The ISU soccer team practices and plays its home games in Ames, but for the six players on the squad who are from North Texas, the first few weeks of October feel like home contests.

“The trip back to Texas was great,” sophomore midfielder Jordan Bishop said. “Both my parents made it to both the games last week, and I love the warm weather.”

A resident of Carrollton, Texas, Bishop is seeing significant time on the pitch again this season, a result of her strong ball skills and field vision.

If the soccer fields of the Big 12 Conference are any indicator, the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, could field their own competitive university teams.

Four out of the first five games this month are against teams from Texas, and with much of the opposing rosters composed of players from club teams and high schools around Dallas, the players are seeing familiar faces.

ISU junior and leading goal scorer Amanda Nimtz and assist leader Bishop graduated high school about 20 miles apart, and the other Cyclone players from Dallas are within similar distance.

The team returned from Texas last weekend after two games with just one more conference point than it left with. After a tie against Baylor and a loss to Texas, the Cyclones are ready to turn their luck around, starting this weekend with a home game against Illinois State on Friday and another conference match-up with No. 7 Texas A&M in College Station.

While the location has produced great current Iowa State scorers, other schools from the Big 12 are also keyed in on the area, so Bishop and Nimtz are getting used to running next to the same girls they did five years ago.

“I’ve played against quite a few of the girls we’ve faced so far, and it’s good to see them doing well” Nimtz said.

Bishop added she had played against at least three of Baylor’s players, and some of the Longhorn players on her club select team a few years ago.

While some of the Cyclones benefit from having family members to see on the road trips, some wins would improve the overall team morale. The team remains confident after tying Baylor and playing a tough game against a ranked Texas team, and the players are hoping the confidence carries through this weekend against the Redbirds and Aggies.

“We could have beat either team this weekend, we were definitely in the games,” Bishop said.

Nimtz scored the lone goal of the road trip for the Cyclones, her fourth of the season, and while her first concern is the team’s effort and success, putting one in the net against the preseason favorite, Texas, makes her confident.

“Personally, I do feel good about scoring that goal, and hopefully that gets things going for the rest of the season,” Nimtz said.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Iowa State will need a strong effort on Friday against the other ISU, Illinois State, the Missouri Valley Conference champions last season. The Cyclones need no reminding of how dangerous Texas A&M is, with a 10-1-1 record overall, and a stadium that is averaging over 3,800 fans a game.

A&M has had three players named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, and two players to the same award on the defensive side of the ball. Until the Cyclones are physically on the way to Texas, though, their main focus is Illinois State and getting a victory for the first time since Sept. 19.

“It will be good to take a break from conference play [against Iowa State] and try and finally get a win under our belts,” Nimtz said.

Battling and playing hard in their last three contests, the team hopes to find itself in a good position for a few points this weekend, starting with the 4 p.m. game at home against Illinois State on Friday.