The Iowa Soccer team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2025 soccer season. Preseason ranked for just the second time in program history, the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes traveled to Fayetteville for a season-opening matchup against 6th-ranked Arkansas. A perfect opportunity to make their presence felt on the national stage. They made their statement loud and clear, knocking off the Razorbacks 3-2, handing them just their second home loss in their last 47 matches at Razorback Field.
“It was really exciting, and we’re really glad to get that result, but I think it’s something we expected out of this group,” said junior Millie Greer. “It really solidifies the talent we have. There were freshmen that came in and handled (the atmosphere) like they were seniors. I think it just helps the people that are new here to feel that confidence and now, they actually have something to back it up.”
In that match, Iowa jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half, but it was far from a comfortable finish. The Razorbacks quickly cut the lead in half with a goal in the 49th minute, but rather than folding under the pressure of hanging on to a lead in a tough environment, the Hawkeyes quickly responded with a sterling goal from Abby Skiff in the 51st minute. That response was enough for Iowa to keep control and pull off the signature win.
“What I asked of them was to not get bullied, to stay connected with one another, to believe in one another, to not get too high, not too low,” said head coach Dave Dilanni. “We told them at halftime it was going to come. They’re good for a reason and they’ve been top ten in the country for a long time. I thought Abby Skiff’s goal, our response sealed the game…our approach to adversity, our approach to playing a good team when it goes against you, I thought was fantastic.”
Belief is a word that is frequently used by Coach Dilanni. He wants his team to have the belief that Iowa Soccer belongs on the field with the likes of a team like Arkansas or Penn State or whatever ranked team they go up against. Picking up a monumental road win against a team like Arkansas only gives the Hawkeyes an increase in their confidence and belief that they are a top ten, top 15 team in the country.
“I think that was really big for us. If we were more naive or more immature, and we let them kind of come back, we probably tie or don’t get the result we wanted,” said Greer. “It really showed how much we can step up, even in front of a huge crowd and still be able to come together as a team and say, let’s do our job, trust each other, and we’ll get out with something.”
With their win in Fayetteville in the rearview, the Hawkeyes now face another big-time challenge — 7th-ranked TCU visits Iowa City Thursday night in a matchup that could further elevate the Hawkeyes’ national standing. The Horned Frogs enter with a 2-0 record, defeating Pepperdine 6-1 in the opener, before finishing the weekend with a 1-0 shutout win over UTSA. Picked first in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll, TCU provides a different test, led by First Team All-Big 12 forward Seven Castain.
“TCU is okay with building the ball and being a bit prettier with how they play, and playing through the layers, whereas Arkansas, we knew it was going to skip the middle zone pretty quickly.” said Dilanni. “We haven’t worked on a ton of defending. Even Kansas was a lot like Arkansas and that was by design, making sure we played them.”
“Today (at practice) was about defending shape and communication because if it’s done right, we can catch them, but if it’s not done right, they expose you. It’s a bit more methodical, different type of talent and different tactics, but a very daunting opponent nonetheless.”
Thursday’s match will be more than a battle between two highly ranked soccer teams. It will be another first for the Iowa Soccer program. For the first time in program history, the UI Soccer Complex will play host to a top ten showdown, with the Hawkeyes landing at #9 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.
The matchup marks another tangible shift in perception around the program. Every school wants to be able to host games like this one and for Iowa, what was once a distant goal is now a reality. The Hawkeyes are no longer chasing a spot in the national spotlight—on Thursday night, Iowa City will be in the spotlight.
“Milestones are important, right? I’m somebody who’s always believed in this program, even when it wasn’t happening in real time. My vision was to be somebody that people take seriously,” said Dilanni. “If I’m in Iowa City, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Muscatine, Des Moines and TCU, a top ten team in the country is coming to our place, I’d want to come watch it because I think you’re watching the highest level of soccer in the country.”
“It’s really exciting to be able to have a team like TCU come in and play at Iowa,” said Greer. “We have a lot of really great crowds that come out, so I think it’ll be a really fun game. Being able to be a top team and play a top team, it’s exactly the position we want to put ourselves in.”
Thursday’s match against the 7th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs will kick off at 7:30pm CT on the Big Ten Network.
