THIS WEEK

The top-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team returns to Iowa City to continue Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes will host Ohio State at 3 p.m. (CT) on Friday before welcoming Michigan State to Iowa City at noon on Sunday. Friday’s matchup will be a blackout and Sunday’s contest will be a pink out.

FOLLOW LIVE

• Both Friday and Sunday’s games will be live streamed on B1G+.

• Iowa field hockey fans can follow all contests via live stats on hawkeyesports.com.  Game updates are also available on X/@iowafieldhockey.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 1 in this week’s NFHCA poll for the fourth week in a row. It is the second time in program history the Hawkeyes have been ranked No. 1 (2021) by the NFHCA. Iowa has been ranked in 76 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.

• No. 1 Iowa leads the nation in winning percentage (1.000), shutouts (7), shutouts per game (.78), scoring margin (4.23), scoring average (4.56), goals (41), goals per game (4.56), goals allowed (3), goals against average (0.33), and points per game (12.33). The Hawkeyes rank third in assists per game (3.22) and fourth in assists (29).

• Sophomore Mia Magnotta was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29 and NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the week on August 30. She recorded her 18th save and seventh shutout in the Hawkeye’s Big Ten Opener against Michigan.

• Freshman Dionne van Aalsum was named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on September 13. She was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 11, Sept. 18) and Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season (Aug. 26, Sept. 5, Sept. 11).

• Iowa has defeated the top-ranked team in three straight seasons (3-1 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2021, 2-0 vs. No. 1 Northwestern in 2022 and 3-2 vs. No. 1 North Carolina in 2023).

• The Hawkeyes return seven starters and 14 letterwinners from a team that finished 12-8, advancing to the Elite Eight for the 21st time in program history in 2022.

• The Hawkeyes made their fifth straight and 27th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history — the most of any team as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

• Fifth-year senior Esme Gibson (second-team) earned All-Big Ten recognition for the 2022 season.

• Head coach Lisa Cellucci is in her tenth season at the helm of the Hawkeye field hockey program and her 24th season overall.  Cellucci has been a part of 287 Iowa victories and in 2020, she led the program to the Final Four for the 12th time — the first since 2008.  Iowa has posted double digit win totals in eight of her ten seasons. The Hawkeyes have won three Big Ten titles (2019, 2019 (BTT), 2021) under her watch.

• Cellucci earned her third straight Big Ten Coach of the Year honor in 2021.  She is the first coach in Big Ten history to be named Coach of the Year in three consecutive seasons.