A game that began with so much excitement and optimism for the Cyclones ended with just the opposite; a lopsided 4-0 victory for the Hawkeyes at the ISU Soccer Complex.

This week in practice, the team focused on physicality, but the highly-physical game got the best of the Cyclones, and Iowa was able to capitalize on nearly every chance they got.

“Offensively we didn’t take enough opportunities,” said senior co-captain and forward Jordan Bishop. “They had high pressure on our backs, they were winning a lot of 50-50’s in the middle, and their back line could win the air balls and then they cleared it.”

In the first half, Iowa outshot Iowa State 10-5, and of those 10, they were able to push two across for goals.

Morgan Showalter has been one of Iowa’s key players over the past couple years and showed it again Friday night, when the junior midfielder went 1-on-1 with Cyclone freshman keeper Maddie Jobe on a breakaway and put it in for her second goal of the season.

“The ball got played through, Maddie hesitated coming out, and anytime you hesitate you can’t win a 1-v-1,” said coach Wendy Dillinger.

The demoralizing goal dampened the Cyclones’ spirits but they put some pressure on Iowa soon after, with a shot on goal by freshman midfielder Meredith Skitt and a shot by freshman midfielder Emily Goldstein that just cleared the crossbar.

Iowa struck again just before halftime to bring the momentum back in its favor.

Hawkeye freshman forward Ashley Catrell was able to sneak the ball past the Cyclones’ Jobe in the 41st minute for her second on the season to lengthen the score to 2-0.

Goldstein was involved in another goal opportunity with less than a minute left in the half, placing a corner kick inside the box in hopes of a last second header. The ball bounced around and freshman forward Brittany Morgan got a foot on it but missed wide.

The Hawkeyes picked up in the second half right where they left off. Sophomore midfielder Dana Dalrymple broke away from the Cyclone defense 10 minutes into the half but Jobe stepped up for a solid save to stop the breakaway.

Iowa put together several more shots, corner and free kicks, before Goldstein attempted to turn the game around once again.

In the 65th minute, Goldstein made some space to get away from her defender and gave Morgan a nice pass but Morgan shot high and the Cyclones missed out on another potential scoring opportunity.

Four minutes later, Goldstein was involved in a free kick and junior co-captain defender Mary Kate McLaughlin tried to put in the header but missed the goal wide.

The Hawkeyes sealed the deal with a pair of goals in the 68th and 75th minute by freshman midfielder Leah DeMoss for her fourth and fifth goals on the season.

After the fourth goal, Iowa State senior keeper Ashley Costanzo replaced Jobe. Jobe had 11 saves and four goals allowed. Costanzo didn’t record any saves in her 14 minutes of play. 

After talking about the many things Iowa State struggled with Friday night, Dillinger also was quick to give the Hawkeyes credit.

“They are very good at what they do, they’re dynamic, they have a lot of offensive weapons, and we will see a lot of that in conference,” Dillinger said.

The sound defeat and statistically lopsided finish were a bitter taste for the Cyclones in the Cy-Hawk series match. The team won’t have much time to dwell on the loss to their rivals. 

“We have Big 12 coming up and they’re just as good if not better than Iowa in different areas so we have to step it up,” Bishop said.

Dillinger also said that seeing the weaknesses that plagued Iowa State on both sides of the field is better now than later.

“It’s good that we see it now versus waiting until the first game of conference,” Dillinger said.

The Cyclones don’t play the rest of the weekend, and hope to finish their non-conference season with a win at South Dakota State on Friday, Sept. 24.