The ISU soccer team entered its game

against Baylor on Sunday night needing a victory to avoid going

winless in its first four Big 12 games since the 2008

season.

After a slow start on offense and a

pair of Baylor goals in the second half, the Bears defeated the

Cyclones in Ames, dropping Iowa State’s conference record to 0-4 to

start the Big 12 portion of the season. The Cyclones are 6-7-1

overall.

The Baylor offense showed its speed

and physical ability against the Cyclones putting pressure on Iowa

State’s back line and sophomore goalkeeper Andrea Swanson

throughout the first half. It wasn’t until seven and a half minutes

into the second half that the Cyclone defense was exposed allowing

a Baylor score.

“We put ourselves in the hole,” said

coach Wendy Dillinger. “They have a potent attack. Their forwards

are dynamic. We have to be better, that’s the bottom line, we have

to be better all over the field.”

Iowa State was shutout for the

second time of the weekend, the first on Friday against No. 2

Oklahoma State. The score against the Cowgirls was 0-0 for 89

minutes before Oklahoma State made a last-second goal, sinking Iowa

State.

The offensive woes continued against

Baylor, which will be something addressed in practice to

preparation for the Cyclones game against Oklahoma.

“We need to be consistent,” said

junior forward Jennifer Dominguez. “We didn’t start out the entire

first half consistently. There has to be consistent movement off

the ball and when we have the ball, we have to keep it. We can’t

give it away.”

After suffering those two losses

against the Cowgirls and Bears at home, Iowa State will find out

what kind of character it has this week in preparation for the

remaining five games of the season.

“It’s a tough one, it’s one that we

needed to win,” Dominguez said referring to Baylor. “We are just

going to have to put it behind us. We are going to have to work and

we have another conference game on Friday, and we have to focus on

getting the win then.”

Dillinger mentioned that from here

out, they have to win or they don’t have a shot at making the Big

12 tournament. 

“The kids know that, but it’s

ultimately up to them to decide to will themselves to win games,”

Dillinger said. “We play the way we did [against Oklahoma State],

clearly we can play with anybody, but we have to learn how to win

is what it comes down to.”

Iowa State’s next opponent is

conference foe Oklahoma in a game scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on

Friday in Norman, Okla.