The Iowa Hawkeyes field hockey squad, sitting at No. 11 in the national polls, pulled off a stunning overtime victory over seventh‑ranked Wake Forest on Thursday night, extending their unbeaten streak to seven straight meetings with the Demon Deacons.
What began as a rocky start turned into a dramatic turnaround, as the Hawkeyes fell behind 3‑2 before the halftime break, only to rally with a series of decisive strikes that flipped the momentum.
Overtime Heroics and Freshman Breakthroughs
Frederique van Cleef opened the second‑half scoring to bring Iowa within one, and Dionne van Aalsum followed with an equaliser that tied the game at 3‑2, setting the stage for a fierce finish.
Freshman Meg Tebben then struck her first career goal, knotting the contest at 4‑4 and forcing the match into overtime, where true freshman Reine van Hoof capped the comeback with her inaugural collegiate goal, securing a 5‑4 win.
Between the scoring bursts, goaltender Abbey Johnson, a New Hampshire transfer, made a single save in the first half and none after the break, embodying the team’s defensive resolve.
Coach Lisa Celucci praised the collective effort, highlighting the squad’s resilience and chemistry as the foundation of their recent success.
Looking ahead, Iowa will test its mettle against North Carolina in the second leg of the ACC Challenge on Sunday, before returning home to face Lehigh College on September 4.