THIS WEEK

The University of Iowa women’s soccer team kicks off the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Thursday night. The Hawkeyes face Iowa State at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. Admission is free to all home soccer events.

WATCH/FOLLOW LIVE

• Thursday’s match will stream on B1G+ (subscription required).
• Links to streaming and live stats can be found at hawkeyesports.com/soccergameday.
• Fans can follow the Iowa soccer program on Twitter (@HawkeyeSoccer) for live in-game updates.

SCOUTING THE CYCLONES

• Iowa State opened the season with a pair of victories, defeating Arizona, 2-1, on Aug. 17 before shutting out Northern Colorado, 1-0, on the road. The Cyclone defense allowed just 16 shots and four SOG.
• The Cyclones return key production from last year’s campaign, which finished 3-10-4 overall and 0-7-2 in Big 12 Conference play. Senior Emma Mira is back after posting a team-best nine points in 2022, along with Lauren Hernadez and Salome Prat, who finished with four points, apiece.
• Prat and Abigail Salome scored vs. Arizona, while Mira made the game-winner at Northern Colorado.
• One position where the Cyclones retool is at goalkeeper; redshirt freshman Avery Gillahan grabbed three saves at a .750 save percentage in Iowa State’s season-opening victories, replacing three-year starter Jordan Silkowitz in goal.

SERIES HISTORY – IOWA STATE

Iowa owns a 14-8-2 advantage over the Cyclones. Last year’s win in the series went to Iowa State, 2-1, in Ames.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Head coach Dave DiIanni is in his 10th season at the helm of the Iowa women’s soccer program. Last fall, the Hawkeyes finished 5-6-7 overall with a 2-3-5 Big Ten record, a few points shy of conference postseason qualification. Iowa returns eight players with at least three years of collegiate playing experience, including seventh-year player Josie Durr and fifth-year Samantha Cary, who was a captain last fall. Cary helps lockdown a Hawkeye defense that averaged just one goal allowed per game over the past two seasons while posting 13 clean sheets during that span.
• Many of those veterans played for Iowa during its Cinderella-run in the 2020-21 postseason, which saw a two-win regular season result in the first Big Ten Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament win in school history. One such player is redshirt junior Meike Ingles, who scored all four of her goals that year in the postseason, including three game-winners during the Big Ten Tournament. Ingles netted a hat-trick in fall 2021 vs. Illinois (10/17) and scored Iowa’s first goal of the 2023 season at FGCU.
• Another offensive headliner at is junior Elle Otto, whose three goals, five assists and 11 points last season are returning team-bests. Otto registered one goal and one assist last time out vs. Kansas City.
• Senior Macy Enneking returns in goal. Enneking ranks fifth in program history for career wins (15) and sixth in career shutouts (11).
• Iowa welcomes 16 newcomers, including 13 freshmen and three transfers.
• Cary, Enneking and Ingles were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List.
• Cary, Enneking, and senior Maggie Johnston were voted team captains for the 2023 season.