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"There was a nice blueprint last year of working well together as a team," Rainey said "That blueprint started with having a nice team shape, defensively We were nice and consistent in the back third and our possession through midfield improved We were a little more dynam- ic in the attacking third and we were able to put opponents under more pressure than years past." The next step for the Hawkeyes is continued success in Big play Iowa's fiſth-place finish a year ago was the second-highest finish in school history, but Rainey wants a better finish and a deeper in run the Big Tournament. In order to do that, the plan from last year needs to be improved. "That blueprint is a good way to start out again this year, demand to be that much better, technically, in the middle third of the field to get one or two more chances a half in front of goal If we can do that against everybody we play, especially against Big opponents would be great." " Rainey said "Now, we need to Becoming a more dangerous team in the attacking third was the main focus during pre- season training When it comes to a formula, Rainey makes it simple "We need to out-chance every opponent that we play," Rainey said "We need to have more offensive chances than our opponent and give up fewer chances, defensively When we do that, we can start getting results." With a defense that has proven it's tough for opponents to score and a more focused effort on improving an attack that netted more than 40 goals last season, the Iowa soccer puzzle is fall- ing into place The missing pieces include a top finish in the Big , a postseason run in the Big Tournament and the first-ever appearance for Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. After a 4-0 start to the season, University of Iowa sophomore Cloe Lacasse leads the team in scoring with 13 points (five goals, three assists). If steady improvement over a six-year stretch is any indication, Rainey will have the Hawkeye soccer puzzle completed in the near future. 17