The clock ticked down to less than 30 seconds in the first overtime period.

The ISU soccer team weathered a 99-minute Baylor attack that included 21 shots and 12 corner kicks. It was shaping up for the Cyclones to withstand another overtime period and the Bears’ offense.

With only 27 seconds remaining, Koree Willer stood with nine other Cyclones on their own half of the field, all were too far away and there wasn’t enough time to set up a full offensive attack. So Willer played the ball to the only player in position to score: Emily Goldstein.

The ball soared past two defenders, followed by Goldstein. She slowed the ball down, squared up and launched a shot from 15 yards out.

“The goalie thought I was either going to pass it or shoot it to the back post,” Goldstein said. “I shot it to the front post instead, and it went in.”

The golden goal gave Iowa State (8-7-2, 2-3-1 Big 12) the win and players and coaches rushed the field in celebration. The crowd of 800-plus that braved sub-40 degree temperatures now had something to cheer about after almost 100 minutes of scoreless soccer.

Making the moment even sweeter in the Big 12 was a development happening in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU, favored to win against last-place Oklahoma, was upset 1-0. The TCU loss resulted in its drop in the Big 12 standings, which in turn pushed Iowa State up to fourth place.

The change in ranking was due, in large part, to Goldstein. Her four goals in the last two games resulted in back-to-back Big 12 wins, something that hadn’t been accomplished since 2010.

After her hat trick last week and an overtime game-winner this weekend, Goldstein now leads the team in goals with six and is tied with Jennifer Dominguez in points with 15.

“Unreal,” Goldstein said of the last two weeks. “This game is a game I will never forget. It was definitely all my team’s work. … I’m just happy I was able to be on the end of it and put it away for us.”

ISU coach Wendy Dillinger applauded Willer and Goldstein’s performances as the two hooked up for an assist-goal combination for the third time in two games. Willer now leads the team in assists with six.

However, the progress made this season has not relied solely on the offensive playmakers. Dillinger insists the better play is a result of work behind closed doors.

“One of the things that is contributing to our success is all the work that’s going into training from the kids on the bench that don’t play,” Dillinger said. “They are working their butts off and pushing the starting group and they are constantly under pressure from our bench. We haven’t really had that before.”

The maturing of the defense has also been evident throughout the season. In the last four Big 12 games, Iowa State has allowed only three goals. Senior goalkeeper Maddie Jobe has been a key part of keeping points off the board.

Against Baylor, Jobe recorded eight saves to bring her career total to 310, second all-time in school history. Her sixth shutout of the season put her career total at 20 shutouts, distancing herself from others as she holds the school record.

As the freshmen and senior defenders have started meshing late in the season, the team has seen improvements across the board. A well-known downfall of the ISU defense early in the season, goals off corner and free kicks, was challenged against Baylor where the Cyclones kept the Bears to zero goals off 12 corners.

As Iowa State prepares for TCU (5-8-3, 1-4-1 Big 12) and Oklahoma State (5-3-6, 1-1-3 Big 12) to round out the season, seniors like Jobe are looking forward to the opportunity of playing in the Big 12 tournament for the first time. 

“For the past three years, it’s been so difficult coming out on the other end of games,” Jobe said. “It feels great now. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and we are really excited about the next two games.”