The Iowa Soccer program looks drastically different than it did a decade ago. A program that made just one NCAA Tournament appearance in it’s first 22 years has gone dancing in four of the last six seasons, including breaking through for their first ever Round of 16 appearance last season. Dave Dilanni, now in his […]
The Iowa Soccer program looks drastically different than it did a decade ago. A program that made just one NCAA Tournament appearance in it’s first 22 years has gone dancing in four of the last six seasons, including breaking through for their first ever Round of 16 appearance last season.
Dave Dilanni, now in his 12th year as head coach of the Hawkeyes, has his team ranked in the preseason poll for the second consecutive season, with aspirations of building the program up even more than he already has.
Ranked 17th in the Top Drawer Preseason Top 25, Iowa opens the season on Thursday with a big-time match against the 7th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Coach Dilanni was kind enough to let me sit down with him on Monday morning to discuss the upcoming season.
Here are some of the top quotes from my 30-minute talk with the head coach of the Hawkeyes.
1. “I think this team’s got a shot to do everything that last year’s team did”
Given that the Hawkeyes had never gotten past the second round of the NCAA Tournament until last season, it’s a big statement from Coach Dilanni to say that this year’s team is capable of doing the exact same things.
Last year’s team had a ton of veterans that had started or played large roles for multiple seasons and going into the year, it felt like the team had the makings of one that could do some things never done before at Iowa. There are plenty of returning pieces from last year’s squad, but there are also some new faces, both freshmen and transfers, that will play key roles as the Hawkeyes try to replicate the success they had a year ago.
The hype that surrounded last year’s team was centered around the experience and leadership that returned, while this year’s team has a different type of buzz—one built a little before more on potential than proven track records. Many key pieces return, but newcomers will play a bigger role than they did last season.
2. “We’re in a place now, as a program, where when you taste success, you see what it looks like and what it takes to get there…I think pressure and high expectations are such a fantastic thing to have”
There’s a difference between goals and expectations. A decade ago, the goal for Iowa was to make the NCAA Tournament and they finally broke through doing that in ’19 and ’20. Now, after making the NCAA Tournament in ’23 and ’24, including a trip to the Round of 16 last season, it feels like the tournament has become an expectation for the program rather than a goal. That’s a big step and now they can set their sights on things like a conference championship, another Round of 16 trip or even a run the NCAA Quarterfinals as new goals.
3. “Taylor (Kane) and Fernanda (Mayrink) are going back and forth competing for that number one spot, and honestly, I think it’s probably going to go for a couple of weeks”
Over the course of her five years at Iowa, Macy Enneking started 65 games in goal for the Hawkeyes, including starting 49 straight games to end her career. For the first time October of ’22, there will be a new goalkeeper between the posts for Iowa, but the one that starts in the season-opener against Arkansas might not be the one that starts the home-opener against TCU.
The battle for the starting goalkeeper job is an ongoing one, with graduate senior Taylor Kane and sophomore Barry University transfer Fernanda Mayrink playing a half apiece in their exhibition games against South Dakota and Kansas. Coach Dilanni says this battle could take a few games to get sorted out, but the goal is to have a true starting goalkeeper nailed down sooner rather than later.
4. “This is the deepest back line we’ve had in probably seven or eight years”
Looking at the roster a month ago, with Millie Greer, Miah Schueller and Eva Pattison, plus a couple of transfer additions, this would have seemed like an impressive, but fair comment from Coach Dilanni.
The comment holds even more weight now that we know that the injury Pattison suffered against Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament will cause her to miss the entire ’25 season. The addition of Price Loposer (Miss State) and Iba Oching (Syracuse) from the portal, plus true freshman Sammy Reimer and redshirt junior Lexy Griffin, has the coaching staff feeling confident in the group they have.
5. “The deeper part of the midfield, Abby Skiff, Josie Jones, Eileen Solomon and Kellen Fife are all battling it out for that space”
Outside of who wins the starting goalkeeper job, the next biggest question is who will come out on top in the battle for minutes at the defensive midfield position. The position, played both by Maggie Johnston and Rielee Fetty last season, is up for grabs, with four players in the competition that has spanned through the entirety of the preseason.
Junior Abby Skiff and senior Kellen Fife are the returnees from last year’s roster, while Boston University transfer Eileen Solomon is the conversation, as is true freshman Josie Jones who has been a pleasant surprise in preseason camp according to Coach Dilanni.
6. “Meike Ingles, this is the best she’s ever looked coming into preseason”
Meike Ingles, entering her sixth year with the program, has been through a lot during her career, including injuries and the birth of her daughter, causing her to play in just one game over the span of two seasons. She started 18 of 22 games last season, leading the team with 19 points, including seven goals and five assists.
Coach Dilanni says she’s playing happy and is trying to take in everything that comes with knowing your final year of collegiate sports is about to begin.
Category: General Sports
