COLUMBUS, OHIO — The No. 10 Iowa Hawkeye field hockey team saw its Big Ten Tournament championship hopes come to an end Friday, November 6, 2026, suffering a 4-1 defeat to top-ranked Maryland in the conference semifinals at Buckeye Varsity Field.
The Hawkeyes dropped to 13-5 on the season, while the Terrapins improved to 18-1 and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
Maryland wasted little time establishing control, scoring twice in the opening quarter to put Iowa in an early hole.
Jordyn Hollamon opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 4:59 mark. Babs van Hest doubled the Terrapins’ advantage at 13:59, giving Maryland a 2-0 lead after the first period.
The Hawkeyes managed to keep Maryland off the scoreboard in the second quarter, but the Terrapins struck again following halftime.
Ella Beach extended Maryland’s advantage to 3-0 at 34:34 of the third quarter, converting an opportunity created by Maci Bradford.
Iowa answered less than two minutes later when Fréderique van Cleef scored her 18th goal of the season at 36:16, taking a pass from Lexie Haig and finding the back of the cage to cut Maryland’s lead to 3-1.
The Hawkeyes’ comeback hopes faded when van Hest scored her second goal of the afternoon at 44:49, with Francisca Eschoyez providing the assist. The goal restored Maryland’s three-goal cushion and completed the scoring.
Maryland finished with a 12-6 advantage in shots and dominated penalty corner opportunities by a 10-1 margin, limiting Iowa’s chances to generate sustained offensive pressure.
Hawkeye goalkeepers Julia Claessens and Abby Johnson combined to record one save. Claessens, who was credited with the loss, saw her season record fall to 7-4.
Despite the semifinal defeat, Iowa carried a strong 13-5 record into the postseason selection process, highlighted by van Cleef’s 18-goal campaign.
The Hawkeyes had advanced to the conference semifinals with a 2-1 victory over No. 12 Penn State in the Big Ten quarterfinals on November 4.
Iowa’s attention turned to the NCAA Tournament, with the 2026 NCAA Field Hockey Selection Show scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at 9 p.m. Central time.
The selection announcement would determine whether the Hawkeyes received a berth in the national championship tournament and an opportunity to extend their 2026 season.