Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1173746
21 T he lure of Iowa City, Iowa draws many recruits from the United States and around the world for many reasons. For the Stribos sisters, it's a family affair and centers around field hockey. Sophomore Lokke and freshman Sofie followed their older sister, Marike, to the University of Iowa where all three have enjoyed success on Grant Field. e Stribos trio is from Brussels, Belgium, and each played for the U18 Belgian National Team before arriving in Iowa City. Marike played for the Hawkeyes from 2010-14, the first to spark the family tradition of putting on the black and gold jersey on game day. "She's the one who started it all," Iowa head coach Lisa Cellucci said. A connection through the university brought Cellucci and the Iowa coaching staff to Belgium to scout Marike. At the time, Lokke and Sofie had just started in the sport. e sisters share more than a last name. eir upbringing, combined with their abilities, made them surefire candidates for Iowa's historically successful program. "ey're all great students who are very humble and have been model athletes in our program," Celluci said. eir academic prowess and longing to play in the United States are some of their shared characteristics. However, each sister has a unique playing style that the coaching staff uses in their offensive and defensive schemes. "Athletically, they're all very different," Cellucci noted. "Sofie has the most speed. Marike was more midfield-oriented with great passing ability and vision, while Lokke is an awesome distributer and on-ball defender." Sofie and Lokke have played an important role in Iowa's success this season, and their personalities give look at what makes them productive. e pair account for four of the Hawkeyes' goals this season, each recording two. Lokke has also added two assists. "Sofie's the most outgoing sister, who's smiley and gets really excited," Cellucci said. "Lokke's the most reserved and Marike falls in the middle." e Iowa coaching staff hoped that all three Stribos sisters would want to come to the United States and pursue athletics and education, but each sister was recruited individually as they reached recruiting age. When Marike had the chance to play in big games, Sofie and Lokke had the opportunity to watch. Cellucci believes that's when the sisters 'caught the Hawkeye bug.' "Watching my sister play here definitely made the choice easier," Sofie said. "I always looked up to (Marike) when I was young. I've been playing with Lokke since I was little, and we're very close, so it's fun enjoying every minute on the field with her." OCTOBER SCHEDULE Oct. 4 Rutgers Oct. 6 UC Davis Oct. 11 at Maryland Oct. 13 at Penn State Oct. 18 at Indiana Oct. 20 at Louisville Oct. 26 Northwestern