JMU Soars to 4-1 Win over #17 Iowa in Home Opener

Sunday, September 6

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

(2-1)

Iowa

(2-2)

Iowa

James Madison

9/6/2015 2:40:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A solid team effort helped the James Madison field hockey team top No. 17 Iowa 4-1 on Sunday afternoon in the Dukes' home opener.

JMU gained control of the game early, scoring the first three goals of the afternoon with a possible fourth waived off, and won the possession game with an 8-2 shot advantage in the first half. Overall, the Dukes outshot the Hawkeyes 12-10 and held off the Hawkeyes in seven corner attempts.

Of the Dukes' 12 shots, nine were on goal to force Iowa goalkeeper Alexandra Pecora to make five saves. Sophomore goalie Sara Kraeutler made six saves to withstand the Hawkeyes' eight shots on goal.

Iowa scored its only goal of the game in the 54th minute when Isabella Brown knocked the ball in off of a deflection following a corner. The Dukes answered back two minutes later when sophomore Melanie Kusakavitch passed the ball to freshman Miranda Rigg for the final goal of the game. Rigg led the day with three points, also earning an assist on freshman Melissa Wilken's first-half goal.

Quoting Coach Morgan:
"Our focus is WE not ME. When you have that focus and everybody recognizes that they add value and that value is spoken out loud, it becomes even greater. Everybody on this team, whether they were on the field or off the field, they had the potential to make us greater and provide good energy to be as good as we could be today."

CLICK HERE for full postgame comments from Coach Morgan.

Play of the Game:

Senior Erin Husar's late first-half goal put the Dukes up 3-0 over the 17^th-ranked Hawkeyes.

CLICK HERE for full game highlights.

Firsts for the Dukes:

Freshman Sarah Floeter scored her first collegiate goal in her first appearance at the JMU Field Hockey Complex, an unassisted shot at the 14:39 mark.
Freshman Melissa Wilken scored her first collegiate goal in her first appearance at the JMU Field Hockey Complex, picking up a quick pass from Miranda Rigg at the 15:11 mark.
Rigg's assist on the play was the first of her career.
Senior Erin Husar tallied her first goal of the season, fourth of her career.

Photo of the Game:
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The JMU defense on an Iowa penalty corner.

CLICK HERE for the full photo gallery.

Unsung Hero:
Sophomore Hannah Hall patrolled both the midfield and back line to help the Dukes earn their first victory over a ranked opponent this season. She was also able to keep Stephanie Norlander, one of the Hawkeyes' leading scorers, from putting points on the board.

CLICK HERE to hear from Hall after today's win.

Tweet of the Game:

It's a beautiful day for @JMU_FieldHockey ?? they're up 2-0 early against Iowa!!! pic.twitter.com/yxJR7ne2QY
— JMU Dukes WBB (@JMUWBasketball) September 6, 2015

Up Next:
The Dukes travel to Richmond on Friday, Sept. 11, for a 5 p.m. game. The Spiders played No. 17 Iowa in a neutral-site match at the JMU Field Hockey Complex on Sept. 4, falling to the Hawkeyes 5-1.
Richmond will have live stats and live video available.