After a weekend that saw the Kent State field hockey team score 17 goals, the Flashes could not find a way to counter the 10th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes’ offensive attack in a 6-0 loss Sunday afternoon.

Kent State dropped to a 4-4 record after the loss, and Iowa improved its record to 5-3 on the season.

The Hawkeyes wasted no time making their presence known at Murphy-Mellis Field, with Natalie Cafone scoring one of her three goals at the 1:50 mark and adding an assist later in the game. Despite the early goal, the Flashes found themselves down by just a 2-0 deficit at the end of the first half.

As the second half began, the Hawkeyes scored four goals within a span of five minutes, two by Cafone and two by Kelsey Mitchell. The Flashes, who scored a season-high 13 goals against Saint Louis on Sept. 13, were unable to find an answer for the Hawkeyes’ offense or defense.

Kent State outshot Iowa 13-12 in the game but only managed to get five shots on goal the entire match, compared with the Hawkeyes’ 11 shots on goal.

The Flashes will attempt to regroup quickly as they prepare to take on another Big Ten Conference opponent, the Ohio State Buckeyes, at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Murphy-Mellis Field.

Contact Chris Ginley at [email protected].