Iowa field hockey fell to 1-5 in conference play after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Friday.
Head coach Lisa Cellucci knew what her team had to do the previous weekend against a pair of non-conference opponents in UC Davis and No. 18 California-Berkeley.
At that point of the season, the Hawkeyes entered the weekend as a 6-6 team, losing three games in a row, dropping five of their last seven, and sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten standings with a 1-4 conference record.
Cellucci and company took care of business that weekend, though, with 5-0 and 3-1 wins, respectively. But even with the winning ways, Iowa failed to keep the momentum going against the Spartans, losing by a 2-1 margin in what would be its fourth overtime loss of the season.
The game started slow with both teams going shot-for-shot in the first period, neither side willing to give up the edge.
The next 15 minutes held a similar fate, this time with defense being the emphasis, as both sides of the ball were unable to muster a shot on goal.
The third quarter was shaking up to be a similar result up until the final five minutes. Fourth-year Michigan State midfielder Maddie Lawlor broke the ice with a shot from the top of the circle, making it her fifth goal of the season and putting the Spartans up, 1-0.
Iowa now found itself down a goal with 15 minutes of regulation left. And with three minutes left in the contest, second-year midfielder Lieve van Kessel found the back of the net for the Hawkeyes, tying the game at one apiece.
The Hawkeyes drew a handful of penalty corners, and each time the Spartan defense held strong and prevented the game winning goal.
Regulation ended with one more attempt by van Aalsum, but Michigan State goalie Lyra Gavino blocked it for what would be her ninth save of the night. The game went to overtime, and five minutes into the extended period, the Spartans capitalized on a penalty corner of their own, defeating the Hawkeyes in a 2-1 thriller.
Up next
Iowa continues on its road trip on Sunday, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. The ball drops at 11:00 a.m. with coverage on Big Ten Plus. This will be the seventh ranked team Iowa has played this season.