The eighth-ranked University of Iowa field hockey team opens its 28th NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday, facing No. 10 Louisville in the Sweet 16 at Lakeside Field on the campus of Northwestern. The game will begin at 2:30 p.m. (CT) in Evanston, Ill.

• The winner of Iowa vs. Louisville will face the winner of Northwestern and California/Miami (OH) on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT).

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

• The Hawkeyes are making their sixth straight and 28th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history — the most of any team as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

• Iowa is ranked No. 8 in this week’s NFHCA poll. The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 for four weeks straight (Sept. 5 – Oct. 2) for the second time in program history (2021). Iowa has been ranked in 81 consecutive polls dating back to the 2016 season.

•  Iowa leads the nation in scoring average (3.22) and rank second in scoring margin (2.17). The Hawkeyes rank third in shutouts per game (0.44) and shutouts (8), fourth in goals per game (3.22) and fifth in points per game (8.67)

• Three Hawkeyes — Dionne van Aalsum (Freshman of the Year/First-Team), Esme Gibson (First-Team), and Harper Dunne (Sportsmanship Award) earned Big Ten recognition for the 2023 season.

•  The Hawkeye seniors have won two Big Ten regular season championships and one Big Ten tournament title. They have competed in three NCAA Elite Eights and the 2021 NCAA final four.

• Freshman Dionne van Aalsum was named Big Ten Freshman of the year and received first team honors after leading the nation with 27 goals, 60 points, 1.50 goals per game, and 3.33 points per game. The Castricum, Netherlands, native was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week four times this season (Sept. 11, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Oct. 30), Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times this season (Aug. 26, Sept. 5, Sept. 11, Oct. 30), and NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on September 13.

• Sophomore Mia Magnotta has recorded 64 saves and has been in goal the duration of the season including all of Iowa’s eight shutout victories. The Forty-Fort, Pennsylvania, native was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29 and NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the week on August 30.

• 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’ have defeated six ranked opponent this season. Iowa has downed No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Rutgers, No. 5 Louisville, No. 12 Wake Forest, No. 14 Michigan, and No. 19 UAlbany.

• 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.

• 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 292 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.