The ISU soccer team is preparing to dance a Texas two-step with its cleats on, taking its 0-2 Big 12 record to the Lone Star State this weekend.

With two games in less than 48 hours against Baylor and Texas, players say the Cyclones will need to bring the intensity and focus that has been lacking from their past two efforts.

Starting for a defense that has allowed three goals in each of its past three outings, junior defender Lauren Fader acknowledged the problems plaguing the Cyclones early in the season.

“Our problem is that we haven’t been consistent for 90 minutes yet, but we’re focusing in practice this week and mimicking the situations that we need to work on,” Fader said.

Co-captain Casey Bothwell agreed.

“We need to get mentally tougher, and that work falls on all 23 players on the team,” Bothwell said.

The task the team faces in Texas isn’t as easy as a two-step, with Baylor and Texas each allowing fewer than one goal per game. The Bears provide a physically tough test for the Friday night game in Waco, but Iowa State will be aiming for a victory against a team with a comparable record and team statistics.

Bothwell feels the Baylor game is very winnable if Iowa State sticks to its game and stays focused.

“We need to come out with energy and excitement this weekend. We have the talent to do it, we just need to bring the determination,” Bothwell said.

The Longhorns, however, are currently unbeaten in nine games, and ranked No. 7 in the country this week. Ranked at the top of the Big 12 at the beginning of the season, the Cyclones will be looking for an effort to try and top last year’s double overtime loss to UT.

“We’re not intimidated by them, and we can’t get caught up in their high ranking,” Fader said.

After the frustrating defeats last weekend, coach Wendy Dillinger addressed a lack of leadership among the team, which in turn led to faltering confidence. Texas is an upperclassmen-led squad, so Fader and Bothwell see the need to rise to the challenge.

“It is really time to step up into our leadership roles,” Fader said. “It’s our jobs to set the tone and provide a strong example for the younger players.”

Working in practice this week to strengthen the defense and improve the first touch on the ball, the team has been identifying each others’ roles on the field and improving individual efforts on defense.

“We’ve had to work on applying pressure on the ball, and we still need to work to be disciplined defenders,” Fader said.

Still, the team feel prepared for the road trip, physically, and the mental confidence should follow if they can stay in the game at Baylor.

“We just need to be willing to put in the work on the field, not pick times to give effort. Part of that starts with more accountability from team leaders,” Bothwell said.

The team needed a quick bout of amnesia to forget last weekend’s defeats and turn their focus to the tough games they’ll face against Baylor and Texas this weekend. They seem to have caught it. Heading to practice, there was an upbeat attitude across the board, and Bothwell displayed a share of why she is a captain.

“We believe in ourselves, we know we can do this, and we just need to apply it to these games,” Bothwell said. “The team needs to fight all weekend, and we can be pleased if we know that we fought all weekend long.”