Iowa forward Meike Ingles celebrates a goal during the NCAA women's soccer tournament first-round match between No. 3-seed Iowa and Missouri State at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex in Iowa City on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bears 2-1 and will take on the winner between Fairfield and No. 6-seed Georgetown, which will be decided after their match, which is set to start Nov. 16 at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time.
In the fast-paced game of soccer -- with 22 players frantically trying to position themselves in the best manner to score the rare goal -- it can be very easy to get lost in the moment. But not for Hawkeye soccer forward Meike Ingles.
It can be particularly challenging to stay grounded during an opening-round NCAA Tournament game with the energy of a fiery home crowd and the excitement of playing under the bright lights -- especially in front of a home crowd at the Hawkeye Soccer Complex on a Friday night.
But Ingles never found the moment got too big. That's a testament to the preparation -- as a "family" -- that goes into such big contests.
"I really think our team applied what we practiced all week long," Ingles said. "I think this is definitely a year we've looked forward to ... We don't really know what's next, and we're just glad to be together as a family and to keep moving forward for another seven days."
Ingles scored a critical goal for Iowa soccer at the 22-minute mark, giving the Hawkeyes a narrow 1-0 lead against the Bears that proved crucial moving into the second half.
But Ingles' goal would not have been without an incredible pass from teammate Kenzie Roling. Roling dished the assist to Ingles after gliding down the left side of the field one-on-one with a Bear defender close to her side. And she strategically placed the ball with a booming left kick.
The pass found Ingles in stride -- cruising down the right side of the box, scoring the ball past goalkeeper Camielle Day off a friendly Hawkeye bounce.
Day single-handedly kept the Bears in the game with multiple defensive stops for Missouri State, but Ingles displayed her veteran leadership by staying calm under pressure and not letting the brights shine too much in the pressure-filled environment.
Iowa won the game narrowly, 2-1, to a Missouri State team that, prior to this game, was on the longest active winning streak in the country with nine-straight victories.
Ingles' teammate Maggie Johnston recorded the second goal of the night for the Hawkeyes, giving Iowa a 2-0 lead to open the second half of play. Ingles focused more on her teammates' performances, though, concluding this goal was pivotal for Iowa's 2-1 victory.
"I think it gave us a lot more momentum," Ingles said. "Not that we took a step back, but it was positive, just keep going. It took a little bit of pressure off our shoulders to keep going throughout the rest of the half."
It is no secret that Ingles' goal in the first period shifted the tide in favor of Iowa and surely helped push the Hawkeye past the Bears after a late second-half goal by Missouri State at the 79-minute mark.
Without Ingles's goal, Johnston's goal to open the second half would not have been the deciding factor -- instead it would have been a game-tying goal.
Iowa head coach Dave DiIanni highlighted the importance of getting to that second goal, which would've been impossible without Ingles' start.
"In the game of soccer, the second goal is massive," he said. "It just kills the life of the [other] team, and I actually think that if we would have gotten three, the game would have been over."