Indiana field hockey is playing its best hockey of the season, heading into conference play against Iowa. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, so are the Hawkeyes.
Indiana enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak, most recently beating Ball State University 7-1 on Sunday. The Hoosiers have scored 18 goals during the streak while allowing just two.
Now, Indiana will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend to face the Hawkeyes twice, with the first matchup at 6 p.m. Friday before the teams meet again at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Only the first game will count toward conference rankings. The Sunday matchup will count as a non-conference contest “to maximize travel efficiency,” according to an IU Athletics press release.
The No. 2 ranked Hawkeyes enter the weekend with a dominant start of their own, giving Indiana its toughest test yet. Iowa has won all six of its games this season, including four against ranked opponents. The Hawkeyes opened the season with wins over then-No. 7 Wake Forest University and the then-No. 2 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before adding wins over No. 16 Miami University and the No. 14 University of Louisville last weekend. The Hawkeyes have outscored their opponents 30-8.
Senior midfielder Dionne van Aalsum leads the Hawkeyes. She has 10 goals on the season already and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Player of the Week after scoring three goals across Iowa’s two ranked wins last weekend. Van Aalsum scored the game-winning goal in both victories and enters the weekend as the NCAA’s active career leader in goals with 75.
Forward Frederique van Cleef is another key player for the Hawkeyes. She has 10 goals and five assists this season.
Iowa is led by Lisa Cellucci, who is in her 13th season as head coach. In her 26 years with the program, the Hawkeyes have compiled a 316-192 record. Cellucci has also led Iowa to four Elite Eight appearances in the last five seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2021. She was named Big Ten Coach of the Year three consecutive times from 2019-21.
Indiana will have to contain both van Aalsum and van Cleef, who have combined for 20 goals and five assists through six games.
While Iowa has two players with 10 goals each, Indiana has three players with at least four goals through six games. Sophomore forward/midfielder Molly Stutte leads the Hoosiers with six goals, followed by sophomore forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo with five and junior forward Mijntje Hagen with four. The trio has combined for 15 of Indiana’s 20 goals this season.
Last season, Indiana faced Iowa twice during the regular season, losing both games in Bloomington. The Hoosiers then faced the Hawkeyes again in the Big Ten Tournament, where Iowa won 1-0.
Indiana will look to carry its momentum as it begins conference play against the highest-ranked opponent it has played this season. Both games will stream on Big Ten+.
Follow reporter Jack Davis (@JackDavis0006 and jjd5@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
