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125 I t is expected when coaches, fans, and players are eager for an upcoming University of Iowa field hockey season. But there is a big difference from being excited for a season and excited for a season with Natalie Cafone in the lineup. at is the welcomed situation in Iowa City this fall, where Cafone, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten forward, returns aer redshirting in 2015 following two procedures on her le shoulder. Cafone's "I'm excited" for the 2016 season is trumped only by UI head coach Lisa Cellucci's feeling of "super excited." For good reason. Cafone was Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as a junior when she scored 18 goals with six assists and led the Big Ten and ranked fourth nationally in goals per game (1.00). Her most productive season was as a sophomore in 2013 with 22 goals and eight assists. at season Cafone was the NCAA statistical champion for points per game (2.48). Now one of the most successful athletic programs at the UI will receive a jolt with the return of one of its best players ever. From 2011-14, the Hawkeyes won 53 games and owned a winning percentage of 66.3. Without Cafone in the lineup in 2015, Iowa was 9-10 and scored 49 goals. e season before with Cafone, the Hawkeyes scored 55 goals in one fewer game. "(e 2015 season) had its ups and downs. It was difficult for me to sit back and watch on the sidelines, but it was fun to see the team grow," Cafone said. "I got a different view being on the sidelines, so that was beneficial. I learned a lot from watching my teammates and studying film." You can now add "more tactical" to Cafone's long list of special qualities that also includes fast, skilled, and competitive. And, according to Cellucci, aer a year of rehabilitation and conditioning, Cafone is more fit than ever. "From a coach's perspective, she is a downright competitor and hates to lose in any situation: practice, conditioning, games," Cellucci said. "She brings it every day and her competitiveness is off the charts. We can't wait to get her back on the field; she is probably more fit than ever." Cafone is from Fairfield, New Jersey, where she was a four-year starter for West Essex High School. In 2011, aer scoring 50 goals with 34 assists, Cafone was named New Jersey Player of the Year. She has enjoyed success at the next level as well. Cafone started seven games and played in 21 for the Hawkeyes in 2012, scoring eight goals with a game-winner in overtime to defeat Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. As a sophomore in 2013, Cafone amassed 81 points and had six game-winning goals. In 2014 she added 66 points with three more game- winners. Her 48 career goals ties for 10th in school history. During her redshirt season, Cafone watched the Hawkeyes enjoy a four-game winning streak early in the season and later knock off Central Michigan and Michigan State before dropping their final four games. ree of the final four losses were by one goal and the final two were in double overtime. "Last season didn't go as planned, so the second that season ended we met as a team and decided what our goals would be," Cafone said. "From that moment we started preparing for this fall. is summer we had most of the team here; being prepared will be the main thing for us. If we can do that then I think we will find success."