Iowa soccer advances in NCAA tournament with overtime win over Bucknell

Seventh-year senior Josie Durr scored her seventh goal of the season to give No. 5-seed Iowa the lead in overtime and the Hawkeyes beat Bucknell 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament Friday night at the Iowa Soccer Complex.

It’s Iowa’s second NCAA tournament win in its fourth appearance and first at home. A complex record 2,639 fans bundled up to be there.

The Hawkeyes (13-4-4) advance to face No. 4-seed Georgia (12-4-5) in the second round (round of 32) next weekend at Clemson. Georgia beat Liberty 2-1 on Friday. Clemson is the No. 1 seed in this bracket and will face Sunday’s Columbia-Rutgers winner.

Iowa outshot Bucknell 31-5, with 10 shots on goal to the Bison’s one.

Elle Otto held up the ball long enough in the box for the Solon native Durr to wind up and fire in the breakthrough goal with 5:24 remaining in the first overtime period.

The NCAA eliminated the golden-goal rule ahead of last season, so the Hawkeyes had to play out the final 15 minutes. Kelli McGroarty sealed the win when she blasted in a 108th-minute rebound.

Durr also scored the game-winning goal in the Hawkeyes’ 1-0 win over Wisconsin in last week’s Big Ten tournament championship game. Iowa has won four straight postseason games.

Iowa’s only previous NCAA tournament win came in April 2021.

Iowa field hockey falls in 2OT

Louisville’s Aimee Plumb scored the golden goal on a penalty corner with 2 1/2 minutes left in the second overtime period to eliminate eighth-ranked Iowa, 2-1, in an NCAA field hockey tournament first-round game Friday at Northwestern.

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Dionne van Aalsum gave Iowa (13-6) the lead with 6:14 left in the first half with her NCAA Division-I best 28th goal of the season. No. 10 Louisville, which fell 2-1 to Iowa in the regular season, tied it in the third quarter.

The Cardinals (15-6) will face second-ranked Northwestern in the quarterfinals Sunday.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com