Soccer heads East
Tournaments are familiar territory for the Iowa soccer team. After all, the Hawkeyes just hosted their own competition just two weeks ago.
This time, however, Iowa won't have home-field advantage.
The Hawkeyes (4-1) will travel to South Carolina to participate in the College of Charleston Tournament this weekend. The team will open play against the host school tonight and will face Davidson (2-3) on Sept. 12.
Iowa is riding a school-record streak of four-consecutive shutout wins, but the streak is in serious jeopardy tonight. Charleston (2-3) boasts an effective attack despite its losing record.
Cougar midfielder Maryam Buazza leads Charleston with three goals and a pair of assists. Forward Sloane Levin and midfielder Morgan Benz are close behind with two goals apiece.
All told, the team has found the net 10 times this season and has scored more than one goal in four of its five games.
The bulk of Charleston's offensive production has come in the second half of games. The Cougars have scored six goals in the second period, and they are just a week removed from a 2-1 overtime win over Xavier.
Iowa head coach Ron Rainey said he has seen things his team can prepare for during his scouting, including defending against the long, attacking throw-ins that Charleston favors.
"We're working on some things like not letting people behind us in possession — that's always going to be key," he said.
He also addressed the Cougars' propensity to score late in games. The fifth-year coach said the statistics show consistent, 90-minute pressure, and the Hawkeyes must be prepared to be active the entire game.
Iowa defender Jenna Aleo agreed, saying playing as a strong unit will be vital.
"We need to play well as a team, especially the defense," she said. "We need to communicate to keep goals out, and that starts with [goalkeeper] Emily [Moran], goes through the midfield, and includes the forwards."
The Hawkeyes are taking the same approach for the game against Davidson.
Unlike Charleston, the Wildcats have struggled to get anything going offensively this year. The reigning Southern Conference champions have scored only four goals in five games. Senior midfielder Allison Drutchas has been involved in three of them, scoring one and assisting two others.
Slow starts are not unusual for Davidson, though. It entered conference play in 2009 with a mediocre 5-7-0 record and proceeded to rampage through the Southern Conference. The Wildcats won the conference tournament after going 7-3-1 in league matches.
Rainey said he knows Davidson could be better than its record indicates but noted the first game of the weekend takes priority right now.
"[The Wildcats] won their league last year, so they have experience and are used to winning," he said. "But the real key to having a good Sunday is usually to have a good Friday. We don't worry too much about the second game [of the weekend] until after the first."
The Hawkeyes also seem unconcerned about the long trip to South Carolina, which is by far the farthest the they will travel this year. Defender Jade Grimm said the distance won't affect how the team goes about its business.
"We just need to play our own game," she said. "Sometimes, we'll have to make adjustments, but we have to just go play our own game and do what we do best."
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