Kelli McGroarty's program record four goals leads Iowa past Missouri State
It may go down as a 5–0 win for the 10th-ranked Iowa soccer team, but it will be remembered as the Kelli McGroarty Game. The grad senior found the back of the net four times in the Hawkeyes shutout win over Missouri State on Sunday afternoon. No player in program history has ever scored four goals in a single match, until now.
Despite meeting in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season in Iowa City, the Bears entered this match with a subpar 2-4-1 record. Considered a healthy favorite to win the match, the Hawkeyes got on the board just minutes into the game.
Freshman midfielder Elle Wildman got out on the transition break and found her teammate Sofia Bush out wide to continue to attack. Bush dribbled into the right side of the box and centered a ball for Liana Tarasco who finished past MSU keeper Ella Becker for the opening goal of the match in the 3rd minute.
That was the only goal on the board past the 40-minute mark in the opening half. Then came the flurry of goals from Voorhees, New Jersey native Kelli McGroarty. Much like in other sports, anything notable that happens in the final five minutes of the first half, and the first five minutes of second half can change the momentum of the game. Iowa ended the Bears hopes of an upset with what they did in the final minutes of the first half.
In the 42nd minute, the Hawkeyes earned a corner kick and cashed in. Morgan Lietz sent a high arcing ball into the box for Lexy Griffin. Her back post header was set to go wide, but Kelli McGroarty was there for a sharp angle finish to put Iowa in front 2-0. That goal alone would have been enough to turn the momentum going into the locker room.
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However, less than a minute later, in the 43rd minute, the back breaking goal came. What started out as a nothing ball from Eileen Solomon towards the end line turned into a well-earned score. Shae Doherty tracked down the ball and chipped it back into the center of the box for McGroarty who made the one-touch finish pass Ella Becker to turn a 1-0 lead into a 3-0 lead in just 56 seconds.
Iowa was well on their way to another victory holding a three-goal advantage, but the day was not done for McGroarty. She soared for a header goal on a corner kick in the 74th minute and then tacked on another corner kick goal in the 90th minute. Standing at the far post, Morgan Lietz curled a ball right on target where McGroarty was standing to put away her fourth goal of the match.
FINAL STATS
#10 Iowa 5 Missouri State 0
3′ – Goal Iowa Liana Tarasco (1-0), 42′ – Goal Iowa Kelli McGroarty (2-0), 43′ – Goal Iowa Kelli McGroarty (3-0), 73′ – Goal Iowa Kelli McGroarty (4-0), 90′ – Goal Iowa Kelli McGroarty (5-0)
Shots: Iowa 17-6 Shots on Goal: Iowa 8-2 Corners: Iowa 8-4 Fouls: Missouri State 6-5
Up Next, the 10th-ranked Hawkeyes open Big Ten play with a home match against the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday at the UI Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm CT on BTN+.
