Top-ranked Iowa field hockey team edges No. 2 Michigan 2-1 in shootout
Fans rush the field to celebrate the victory
IOWA CITY, Iowa – For the second time in less than a week, Iowa fans witnessed a top-five showdown and then rushed the field to celebrate a victory.
This time it was field hockey as the top-ranked Hawkeyes edged No. 2 Michigan 2-1 in a penalty shootout on Friday at Grant Field.
The 1,236 fans at Grant Field marked a near-record in attendance.
Friday’s victory came six days after the Iowa football team. ranked third at the time, edged No.4 Penn State 23-20 before a sellout crowd at Kinnick Stadium last Saturday.
Thousands of fans rushed the field after the win in football, including most of the student section, creating a moment that will last forever in Hawkeye football legend and lore.
Friday’s field rush in field hockey, though much smaller, is a moment that will also last forever for those who follow the sport.
“It was an unbelievable crowd, they truly wee our 12th man today,” said Iowa coach Lisa Cellucci. “To have that type of support show up at a field hockey game, it certainly helped our team and helped propel them through it, certainly at the end. It was truly unbelievable.”
Junior Sofie Stribos clinched the shootout for Iowa, which improved to 15-0 overall and 6-0 in Big Ten play.
Iowa has eight wins against nationally ranked opponents this season, including seven against top-seven ranked opponents.
“I was nervous at first, but I was saying to myself ‘This is the moment when you take it for your team and you do it for them’,” said Stribos, a Belgium native. “That’s what I did. I am proud of the team. I can’t even express it right now. We work hard for each other every day, and then we have these days where we can show it and that’s amazing.”
The Hawkeyes outshot the Wolverines, 14-10, and held the Wolverines to just two shots on goal during regulation. Senior goalkeeper Grace McGuire made four saves throughout the game and made four stops during the shootout to lead the Hawkeyes to the victory.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, you do it a lot in training and you just have to rely on your training,” said McGuire of the shootout. “Your body knows what to do.”
After a scoreless first half, Michigan’s Kathryn Peterson notched the game’s first goal in the 33rd minute despite the Wolverines playing short-handed due to a green card. It put the Hawkeyes in an unfamiliar territory, as it was the first time the team trailed all season.
Iowa kept pushing forward. With a little under three minutes remaining in the game, senior Anthe Nijziel put away a goal off a penalty corner to tie the game at one. Seniors Maddy Murphy and Ellie Holley were credited with the assist on a strike that sent the game into overtime.
Friday’s game marked the first time that fans rushed Grant Field after a win.
It also marked the first time that Grant Field has hosted a matchup between the first and second ranked teams in the country.
Hawkeyesports.com contributed to this report