The Iowa field hockey team startedits second weekend of action off on yet another dominating performance. Iowa defeated Kent State, 4-1, Friday afternoon at Grant Field.
Third-year Dionne van Aalsum scored all four of the Hawkeyes’ goals. van Aalsum now has scored seven of the eight goals for the Hawkeyes this season.
“Dionne is on a whole nother level,” head coach Lisa Cellucci said. “Her fitness, confidence, execution, and her practicing has been off the charts. It has been unreal to watch her. She also has great confidence in her teammates around her.”
Iowa put up two early in the second quarter allowing the Hawkeyes to breath and concentrate on executing what they had practiced. The score would remain at 2-0 into halftime – the first advantage for Iowa so far this season.
“We made a couple quick corrections that we needed to with our outlet shape in the back four,” Cellucci said. “Then just really keeping our foot on the gas because we were pressing and defending well upfront.”
Iowa would come out of the half looking fresh and rejuvenated but it didn’t take long for Kent State’s top goal scorer, Emma Rolston, to put one past Iowa’s starting goalkeeper fourth-year Mia Magnotta.
But in the later minutes of the third quarter Van Aalsum would swing one past Kent State’s second goalkeeper, Floortje Van Eijden, to put the Hawkeyes back up two against Golden Flashes. Van Aalsum would get the same chance late in the fourth quarter, sealing the win for the Hawkeyes.
“I think everybody plays a role in scoring the goals. Yes I’m there to score the goal but it’s a team goal,” van Aalsum said. “I think the effort was there from everybody and the energy was up. We were able to move the ball well allowing us to get those opportunities, just overall a lot of team effort today.”
Overall the Hawkeyes got back to what was seen in the season opener, scoring four goals off of 17 shots on goal, but for Cellucci noted some needed improvement before conference play begins.
“Our defensive transitions were off,” Cellucci said. “We made it much harder for ourselves than we needed to. If we can continue to build possession and play two touch hockey we are going to be really dangerous going forward.”
Iowa improved to 2-1 on the season and look to add to the win column on Sunday afternoon against Queens University of Charlotte. The match will start at 1 p.m. Queens currently sits at 0-1 on the year after losing to Longwood University, 3-1, in the season-opener.