DePaul University
0-1-0, 0-0-0
Iowa
1-0-0, 0-0-0
Despite Parker’s Early Goal, Iowa Claims Season Opener
8/19/2021 7:11:00 PM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
O'Brien's debut spoiled by a pair of unanswered Hawkeye goals
CHICAGO - DePaul women's soccer opened the 2021 campaign with a tightly contested 2-1 defeat versus the Iowa Hawkeyes at Wish Field on Thursday afternoon. After an early goal by DePaul defender Sydney Parker, the Hawkeyes were able to net a pair of unanswered goals. Blue Demon head coach Michele O'Brien made her head coaching debut in the season opener.
"It was really great to get the early goal from Sydney," said O'Brien. "Then Iowa really took it to us and we didn't quite have the fighting mentality that we usually bring. We turned it around in the second half and were able to generate more chances and earn corner kicks. We just weren't able to capitalize down the stretch."
Parker, a DePaul senior defender who scored her first career goal in last season's opener, got the Blue Demons rolling early. Off of a corner kick in the second minute, Parker found the ball at point-blank range after a Brooke Weitzel header was deflected near the net. Parker slotted her quick shot to give DePaul an early 1-0 advantage.
Just over ten minutes later, Iowa was able to equalize when Kenzie Roling got free on the break. Later in the half, with less than three minutes remaining before the break, Iowa's Alyssa Walker got free deep in the DePaul end. Walker knocked a well-placed shot over DePaul keeper Mollie Eriksson to give Iowa the lead.
In the second half, DePaul picked up the offensive intensity. The Blue Demons earned five second-half corners and outshot the Hawkeyes 5-3 in the game's final 45 minutes. However, the Blue Demons could not connect on net and were held off by Iowa until the final whistle.
KEY STATS
- Parker's early goal was the second of her career. Her only other goal was a game-winner versus Valpo earlier this year in the 2020-21 season-opener.
- Blue Demon freshmen Katie Godden and Susie Soderstrom both made their collegiate debuts in the defeat. Godden logged 63 minutes on the pitch while Soderstrom played 12.
- Morgan Turner led the Blue Demons with three shots, two coming on target. Turner probed the attacking zone all afternoon but never had a clean, quality scoring chance.
- Brooke Weitzel logged 77 tough minutes in the match despite being sidelined temporarily with an injury. The DePaul senior logged the early assist and totaled a pair of shots. The assist was her first since 2019.
UP NEXT
DePaul hits the road for its next tilt: a non-conference matchup versus Oakland next Thursday in Rochester, Michigan. The Blue Demons will be back to Wish Field for a match against the UIC Flames on Sunday, Aug. 29.
For all of the latest on DePaul Women's Soccer, stay tuned to depaulbluedemons.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Sydney Parker (1)
Assisted By: Brooke Weitzel
GOAL by DPU Parker, Sydney Assist by Weitzel, Brooke.
02:34
Kenzie Roling (1)
Assisted By: Addie Bundy
GOAL by IOW Roling, Kenzie Assist by Bundy, Addie.
14:45
Alyssa Walker (1)
Assisted By: Hailey Rydberg , Miah Schueller
GOAL by IOW Walker, Alyssa Assist by Rydberg, Hailey and Schueller, Miah.
43:11
