could just play free and play hockey. We knew we had to get a lot of momentum and capitalize in the final third.”
After scoring a combined three goals in the past four contests, the Iowa offense responded in a big way for Cellucci and her coaching staff by scoring five goals from five different Hawkeye players.
Iowa started the game with an aggressive tone on the offensive side of the ball, using its forwards to apply pressure on the Mustang midfielders and create turnovers.
Second-year forward Dionne van Aalsum got the scoring starting eight minutes into the contest, marking her second consecutive game with a goal and her sixth overall.
“For Dionne, she has been a marked woman all year with so many near misses,” Cellucci said. “For her to hit the backboard was great.”
Iowa enhanced its lead with just minutes left in the second half off a goal from second-year Lieve van Kessel, assisted by first-year Sabrina McGroaty.
Despite the lead, Cellucci thought there was more work to be done saying “There could have been three goals in the first five minutes of the game,” as the Hawkeyes missed a multitude of goals that could have put the game away in just one half of play.
After the break, Iowa continued to retain its constant attack and capitalize on some key opportunities.
First-year midfielder Lexie Haig, second-year forward Tess Reed, and fifth-year Annika Herbine all hit the back of the night in the third period, giving the Hawkeyes a 5-0 lead.
This game ties the most goals scored by Iowa this season, previously attained against New Hampshire on Sept. 13.
“We just needed confidence,” Cellucci said. “We know they have the skills, they have the competitiveness, and we know they know what’s needed in each situation. We just needed the goals to fall so that they could feel free.”
The defensive unit for Cellucci played one of their most complete games in recent weeks. The Hawkeyes held the Mustangs to two shots on goal and now have seven shutouts in the season.
“It was great to finally take some pressure off them,” Cellucci said. “UC Davis was really good in their counter-attack.”
Up Next
Iowa looks to finish off their weekend strong with another ranked matchup against No. 18 California Berkeley. The ball drops Sunday at noon with coverage on Big Ten Plus.