The second division of women’s football was not the next division I was going to cover, but then I noticed how close the title race was to being over. FHL could be champions as early as August 10th – nearly a month before the final game – if Grótta fails to beat Grindavík the day before and FHL then beat ÍBV at home.

There’s plenty else to look at in this division of course, especially with the remarkable turnaround in July for ÍBV, but I do admit there will be a lot of focus on FHL, with a fairly in-depth look at their record-book chasing chances after I’ve talked about the rest of the field. Here’s how the table looks with 5 games remaining, plus the changes since the end of June are shown in red:

As mentioned, FHL have taken the division by storm this year, a major improvement on their 5 wins in 2023 that had them just above the drop zone. A big factor in that progress are the transfers from abroad: goalkeeper Keelan Terrell and defender Deja Sandoval from the US, plus midfielder Selena Salas from Spain (Laia Arias also came from Spain but has only played once in the league). Missing from that initial list are another pair of Americans, the forwards who make up the top 2 goalscorers in Lengjudeild: Emma Hawkins and Sammy Smith. The last game in which neither of them scored was also the only loss FHL has suffered this year, which was a 6-1 hammering at the hands of HK. That was the 3rd game of the season and completed a somewhat inauspicious start with a draw to Selfoss and narrow win over ÍA. Since then though they have been at full throttle, winning 10 in a row including revenge over HK with the same 6-1 scoreline in reverse. At 50 goals for the team and 24 for Hawkins, they are well ahead of the pack in scoring, and towards the bottom of this article I have included how those stats stack up in the history of the division.

ÍBV started much worse than FHL, or pretty much any other team in the division, as they entered July second from bottom in the table. Weirdly they hadn’t been playing too badly and so it wasn’t as much of a surprise as might be expected when they turned it around in the last month. In fact they were perfect in July, winning all 5 games by a combined margin of 14-4 with the gem of the bunch a 4-1 win over Afturelding who were 2nd at the time. Latvian international (one of two on the team) Olga Sevcova was pulling all the strings for ÍBV in attack before and after the results started to go their way. The exact stat is hard to come by, but it was incredibly rare for the Islanders to find the net without Olga scoring or assisting. The relatively lower goals total is to be expected from such a Jekyll and Hyde campaign, but as things stand they have scored fewer than the teams in 5th and 7th place.

On the same number of points as ÍBV and also seeing their standing improve in July was Grótta, who had 3 wins, a draw, and a loss (to ÍBV thanks to a first 1kvk goal for Ágústa María, one of the 2kvk top scorers). They’re a team with plenty of young talented players, including three pairs of sisters – Lovísa (2003) & Lilja (2005) Davíðsdóttir Scheving, Rakel Lóa (2004) & Rebekka Sif (2009) Brynjarsdóttir, Telma Sif (2000) & Hildur Björk (2004) Búadóttir – and top scorer (5 goals) Aufi Arnars (2008). Given the relative youth being fostered in Seltjarnarnes, it probably wouldn’t be the biggest disaster for them to miss promotion and have another season to develop in the second tier before taking on the best in the country. They may disagree of course, you can’t take an opportunity for granted and they’re right in the mix this year.

The teams all the way down to 7th have some degree of fighting chance in the promotion race, and Afturelding are only one point off the pace and in 4th place. The major concern for them is injuries, with goalkeeper Elaina La Macchia and captain Hildur Karítas both out for the remainder of the season. The transfer deadline slammed shut on July 31st for this division, and bolstering the ranks was a clear priority for UMFA before that, however the only transfer I can tell has gone through is that of American shotstopper Lili Berg who comes on loan from Fram having started 10 games for them. Thelma Sól Óðinsdóttir came from ÍBV earlier in the window, but it remains to be seen if there will be more incomers to be confirmed or if these two will have to be enough to complete the promotion challenge.

Fram are only 3 points off 2nd place, but many expected them to run away with the division this year. That was in part due to the major addition of firepower by bringing in Tindastóll legend Murielle Tiernan and 2023’s nationwide top scorer Alda Ólafsdóttir. 17 goals between the pair is certainly nothing to scoff at, and the prophecy seemed true after 5 of those came in the opening day 8-2 win over ÍR. Goals were a lot harder to come by as the campaign progressed though, with a 3-game spell in June being the worst of it with three big goose eggs on the scoreboard. So by that standard, July was a refreshing improvement, as they scored the 3rd most in the division (10), but also conceded the 4th most (9), most of those coming in their sole loss for the month, 5-1 to FHL.

ÍA have faired better than fellow promoted club ÍR this season, and like Grótta have a very talented young core. Players like Sunna Rún (2008), Kolfinna Eir (2007) and Vala María (2008) are considered ones to watch for the future and while playing the majority of games, and Bryndís Rún is the only player born before 2000 (that’s not a negative!). Despite Erna Björt scoring 7 times, ÍA are another side with a less than stellar record in front of goal. Like Grótta and Afturelding, they have scored just 19 goals.

HK by contrast have the 3rd most goals in the division but sit in 7th place after dropping four spots in July. I would consider Brookelynn Entz and Guðmunda Brynja to be among the best players in the league, and I was excited to see HK sign Birna Jóhannsdóttir – a player coming home from college in the US and with multiple teams interested in signing her – so I have to say I am majorly underwhelmed by their campaign so far. July was particularly unkind to them with 4 of their 6 losses coming there, and while they are the lowest of the teams I think are still in with a shot of promotion, they still have the potential for a big turnaround akin to that of ÍBV.

It wasn’t great in July for the last 3 teams in the table, recording just one win between them; a vital three points for Grindavík against Selfoss on the 1st of the month. It’s easy to root for the team forced from their home due to the eruptions, and I’m a little surprised to see them so low after a team of the month inclusion for Katelyn Kellogg in May. Selfoss are at risk of a second straight relegation, while the outlook is bleak for ÍR who need 9 points out of the final 15 available just to catch the current total of Grindavík.

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Below are all the results from the division in July, keep scrolling beyond that to see a bit more about how Emma Hawkins and FHL compare in goalscoring to the second tier women’s sides of the 21st century:

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So, 50 goals is a nice milestone to hit for FHL, and one that has been achieved or surpassed by 47 teams in the 21st century history of the women’s second division. The division has seen various forms over those years, with the current format preceded by one where the teams are split between two or three groups before a playoff to decide a champion. Because of the varying number of games played each year, I’ve included in this statistical breakdown the number of goals averaged per game. Additionally, I’ve started the counting from the year 2000 because the actual existence of the second division is intermittent in the two decades before that, having started in 1982.

here is what we will call “the 50 Club”, ranked in order of total goals scored, with the 2024 FHL team appearing twice – showing their current total at 50 and their projected total over 18 games based on their current average:

rank	Year	Team	Scored	Games	SpG	SpG rank
1	2004	Keflavík	133	12	11.10	1
2	2011	FH	81	12	6.75	2
2	2010	ÍBV	81	14	5.79	9
4	2005	Þór/KA/KS	79	12	6.58	3
4	2004	ÍA	79	12	6.58	3
4	2002	Þróttur	79	12	6.58	3
7	2004	HK/Víkingur	77	12	6.42	6
8	2013	Fylkir	76	16	4.75	18
9	2010	Þróttur	74	12	6.17	7
9	2019	Þróttur	74	18	4.11	30
11	2004	Þróttur	72	12	6.00	8
11	2013	KR	72	14	5.14	12
13	2010	Selfoss	69	14	4.93	14
13	2024	FHL (projected)	69	18	3.85	36
14	2007	Afturelding	68	14	4.86	16
15	2015	Völsungur	65	12	5.42	10
16	2003	Breiðablik 2	63	12	5.25	11
16	2013	Grindavík	63	14	4.50	22
16	2014	HK/Víkingur	63	16	3.94	33
19	2008	Völsungur	61	12	5.08	13
20	2006	Magni	60	15	4.00	31
21	2001	RKV	59	12	4.92	15
22	2012	Fram	59	14	4.21	26
22	2007	HK/Víkingur	59	14	4.21	26
22	2006	ÍR	59	14	4.21	26
22	2018	Fylkir	59	18	3.28	38
26	2004	Haukar	58	12	4.83	17
27	2007	Völsungur	57	12	4.75	18
27	2018	Keflavík	57	18	3.17	40
29	2015	Grindavík	55	12	4.58	20
29	2010	Keflavík	55	12	4.58	20
29	2006	Haukar	55	14	3.93	34
29	2023	Grótta	55	18	3.06	42
33	2005	Fjölnir	54	12	4.50	22
33	2006	Fjölnir	54	14	3.86	35
33	2014	KR	54	16	3.38	38
33	2023	Víkingur	54	18	3.00	43
37	2005	Fylkir	53	12	4.42	24
37	2007	Þróttur	53	14	3.79	37
37	2023	Fylkir	53	18	2.94	44
40	2003	Tindastóll	52	12	4.33	25
40	2000	Grindavík	52	13	4.00	31
42	2018	ÍA	51	18	2.83	46
43	2009	ÍBV	50	12	4.17	29
43	2024	FHL	50	13	3.85	36
43	2013	ÍA	50	16	3.13	41
43	2020	Tindastóll	50	17	2.94	44
43	2021	KR	50	18	2.78	47

We can probably rule out FHL (or any future team for that matter) from matching the ludicrous total achieved by Keflavík in 2004, and given FHL have already played more games in 2024 than that team did 20 years ago they have no chance of matching the goals scored per game. The projected total number of wins for FHL this season, based on their current average of 3.85 per game, would get them to 69 goals, good for 13th best all-time and the highest total since 2019.

Given how many of the 50 Club played much shorter seasons under the group format, and since I haven’t included goals scored in the playoffs (except for 2000 Grindavík whose playoff was actually aa league format), 2024 FHL actually rank pretty low among these clubs in terms of goals scored per game. That #36 ranks is something that can be rectified to also reach a higher total rank than #18. If we see that the most goals FHL has in any game this year is 6, and that they have scored that many on three occasions, we can use 6 as the very high end of a generous estimate of how far they can improve in 2024.

That would mean a season average of 4.44 goals per game, still only the 24th best historically, but the total at 80 would have sole ownership of the 4th greatest, and the best since 2011:

rank	Year	Team	Scored	Games	SpG	SpG rank
1	2004	Keflavík	133	12	11.10	1
2	2011	FH	81	12	6.75	2
2	2010	ÍBV	81	14	5.79	9
4	2024	FHL (6spg in final 5)	80	18	4.44	24
5	2005	Þór/KA/KS	79	12	6.58	3
5	2004	ÍA	79	12	6.58	3
5	2002	Þróttur	79	12	6.58	3

Next, I have collected every instance of a player in the women’s second division who has scored as many or more goals than Emma Hawkins has so far in 2024. Naturally, she is at the bottom of this list but has 5 games to climb a bit higher. This is taken from the same period of time as the 50 Club, but including goals from the regular season and playoffs, but not the “promotion-relegation game” played in some of the seasons between the playoff runner-up and second lowest first division team:

rank	player	team	year	goals
1	Anna Björg Björnsdóttir	Þróttur	2002	39
2	Aldís Kara Lúðvíksdóttir	FH	2011	33
3	Anna Björg Björnsdóttir	Fylkir	2013	30
4	Rakel Hönnudóttir	Þór/KA/KS	2005	29
4	Anna Björg Björnsdóttir	Þróttur	2004	29
6	Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir	Keflavík	2016	27
6	Nína Ósk Kristinsdóttir	Keflavík	2010	27
6	Guðný Petrína Þórðardóttir	Keflavík	2004	27
9	Karen Sturludóttir	HK/Vík	2007	26
10	Murielle Tiernan	Tindastóll	2020	25
10	Katrín Ýr Friðgeirsdóttir	Selfoss	2010	25
10	Hafrún Olgeirsdóttir	Völsungur	2007	25
13	Murielle Tiernan	Tindastóll	2019	24
13	Ólöf Helga Pálsdóttir	Keflavík	2004	24
13	Inga Birna Friðjónsdóttir	Tindastóll	2003	24
16	Guðrún Elísabet Björgvinsdóttir	Afturelding	2021	23
17	Anna Björg Björnsdóttir	Fylkir	2005	23
18	Linda Líf Boama	Þróttur	2019	22
18	Kristín Erna Sigurlásdóttir	ÍBV	2010	22
18	Fjóla Dröfn Friðriksdóttir	Haukar	2001	22
21	Esther Rós Arnarsdóttir	Fjölnir	2014	21
21	Aleksandra Mladenovic	Haukar	2006	21
21	Bryndís Jóhannesdóttir	ÍR	2006	21
21	Bryndís Jóhannesdóttir	ÍR	2003	21
21	Emma Hawkins	FHL	2024	21

Anna Björg is undisputedly the second division GOAT when it comes to goalscoring totals, as one of only 2 players to score 30 or more in a season, doing so on two occasions, 11 years apart and for different clubs. That high total of 39 in 2002 will be incredibly difficult for Emma Hawkins to match, but I wouldn’t be hugely surprised to see her become the third player to reach the 30-mark. Also of note is the 10th ranked total of fellow American Murielle Tiernan, whose 25 goals is very achievable for Emma with 5 games to go, and would make her the highest single season scorer from outside of Iceland in the history of the second division.

Apologies to their final 5 opponents, but I would consider these challenges for FHL to go after, and if anyone from the club has read this far and wasn’t aware of the historical context of their 2024 performance, I hope this gives them something to push for…

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