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.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior quarterback Cade McNamara has been named to the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.

McNamara completed 210-of-327 passes for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, McNamara appeared in four games as a sophomore in 2020, completing 43-of-71 pass attempts for 425 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The award is named after quarterback Johnny Unitas, who was nicknamed “The Golden Arm” for his record-setting play for the Baltimore Colts in the NFL. Former Hawkeye Nate Stanley was a finalist for the award in 2019.

The 2023 award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy by The Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation President, John Unitas, Jr., as well as other notable attendees at the Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

McNamara and the Hawkeyes open their season on Sept. 2 against Utah State. The sold-out game is set for an 11:03 a.m. (CT) kickoff.

HAWKEYES ON 2023 WATCH LISTS 

• Erick All – John Mackey Award (TE) // Comeback Player of the Year Award
• Cooper DeJean – Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Jim Thorpe Award (DB) // Paul Hornung Award (Versatility)
• Jermari Harris — Comeback Player of the Year Award
• Nick Jackson – Dick Butkus Award (LB) // Lombardi Award (Most Outstanding DL/OL)
• Kaleb Johnson – Doak Walker Award (RB)
• Logan Jones – Rimington Trophy (C)
• Luke Lachey – John Mackey Award (TE)
• Cade McNamara – Maxwell Award (POY) // Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (QB) // Comeback Player of the Year Award
• Drew Stevens – Lou Groza Award (PK)
• Tory Taylor – Ray Guy Award (P)

DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake women’s basketball has solidified the start of their 2023-24 schedule, the team announced this morning. The Bulldogs will look to replicate an incredible 2022-23 run with another slate of challenging games against high quality opponents.

The Bulldogs will start their 2023-24 campaign with a pair of exhibition contests at the Knapp Center when NCAA Division II opponents Upper Iowa and Winona State come to town on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, respectively.

Drake will then kick off the regular season on Monday, Nov. 6 with another home matchup against St. Thomas. The Bulldogs will then hit the road for their first road contest of the year, a tilt at Saint Louis on Thursday, Nov. 9.

November will roll on with back-to-back in-state rivalry matchups, first back at the Knapp Center against Iowa State on Sunday, Nov. 12 then a trip east to the 2022-23 NCAA Runner-Up Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Drake will then be home for their next three bouts as they host a multi-team event around the Thanksgiving holiday. The Bulldogs will welcome Louisiana Tech, Maine, and Richmond to Des Moines for a round-robin style invitational from Nov. 24-26.

The calendar then turns to December with another big-time road trip, this time to Minneapolis, Minn. for a meeting with the Golden Gophers on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Drake’s non-MVC schedule will conclude with a trio of games against three more midwestern mainstays. The Bison of North Dakota State will travel to Des Moines on Friday, Dec. 8 before Creighton returns to the Knapp Center to continue their storied rivalry with the Bulldogs. The Bluejays will visit Des Moines for Drake’s penultimate non-conference battle on Sunday, Dec. 17.

Finally, Drake heads back out on the road to Grand Forks, N.D. for their final non-league matchup against North Dakota on Thursday, Dec. 21.

Bulldog basketball season tickets will go on sale to the public starting on Tuesday, Sep. 12. If interested, fill out this form here.