Iowa soccer advances to NCAA tournament Sweet 16 for first time

The No. 3 NCAA tournament seed awarded to the University of Iowa soccer team is the highest in its history. Now, the Hawkyes have gone further in the tourney than any other Iowa team.

Meike Ingles capitalized on an open net with a spectacular volley in the 55th minute and the Hawkeyes shut out No. 6-seed Georgetown, 1-0, in an NCAA tournament second-round game Friday night at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Hawkeyes (15-2-4) will face No. 7-seed Virginia Tech (13-5-3) in the third round Sunday at 8 p.m. (CT) at UCLA. The Hokies upset No. 2-seed UCLA, 2-1, in Friday’s nightcap.

Iowa goalkeeper Macy Enneking’s free kick from the center circle set up the game’s only goal. Georgetown (13-4-4) goalkeeper Anna Karpenko got a hand to it, but was upended by a teammate in the process. Iowa’s Madison Wilson got a head to the deflection and Ingles did the rest, volleying a shot from outside the box over the scrum in the middle and into the net.

It was Ingles’ seventh goal of the season, tying her with Berit Parten for the team lead.

Georgetown was inches away from a 60th-minute equalizer via a deflected corner kick, but Iowa’s Kenzie Roling was in the way and Enneking covered it up to prevent a rebound.

Neither team had many opportunities. Iowa had six shots and four on goal to Georgetown’s five and one.

Iowa has tied its program record for single-season wins set in 2013 and 2019 and doubled its NCAA tournament win total this season, including a 2-1 first-round win at home last week against Missouri State.

Iowa finished third in the Big Ten regular-season standings, but didn’t face champion USC or runner-up UCLA.

Ingles and Enneking were two of the seniors Iowa Coach Dave DiIanni pointed to last week after the win over Missouri State when discussing the Sweet 16 milestone within reach.

“I think it would mean a lot to them,“ DiIanni said. ”They’ve put a lot of hard work into the process. Your legacy is what it is when you leave at the end. They should be really proud of what they have done.”

The game was strangely delayed for 3 1/2 minutes in the first half when both teams returned to their benches and the center referee appeared to make a cellphone call. The ESPN+ broadcast said Georgetown asked for the UCLA marching band practicing on a field adjacent to the soccer stadium to do so silently, then said both teams were inquiring.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com