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95 "e thing that sets Veronique apart from others is she has a very deceptive sweep, which creates a lot of ball speed on her shots," said Cellucci. "She's able to hit a target, and if she doesn't, the ball is usually coming at the goalkeeper at a very fast pace. at's one of the reasons why she is our primary go-to on penalty corners because she is able to get the shot off quickly and there is a lot of ball speed that comes with it." Declercq's "deceptive sweep" has been an advantage. e defender has scored six goals this season, including her first career goal in a 7-0 shutout over Saint Louis on Sept. 13. All six of her goals have come via penalty corners. Give credit where credit is due. While Declercq is the one scoring, she knows she wouldn't have the chance without everyone else doing their part. It all starts with the push. "Everybody on the field is important in penalty corner situations," said Declercq. "We have to have a clean exchange from the push to the shot. ose three positions — the pusher, trapper, and hitter — are key. We have to have seamless execution between those three for the penalty corner to work." Declercq and the Hawkeyes conclude the regular season this weekend, hosting Maryland on Oct. 31 at Grant Field at noon (CT). Iowa then travels to Bloomington, Indiana, for the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 5-8). T he impact a penalty corner can make on a game is huge and it takes people with special skills for them to be successful. According to University of Iowa head field hockey coach Lisa Cellucci, the penalty corner is an aspect of the game that can have an enormous impact. "We've had teams at Iowa in the past that penalty corners were our go-to," said Cellucci. "We went to the Final Four in 2008 because we had a penalty striker who could score almost every time given the opportunity. "You try to build your attack to draw a play; either get a shot on goal or get a penalty corner. It's something we practice multiple times a week and you need people who have special skills to be able to execute." e Hawkeyes appear to have found one of those special players in sophomore Veronique Declercq. ough it took a while for the native of Belgium to adjust to the American style of play, she has taken the challenge head on and has become Iowa's primary option on penalty corners. "I like being the go-to in those situations because I'm a defender and I'm not in the circle as much as a forward would be," said Declercq. "I practice on my sweep and hit to get it on point. I can put the ball where the coaches want me to." at sweep Declercq mentioned is something Cellucci says makes her stand out.