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News for 01 March 2021

All the news for Monday 1 March 2021


India outplay Germany for a fluent 6-1 win at Krefeld



Resurgent India, playing an international match after a year, outplayed the hosts Germany for a fluent 6-1 victory today. This is by far the highest margin victory of higher ranked German field hockey team on synthetic surface.

India’s goal scorers were Nilakanta Sharma (13′), Vivek Sagar Prasad (27′, 28′), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (41′), Akashdeep Singh (42′) and Harmanpreet Singh (47′), who outplayed the hosts and led their team to a winning start on their first assignment of 2021.


Vivek Sagar struck a brace in the all significant win for the visitors

Its a splendid performance from India as the hosts put up a brave fight after half time, in which spell they earned six penalty corners. But, according to reports, captain Sreejesh did an encore frustrating German penalty corner machinery to make use of these penalty corners.

“It was absolutely thrilling to play after so long and Coach’s advice to us was ‘go and enjoy the game’ and so we did. This was the same German side who are playing the FIH Hockey Pro League matches, and I feel we did well against this squad, considering we were playing after a year. We had worked a lot on individual skills and had planned tactical play against Germany back in the camp. We just had to execute it today and it was really exciting to be back with a win,” stated PR Sreejesh after the scintillating performance.

After a day’s break, the Indian Men’s Team will pit against the hosts Germany on Tuesday, 2nd March at 2030 hrs IST.

Stick2Hockey.com



In stunning start, Indian men's hockey team blanks Germany 6-1

India are touring Germany for a four-match series in their first overseas trip in over a year. Vivek Prasad’s double helped register a big win over the hosts in the opener.

By Rahul Venkat



The Indian men’s hockey team began their European tour on a perfect note as it won 6-1 against hosts Germany in Krefeld on Sunday.

A brace from 2019 FIH Rising star Vivek Sagar Prasad and further goals from Nilakanta Sharma, Lalit Upadhyay, Akashdeep Singh and Harmanpreet Singh made it a memorable day for India in their first competitive match since the FIH Pro League in March last year.

The Indian hockey team began on the front foot as they mounted attacks on the German goal. They earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute, which Nilakanta Sharma scored to give India the lead just before the first quarter ended.

However, German striker Constantin Staib equalised just a minute later to ensure that the teams went into the short break on even terms.

Germany attacked from the get-go in the second quarter, winning two consecutive penalty corners but veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh – leading the team in the absence of Manpreet Singh – combined with the defence to keep the ball out.

The Indian hockey team then hit Germany on the counter-attack towards the end of the first half as forward Vivek Prasad nipped in to restore India’s lead in the 27th minute.

Incredibly, Vivek Prasad then scored his second goal within seconds of the first to give the visitors a two-goal cushion into the first-half.

India were pegged back in the third quarter as Germany won as many as six penalty corners but PR Sreejesh was resolute in defending the goal and did not allow a single shot in.

The world No. 4 Indian hockey team then complemented those efforts from skipper Sreejesh as strikers Lalit Upadhyay and Akashdeep Singh scored twice in two minutes to help the team to a massive 5-1 lead.

Vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh then made it 6-1 in the fourth quarter when he flicked home a penalty corner. Germany tried to pull back a goal, even swapping out their goalkeeper for an outfield player in the closing stages, but were unable to do so.

“It was absolutely thrilling to play after so long and the coach's advice to us was 'go and enjoy the game' and so we did,” PR Sreejesh said after the match.

“I feel we did well against this squad, considering we were playing after a year,” he added. “We had worked a lot on individual skills and had planned tactical play against Germany back in the camp. We just had to execute it today and it was really exciting to be back with a win.”

The Indian hockey team will take on Germany in their second match on Tuesday.`

Where to watch India vs Germany hockey live?

Live streaming of the second India vs Germany hockey match will be available on the Watch.Hockey website and app. The match begins at 8.30 PM Indian Standard Time.

Olympic Channel



Back with a bang

India make impressive return to international hockey with 6-1 win over Germany


Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh tries to block a try from Germany’s Constantin Staib.

Playing their first international match in over 12 months, the Indian men’s hockey team led by PR Sreejesh put up a scintillating show to outclass hosts Germany 6-1 in the first game of their four-match Europe Tour on Sunday.

India’s goalscorers were Nilakanta Sharma (13th minute), Vivek Sagar Prasad (27’, 28’), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (41’), Akashdeep Singh (42’) and Harmanpreet Singh (47’).

Hungry to perform, the Indians played with an intent to win. They went on an attacking mode right from the start, putting pressure on the German line-up. After creating potential opportunities in the striking circle, India earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute of the first quarter, which saw midfielder Nilakanta Sharma breaking the deadlock for the visitors.

However, in the next minute, German forward Constantin Staib scored to make it 1-1, which was the scoreline at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with the hosts putting pressure on India and earning themselves two back-to-back PCs in the initial minutes. The Indians made brilliant saves and created quick counterattacks, which led to midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad scoring two back-to-back goals in the 27th and 28th minutes, taking India’s lead to 3-1 at half-time.

6 PCs

In the third quarter, the hosts started off on the front foot again and earned as many as six PCs. However, the Indian defence led by skipper Sreejesh held strong to thwart each of the German attempts.

Soon after a solid display in defence, Indian forwards Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Akashdeep Singh scored brilliant goals in the 41st and 42nd minutes, respectively, to put the world No. 4 Indians in the driver’s seat, leading 5-1 at the end of the third quarter.

Another glorious opportunity came for the Indians in the 47th minute in the form of a PC, which saw a direct flick from Harmanpreet Singh giving India a 6-1 lead.

Playing under pressure, the hosts did try hard to make a comeback, and they even pulled out their goalkeeper to put an extra attacker on the field, but a great overall performance from the Indians ensured them a 6-1 victory.

The teams will next play on Tuesday at 8:30pm IST.

Women lose again

Dusseldorf: The Indian women’s hockey team lost 1-0 to Germany in their second tour game, putting a much-improved show after their 5-0 thrashing in the opening match.

Amelie Wortmann (24th minute) scored the only goal of the game as the Germans held on to their slender advantage to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series. The Indian side responded quickly, earning a penalty corner just three minutes after going behind, but were unable to breach the German backline.

Though India failed to get an equaliser, they also kept Germany from increasing their lead, saving two more penalty corners. The teams will play their third match on Tuesday.

The Tribune



Vivek Sagar's brace helps India outclass Germany 6-1 in impressive return to international hockey

After a day's break, India will once again take on Germany on 2 March.


India hockey player Vivek Sagar Prasad. Image: Hockey India

Krefeld: Young Vivek Sagar Prasad scored a brace as the India outclassed Germany 6-1 in its Europe tour opener to make an impressive return to the international circuit following the coronavirus -forced break.

Vivek (27th, 28th minutes), Nilakanta Sharma (13th), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (41st), Akashdeep Singh (42nd) and Harmanpreet Singh (47th) were the goal scorers for India.

Hungry to perform, India played with an intent to win.

They went on an attacking mode right from the start, putting pressure on the German line-up. After creating potential opportunities in the striking circle, India earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute of the first quarter, which saw midfielder Nilakanta breaking the deadlock for the visitors.

However, in the next minute, forward Constantin Staib scored an equaliser for Germany.

The second quarter started with the hosts putting pressure on India and earned themselves two back-to-back penalty corners in the initial minutes.

The Indian side made brilliant saves and created quick counter-attacks which led to midfielder Vivek scoring two back-to-back goals in the 27th and 28th minutes.

In the third quarter, the hosts started off on the front foot again and earned as many as six penalty corners.

However, skipper PR Sreejesh stood firm in front of the goal to keep the Germans at bay.

Soon after a solid defensive display, Indian forwards Lalit and Akashdeep netted brilliant goals in the 41st and 42nd minute, respectively to put the World No 4 Indian team in the driver's seat.

Another glorious opportunity came for the Indian men at the 47th minute in the form of a penalty corner, and Harmanpreet extended India's lead with a fierce flick. Playing under pressure, the hosts did try hard to make a comeback, and even pulled out their goalkeeper to put an extra attacker in the team but a great overall performance from the Indian side ensured a 6-1 victory.

"It was absolutely thrilling to play after so long and coach's advice to us was 'go and enjoy the game' and so we did. This was the same German side who are playing the FIH Hockey Pro League matches, and I feel we did well against this squad, considering we were playing after a year.

"We had worked a lot on individual skills and had planned tactical play against Germany back in the camp. We just had to execute it today and it was really exciting to be back with a win," said Sreejesh.

After a day's break, India will again take on Germany on 2 March.

Firstpost



Indian hockey women suffer second-consecutive loss against Germany

Amelie Wortmann scored the only goal of the match for Germany. The Indian eves haven’t won a single game in their last nine outings.

By Rahul Venkat



The Indian women’s hockey team lost 1-0 to Germany in Dusseldorf in the second match of their tour on Sunday.

The Indian eves had also lost the first game by a five-goal margin on Saturday. The latest result means that they have not tasted victory in nine matches, extending to the Argentina tour last month.

In contrast to the first match, it was a subdued first quarter this time as both teams’ attacks did not come to fruition.

The deadlock was only broken in the 24th minute by midfielder Amelie Wortmann to give Germany a 1-0 lead six minutes before half-time.

The Indian hockey team responded well, earning a penalty corner soon after but the German defence held firm to maintain their slender lead going into the second half.

A penalty corner to Germany was the only attack of the third quarter but stand-in goalkeeper Rajani made the save to keep India in the game. The India custodian saved another penalty corner in the fourth quarter, making it three penalty corner saves for the day.

The Indian women’s hockey team though was unable to build on its goalkeeper’s inspired show as the attacks petered out early. India were unable to find the equaliser before the whistle blew.  

The Indian eves now have a day’s rest before they take on the hosts in their third tour match on Tuesday.

Olympic Channel



Women's Hockey: India loses 0-1 to Germany in second game

Amelie Wortmann scored the only goal of the game as the Germans held on to their slender advantage to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.


Germany held onto its 1-0 lead after India failed to convert a penalty corner just three minutes after going behind.   -  TWITTER

The Indian women's hockey team lost 0-1 to Germany in their second tour game, putting a much-improved show from their 0-5 thrashing in the opening match.

Amelie Wortmann (24th minute) scored the only goal of the game as the Germans held on to their slender advantage to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

Midfielder Wortmann put her side in the lead six minutes before the end of the second quarter.

The Indian side responded quickly, earning a penalty corner just three minutes after going behind, but were unable to breach past the German backline.

Germany had the chance to double its lead early into the third quarter after being awarded another penalty corner, but yet again, the resolute Indian defence kept them at bay.

The Indian side continued to frustrate Germany, this time in the fourth quarter, as it kept out a penalty corner for the third time in the match. But Germany protected its lead to earn a hard-fought win.

The Indians will take on Germany in their third match on March 2.

Sportstar



GB's Men To Face India And Belgium In Uncapped Matches



Great Britain’s men will face India and Belgium in four uncapped matches as part of their preparations for the resumption of the FIH Hockey Pro League and subsequent Tokyo Olympics.

Having been able to train hard over the past few months, these fixtures provide the first opportunity for the team to travel abroad and put into action what they have been working on at Bisham Abbey.

Head coach Danny Kerry has named a squad of 22 players for the trip, with Sam Ward hoping to pull on the GB shirt for the first time since the 2019 FIH Olympic Qualifiers. David Ames also returns having been unavailable for the FIH Hockey Pro League games against The Netherlands and Germany late last year.

Following the birth of his first child, Phil Roper will stay at home. Ashley Jackson, Henry Weir, Rhys Smith, Harry Martin, Chris Griffiths and Liam Ansell are injured and will also not travel with the team.

Great Britain Hockey’s Performance Director Ed Barney said: “We’re delighted to be on the road and these matches will be of huge value to the squad in our ongoing preparations for Tokyo 2020. Our time in the UK has been invaluable and it's not often that we have the opportunity for such uninterrupted and dedicated training.

“These fixtures present a real opportunity to apply much of what we’ve been working on at Bisham. We know we are in a privileged position to be able to travel and play and that is certainly something the players and staff are relishing.”

GB and Belgium played out two closely fought games in the FIH Hockey Pro League back in November, with the latter coming out narrow victors on both occasions. The last time India and GB met in a competitive match was at the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where the game finished 2-2.

Great Britain and India are then due to meet again when the FIH Hockey Pro League returns to Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre this May, with games scheduled for 8 and 9 May. The women’s team will also be in action that weekend against China. For more information, click here.

Fixtures

    Tuesday 2 March: Great Britain v Belgium, 14:00 GMT
    Thursday 4 March: Great Britain v Belgium, 14:00 GMT
    Saturday 6 March: Great Britain v India, 13:00 GMT
    Monday 8 March: Great Britain v India, 13:00 GMT

GB men’s squad

1) George Pinner (GK) – Old Georgians HC/England
3) Luke Taylor – Surbiton HC/England
5) David Ames – Holcombe HC/England
7) Alan Forsyth – Surbiton HC/Scotland
8) Rupert Shipperley – Hampstead & Westminster HC/Wales
10) Chris Griffiths – Old Georgians HC/England
11) Ian Sloan – Wimbledon HC/England
13) Sam Ward – Old Georgians HC/England
16) Adam Dixon (C) – Beeston HC/England
18) Brendan Creed – Surbiton HC/England
19) David Goodfield – Surbiton HC/England
20) Ollie Payne (GK) – Holcombe HC/England
22) David Condon – East Grinstead HC/England
23) Harry Gibson (GK) – Surbiton HC/England
25) Jack Waller – Wimbledon HC/England
26) James Gall – Surbiton HC/England
27) Liam Sanford – Old Georgians HC/England
29) Tom Sorsby – Surbiton HC/England
31) Will Calnan – Hampstead & Westminster HC/England
32) Zach Wallace – Surbiton HC/England
33) Jacob Draper – Hampstead & Westminster HC/Wales

Great Britain Hockey media release



Northwestern rallies to beat Maryland field hockey, 2-1

Shane Connuck
    ·

Defender Riley Donnelly looks to move the ball in Maryland field hockey's 3-2 win over Virginia on Sept. 13, 2019. (Gabby Baniqued/The Diamondback)

It was a tale of two halves in Maryland field hockey’s second match of the spring 2021 season.

After earning seven penalty corners in the first quarter and jumping out to a 1-0 lead at the break, Northwestern found the cage 38 seconds into the second half and quickly shifted momentum onto its side.

Another third quarter goal pushed the Terps to their first deficit of the season as the Wildcats stormed past Maryland, 2-1.

The Terps took their first loss of the season in a match where they fired 11 shots and tallied 10 penalty corners.

“Penalty corners are about speed of execution and accuracy,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “And it’s just — we’re not good enough yet. And we need to be.”

Northwestern (2-0), which also topped Michigan State this weekend, couldn’t get much offense going early.

On the sixth of the seven first quarter penalty corner attempts, defender Riley Donnelly launched a shot into the back of the cage to give the Terps (1-1) an early lead.

Donnelly has collected four points this season already, as she assisted on both goals scored in Friday’s victory.

“She’s really an impactful player,” captain Brooke DeBerdine said. “But then also, just her control and her confidence with attacking forward has been really good for us, and she’s making a lot happen.”

Maryland continued its strong offensive attack throughout the first half. Though Meharg said she anticipated this being a much more evenly matched battle than its Friday competition against Michigan State, the Terps looked dominant early.

It took until the second quarter for Northwestern to pick up a penalty corner of its own. And about 20 seconds after it missed the shot, Maryland responded with yet another corner — but the Terps couldn’t convert.

But Northwestern showed many flashes of life early, and goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz was stellar — tallying five saves and letting in just one goal from a strong Maryland attack.

“All in all, I applaud Northwestern,” Meharg said. “They were very strong, very opportunistic and found a way to come from behind and win.”

The Wildcats came out of the halftime intermission ready to try and knot the match up quickly. And so they did.

Thirty-eight seconds after they switched sides and began to shoot from left to right, forward Mackenzie Keegan bounced a shot past Noelle Frost and into the cage. The Delran, New Jersey, native notched her first goal of the season and tied the match up at one apiece.

Suddenly, it was the Wildcats who were in control. Redshirt sophomore forward Bente Baekers dished a pass off to sophomore midfielder Peyton Halsey, who knocked in her team-high third goal of the season. With that, Northwestern took a 2-1 lead and Maryland found itself facing a deficit for the first time of the season.

“I think our temperament was a little immature in the third and fourth quarter at times, which causes some cards and player down situations,” Meharg said.

But Meharg’s squad wasn’t going away easily. Frost kept the Terps in it, stopping a few late Northwestern penalty corner attempts as it tried to extend its lead.

“I thought Noelle Frost did have some great saves, so there’s a bonus as well,” Meharg said.

Still, not much was going Maryland’s way in the fourth. With about five minutes left, Meharg lost a challenge on a Wildcats’ penalty corner.

Meharg watched on as the Terps struggled to get the ball up the pitch, failing to string together a single shot in the final frame. And although Maryland started the game brightly, it was left to rue its earlier misses, failing to test a solid Northwestern backline as it sank to defeat.

“Fortunately, we get to play again against Northwestern here one week from today,” Meharg said. “So, we look forward to that.”

The Diamondback



Northwestern takes down Michigan State and Maryland in opening weekend matchups

Gabriela Carroll


Alia Marshall jumps in celebration after a goal. The Wildcats defeated Michigan State and Maryland to start the season 2-0.

Northwestern field hockey took down Michigan State 3-1 and Maryland 2-1 in its opening weekend, giving a 2-0 start to the season.

In both games, the Wildcats (2-0) fell behind early, allowing the first goal in the first quarter. But, NU rallied back, reclaiming the lead in the second half and keeping it.

Against the Spartans, the Cats maintained possession on their offensive end for most of the game, but they quickly surrendered a goal on Michigan State’s first charge up the field..

NU struck next, with a goal from sophomore midfielder Peyton Halsey. Halsey scored three goals in the two matchups, including both gamewinners. With those numbers, Halsey has already tied her goal scoring output from her 2019 freshman season.

Halsey’s first goal against the Spartans came off a straight shot from the top of the arc, while her second was an elevated shot from the middle of the zone. Against Maryland, Halsey scored off a reverse hit from the left side of the zone.

“She has a really quick release on her shot,” coach Tracey Fuchs said of Halsey. “We’re so balanced that everyone is getting opportunities, but she really put some home this weekend.”

Freshman midfielder Maddie Zimmer scored the third goal against Michigan State, the first of her NU career. Senior forward Mackenzie Keegan scored the tying goal against the Terrapins less than a minute into the second half.

The Terrapins dominated most of the first quarter offensively against the Cats, drawing seven penalty corners in that quarter alone, scoring on one of them. NU struggled to transition the ball up the field and make any headway with an excellent Maryland defense.

After the first quarter, the Cats locked down defensively. NU’s offense found a way to get into their zone, and their defenders fed the ball back up with transition stops. Senior defender Christen Conley, often the Cats’ last line of defense, led the charge and the Terrapins took just four shots in the final three quarters.

“We struggled a bit in the first quarter,” Fuchs said. “We gave up a lot of corners, but our defensive corner team played really well today. And then we snapped out of it when we started to play better in the second quarter.”

In goal against Maryland on Sunday was freshman Annabel Skubisz, making her first start for NU. Senior goalie Florien Marcussen experienced a lower body injury in Saturday’s game against Michigan State, Fuchs said.

Skubisz allowed just one goal, and made five saves facing 11 shots, some of which were deflected by the Cats’ defenders.

“We had a first year in goal today who really kept us in the game,” Fuchs said. “The first quarter could have been a way different outcome. She stepped in and really stepped up for us today.”

After months off the field, the Cats were excited to finally put what they had been practicing together. Fuchs said that due to the snow, NU practiced on a gym floor in the basement of Ryan Fieldhous with a different type of ball, so she wasn’t sure what to expect when they took the field Saturday.

The victory against the Terrapins is NU’s first since 2017. Maryland was last year’s Big Ten regular season champion, and is a frequent conference and national title contender. The Cats may not have started strong in the game, but the win makes for a strong start to the season.

“We’ve been working on so many tactics inside, and it’s just not the same,” Halsey said. “To put it all together on the field really makes a difference…. We know we have strengths all over the field. We can attack the outside and inside, and just play together and stay composed. We could be really dangerous.”

Daily Northwestern



Penn State field hockey drops season opener to Iowa in neutral-site matchup

Zech Lamber


Penn State and Iowa players watch the ball go wide of the Iowa goal during the field hockey game at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. The no. 6 Hawkeyes defeated the Nittany Lions 4-1. Jonah Rosen

Penn State finally retook the field for the first time in 476 days on Sunday in Virginia Beach, Virginia, against Iowa in a neutral-site matchup.

It was a bittersweet day for the blue and white, however, as it fell to the Hawkeyes 1-0 in the opening contest of the 2021 spring season.

The Nittany Lions controlled the tempo for much of the first half, but the Hawkeyes took over in the second half and eventually buried the lone goal of the game in the fourth quarter.

Iowa senior Ellie Holley was the only goal-scorer of the game for either side.

Coach Char Morett-Curtiss’ squad will have a chance to right the ship Friday against Northwestern.

Here are the biggest storylines from Penn State’s opening loss.

Not converting on opportunities

Penn State spent a lot of the first half in the attacking zone, but struggled to find the back of the cage.

The Nittany Lions could not crack the Iowa defense when they had the chance, allowing the Hawkeyes to stay in the game despite Penn State controlling the pace.

Penn State also had multiple short corner chances that it failed to turn into points.

While some of the struggles can be attributed to this being the season opener, the Iowa defense proved to be tough throughout a majority of the game.

The Hawkeyes blocked a lot of the Penn State chances in the first half, stymying every opportunity the Nittany Lions got.
Slow start

The Nittany Lions hadn’t played a game since 2019, so there would undoubtedly be rust.

That rust reared its ugly head early on, as Penn State was held scoreless through all 60 minutes of play.

Morett-Curtiss’ team did play well on the defensive end, showing a lot of effort and hustle in its return to action.

Penn State also had trouble spending time in its attacking 25 in the first quarter, but did a much better job of that in the second frame.

Late-game heroics for the Hawkeyes

In a low-scoring affair, a late-game goal was the deciding factor.

After three scoreless quarters, Holley stepped up for her team and buried the go-ahead — and eventual game-winning — goal about halfway through the fourth quarter.

For Holley, her first goal of the season could not have come at a better time for Iowa, as it was all the team needed to secure its second win of the young campaign.

Daily Collegian



Defense shines as Iowa field hockey starts season with two wins

Iowa kept a clean sheet in both wins over Penn State and Indiana.

Ben Palya


Rutgers midfielder Katie Larmour keeps the ball away from Iowa’s Sofie Stribos during the Iowa field hockey match against Rutgers on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 at Grant Field. The Hawkeyes beat the Scarlet Knights 2-1. Emily Wangen

After having its season postponed in the fall because of COVID-19, Iowa field hockey finally got its season underway in Virginia Beach.

The gap between the Hawkeyes last game and their opening game on Saturday was 466 days, so it remained to be seen if Iowa could keep its momentum from last season’s success.

The team lived up to expectations, securing two 1-0 victories over Indiana on Saturday and Penn State on Sunday as Iowa’s defense stole the show.

Against the Hoosiers, the 1-0 scoreline did not reflect the dominance Iowa had over Indiana. Iowa did not allow Indiana to take a single shot the entire game, meaning goalkeeper Grace McGuire had little to worry about in her first start.

Iowa kept on the pressure offensively as the team had 17 shots throughout the game and forced six saves from Indiana goalkeeper Shannon McNally.

After going scoreless for three quarters, it looked like the game was going to head to overtime as Indiana resisted the Iowa pressure. It was the sister duo of sophomore midfielder Sophie Stribos and junior midfielder/defender Lokke Stribos who connected for the Iowa goal. Lokke Stribos gave the assist off a corner before it was turned into a goal by Sophie Stribos with just three minutes left to play.

It was a team effort to get shots off, with junior defender Anthe Nijziel, Sophie Stribos, and senior forward Maddy Murphy getting three shots each.

“Our goal was to have a high level of possession and great ball movement using the short, simple pass,” Iowa head coach Lisa Celluci said in a release. “Our communication and organization on the defensive side of the ball was key. We found a way to get on the scoreboard. It feels great to get the win in our first game of the season.”

Against Penn State, the game was more contested.

The Nittany Lions gave the Hawkeyes a good fight, holding Iowa to six shots while getting five of their own off. After a shotless first quarter, both teams became more active in the second quarter and got shots off.

Just like in the first match of the weekend, Iowa found a way to win late. With just over eight minutes left to play, Ellie Holley came up big with an unassisted goal. After gaining possession, Holley made her way through the Penn State defense and slid the ball into the corner of the net to take the lead.

The game was not secure yet, as Penn State made one last push to find an equalizer. Grace McGuire came up big with an incredible save with just minutes on the clock, preserving Iowa’s second win of the season.

Six different Iowa players registered shots in the second game, continuing Iowa’s streak of having a balanced attack.

“I am so proud of this team,” Cellucci said. “We implemented the necessary changes on both sides of the ball and executed the game plan to a tee. Our team defense was what won this game. We will keep building. This is going to be an exciting team to watch.”

It is the first time Iowa has started a season 2-0 since 2013.

Iowa heads back to Virginia Beach for games against Rutgers and Penn State next weekend.

Daily Iowan

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