It was an up-and-down week for Hawkeye sports, with a few frustrating losses offset by a major upset victory for Iowa field hockey.
Let's jump right in.
Olympic Spotlight: Field Hockey
#16 Hawkeye field hockey (9-7, 2-5) split their matches last week, falling in overtime to Michigan State (8-9, 1-6) before bouncing back to pick up their best win of the season, a 3-0 win over #3 Ohio State (13-3, 4-3).
The loss to Michigan State to start the week was another heartbreaker in a season that has had a few. The Spartans struck first, putting away a goal in the third quarter after a scoreless first half. Iowa answered in the final moments of the fourth quarter when Lieve van Kessel sent a shot into the back of the net.
The Hawkeyes had five straight penalty corners in the closing seconds but couldn't find the game-winner, pushing the match to overtime. Midway through the first overtime period, Michigan State scored the winning goal.
The Hawkeyes have struggled to finish goal-scoring opportunities at times this season, leaving games that they should win up to the randomness of overtime and penalty shootouts. Similar to ice hockey, field hockey overtime is played with fewer players, creating a more open game where anything can happen. The Hawkeyes had chances to put away Michigan State in regulation, but couldn't find the final touch to propel them to victory.
Iowa didn't let Friday's loss linger, putting together their best match of the year Sunday in a 3-0 thrashing of Ohio State. The Hawkeyes battled through a scoreless first half, outshooting the Buckeyes and matching OSU's three corners with three of their own. In the third quarter, thee Hawkeyes finally broke through. Alex Wesneski got the scoring started with a hustle steal in the offensive third that she was able to slide past the goalkeeper's left.
Five minutes later, it was van Kessel's turn, doubling the Hawkeye's lead after slotting home a rebound off a penalty corner.
The Buckeyes kicked it into high gear in their attempt to crawl back into the game, but the Iowa defense was up to the task. Ohio State put up seven shots in the fourth quarter, but goalie Mia Magnotta notched three saves to preserve the shutout. In the final minutes, Dionne van Aalsum put away the empty netter to give Iowa a 3-0 lead and the win.
Sunday's match looked like the Hawkeye team we've seen so much of over the past few seasons. Iowa battled in the first half, refusing to let the Buckeyes control tempo and possession. Instead, it was Iowa on the front foot at times, and in the third quarter, Iowa was in complete control, holding Ohio State to just one shot while the Hawkeyes put two goals on the board.
The other losses during the regular season are going to hurt Iowa's postseason chances -- they're clinging to the bubble for the 16-team NCAA tournament given automatic bids -- but Sunday's win showed us and themselves that they can compete with the country's best. They're still at #16 in this week's rankings, which will probably leave them just on the outside of the tournament without an automatic bid.
The Hawkeyes will need to beat Michigan (11-4, 4-3) in Friday's regular-season finale to ensure they qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. Once there, they probably need at least two wins to have a shot at an NCAA bid.
It's a tall task, but if Iowa can continue to play the way they did on Sunday, there's no reason they can't go on a run. They'll look to take the first step Friday against the Wolverines (11/1, 5:00, BTN+).
Soccer
#11 Iowa soccer (13-2-3, 8-2-1) dropped their final match of the season on Sunday, falling 2-1 at Minnesota (12-3-3, 6-3-2).
Iowa scored in the match's opening minute when Maddison Wilson punched home a cross from Sofia Bush.
Minnesota responded in short order, finding an equalizer in the 9th minute. The Gophers were the aggressors for much of the first half, battering Iowa with eight shots while the Hawkeyes mustered just two of their own. Still, the match remained tied as the second half began.
Twenty minutes into the half, the Gophers were awarded a penalty kick that they converted for the winning goal. The Hawkeyes had chances to tie the game, peppering Minnesota with nine shots, but none found the back of the net.
The loss was frustrating, but Iowa is still well-situated for the Big Ten Tournament after a historic regular season that saw the Hawkeyes finish third in the league, tying their best-ever finish in conference -- and in a year that saw the addition of West Coast powers to boot. A win would have given Iowa the #2 seed, but the third seed may actually prove to be a better path for the Hawkeyes.
The Hawks will open the tournament against Washington (10-5-2, 7-4) on Saturday night. With a win, they will face either Penn State (11-5-3, 5-4-2), UCLA (13-3-3, 8-1-2), or hosts Minnesota. Iowa beat Penn State 2-1 a month ago after conceding an early goal and has not played UCLA this season.
Drawing a matchup against the Huskies, who Iowa beat a few weeks back, instead of potentially facing a rematch against the host school that just beat you feels like the more advantageous draw. Either way, the Hawks will face a tough test as they look to repeat as Big Ten Tournament champions.
It's a hill Iowa has climbed before, and this year they're starting closer to the top than they have in years past, earning a bye into the second round. Regardless of their tournament performance, the Hawkeyes have likely earned themselves a top-6 seed and home match in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
With another deep run, especially if it includes wins over highly ranked opponents like USC (14-1-2, 10-0-1) and UCLA, they could force their way into the #1 seed discussion. Iowa was ranked #6 in the selection committee's initial rankings and has picked up a ranked win against Washington since the release (as well as last week's loss to the Gophers). Three more wins over three more quality opponents would make for an extremely compelling resume and mark the Hawkeyes' best season in history.
Before we get carried away though, the Hawks have to take the first step. They'll look to do just that next Saturday at 6:30 PM CT (BTN+) against the Huskies.
Volleyball
Iowa volleyball (9-13, 3-7) dropped a pair of matches last week, falling 3-0 to Michigan (16-5, 6-4) and 3-1 to Illinois (14-6, 6-4).
Against the Wolverines, the Hawkeyes were plagued by many of the same mistakes that have hounded them all season. An 11-2 run from Michigan broke open the first set and the Hawkeyes fell behind in each of the next two sets as well and were never able to recover.
The Hawkeyes were more competitive on Sunday against Illinois. They battled hard during each of the first two sets and fought off four match points as part of a 7-1 run in set three to claim that set 27-25. In the fourth set though, a 5-0 run from Illinois from the jump set the tone and the Illini eventually claimed the set, and match. Michelle Urquhart set a career-high with 20 kills in the match and added 13 digs to notch a double-double.
With the talent gap that Iowa faces in the Big Ten, they have to be aggressive from the service line. Last week's struggles at the line seemed to translate into softer serves this week and Iowa's opponents took full advantage. It wasn't chance that Iowa's best set of the weekend came when they were serving the best.
The Hawkeyes have shown that they can compete in the Big Ten. They'll look to get back on the right side of the win column next week when they face Ohio State (8-12, 1-9) (10/31, 6:30, BTN) and Penn State (20-1, 10-0) (11/1, 5:30, BTN+).
