The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Youth boosts field hockey

The+Iowa+team+celebrates+after+their+goal+scored+by+forward+Natalie+Cafone+at+Grant+Field+on+Sunday%2C+Oct.+12%2C+2014.+Iowa+defeated+Miami%2C+3-1.+%28The+Daily+Iowan%2FJohn+Theulen%29
The Daily Iowan
The Iowa team celebrates after their goal scored by forward Natalie Cafone at Grant Field on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014. Iowa defeated Miami, 3-1. (The Daily Iowan/John Theulen)

With the lack of depth on its roster, the Iowa field-hockey team is making the best of it.

By Mario Williams
[email protected]

Of the 19 athletes listed on the Iowa field-hockey roster, five are freshmen, and seven are sophomores.

It’s clear the Hawkeyes are young, but so far this season, their impressive game has kept the 2-2 Hawkeyes ranked among the top 20 in the country.

For Iowa head coach Lisa Cellucci, this doesn’t come as a shock.

“Whoever’s a part of this program, they know they’re going to be counted on right away,” she said. “Those that rise to the occasion, that’s what we expect. For them to be able to lead themselves and then lead the team, too.”

This group may be young, but they haven’t had a problem adjusting to the college game, Cellucci said.

As a team, Iowa has tallied 9 goals in four games. Of those goals, 5 have come from underclassmen.

Freshman Makenna Grewe has 3 goals under her belt. She scored her first goal against No. 11 Wake Forest on Aug. 29, and she also snagged 2 against Richmond on Sept. 4. 

The native of San Diego said the guidance and leadership of her teammates have been vital.

“The team has been supportive, and it has helped my confidence and to keep me moving forward,” Grewe said.  “They’ve been really helpful with explaining things, because a lot of it is very new to me.

“I’m having a great time. It’s a lot of work, but I’m having a lot of fun.”

Sophomore Mallory Lefkowitz started in a number of games last season. Although she’s still an underclassman, she has all the tools and skills that she relays to the freshmen such as Grewe.

The two athletes both play midfield and enjoy feeding off one another.

“It’s a lot of positive reinforcement and just encouraging them to keep working hard,” Lefkowitz said. “I always interact with her [Grewe] during the game and encourage her to talk to me and like tell me to step up.

“We always go over something if we’re unsure about it after the play we tell each other, ‘Let’s do this next time,’ and we usually fix it, and it ends up working out really well,” Grewe said.

The two midfielders have had much success thus far this season and have contributed a lot for their No. 15 team.

From here, however, it’ll only get tougher.

They’re aware of the challenges they’ll face in the upcoming schedule, with No. 5 Stanford, Kent State, St. Louis, and Rutgers all coming to town. The young duo say they’re ready.

“They both have taken on leadership roles on the field, and they have to continue to do so, just because of our youth and our depth,” Cellucci said. “They’ve been facing a lot of different situations and have been relaying that to the team and just talk about different experiences.

“Right now, they’re playing key roles for us.”

Follow @marioxwilliams on Twitter for news, updates, and analysis on the Iowa field-hockey team.

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