After being a mainstay on the Iowa State women's soccer team for seven seasons, midfielder Josie Dua is embarking on a new chapter in her life. He has graduated from college and is shifting his focus to a career as an athletic specialist.
Doerr, who had a great year with the Hawkeyes in 2023, currently lives in Arizona with former teammate Sarah Wheaton. Although she works at a physical therapy clinic, she said she doesn't think her career as a soccer player will last.
“If anything, it's going to be just picking up material here and there, probably small local six-on-six games,” Durr said. “Sarah and I have been talking about getting back into action a little bit. We're still athletic, we're still mobile, so we might as well do the best we can.” But it's so crazy. Nor is it too serious. ”
Her soccer career may be over, but Dru's time on the pitch wearing black and gold helped her figure out what to do next. Her passion for soccer helped her narrow down her future goals.
“I think [it] It gave me a lot of perspective for the future,” Dru said of his personal growth at Iowa. “Find your passion, find what excites you, what makes you happy, and develop that and work towards it.”
Durr also formed lasting friendships with teammates such as Wheaton and New Zealand international Samantha Tauhar. The opportunity to travel and develop friendships after playing together had a lasting impact on Dru and made his time in Iowa all the more valuable.
“The whole experience was something that not many people have the opportunity to experience,” Durr said of the cohesiveness within the team. “I'm just grateful for every step and everything that happened. Everything I went through to get to where I am today, both as a team and as an individual.”
The bonds she formed off the field led to great success on the field. During Dru's time on the team, Iowa women's soccer was the most successful in program history, winning the Big Ten Tournament twice and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament twice.
In the 2023 Big Ten Tournament final against Wisconsin, Doull was the hero for the Hawkeyes, converting a penalty kick in the first half to give Iowa a 1-0 lead. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle, and the Hawkeyes won their second conference championship in four years.
After winning the Big Ten title, the Iowa women's soccer team played its first NCAA Tournament game at home. The team won 2-0 against Bucknell on November 10, setting a new record with an attendance of 2,639.
Even though Iowa State lost 3-2 to Georgia State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Doull witnessed the growth of the Iowa State football team.
Durr spent two extended redshirt seasons and an additional year at Iowa due to COVID-19.
In Doull's redshirt freshman season, the first year she received significant playing time, the Hawkeyes went 8-7-3 with just four wins in the Big Ten and missed out on postseason play.
“Maybe we weren't very good. We didn't play very well,” Durr said of the program's first few years. “Then by the end [my career], has appeared in the NCAA Tournament and the Big Ten Championship. If you trust the process, are willing to put in the work, and grow as a team, you can make great progress. ”
Despite losing the team's two key contributors, Dru and defenseman Samantha Carey, Iowa State's football program is reloaded and ready for another strong fall season in the new-look Big Ten in 2024. I am scheduled to welcome you.
Doerr cited freshmen Sophia Bush and Millie Greer as two players who could take over the mantle.
“I think they'll continue to build on what we've been doing for the past few years,” Durr said. “It's only going to get better for them. I think they're in a really good position.”
Durr added that he has “grown a lot” and “improved a lot” during his time with the team and sees the same potential in the younger players.
“I went into it with the mentality, 'This is my last year, leave everything on the field,'” Durr said. “Don't hold back. Give it your all and see what happens, and it just happened to work out for me. I mean a lot of things I'll never forget. Big Ten Champion. Scoring at Shipp will always be one of my fondest memories.”
In Doull's final season with the Hawkeyes, he had a career-best seven goals and two assists in 20 games. She played in 88 games during her fall schedule and finished her Iowa career with 12 goals and four assists.
“In previous seasons, I was always worried that I was going to get injured,” Durr said. “This year, I felt like I had to give it my all and it was okay to get injured. As long as I could get through and play well, that's okay. I knew I didn't deserve anything better. So I just had to give it my all and see what happens.”
Iowa head coach Dave Dianni sensed from the beginning that Doull was approaching his final season in a new way.
“Last fall was Georgie like I've never seen her before,” Dianni said. “All of her really close friends are gone, but she fell in love with the game again and played without any pressure. She got along really well with a lot of the people on the team. He was like a silent leader.”
Dianni also said some players may need another year or two to feel comfortable and consistent on the pitch.
“I had a really good experience at Iowa,” Durr said. “I was passionate about soccer, so I wanted to play soccer at university as well. It was a great experience. If you find something you like and continue doing it, it will make your future a little easier. Sho.”