With the ISU soccer team sitting winless and tied for last place in the Big 12, the pressure to win in conference is mounting on the squad.

According to the conference schedule, Iowa State has five games left in the season, but a few wins in the next two weeks would extend their fortune, at least to the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio. The top eight squads out of the 11 teams in the conference make the tournament, but without any wins on their conference resume, the emphasis on winning now can’t be overstated.

“We just need to show what we’re capable of,” said senior forward Leslie Hill. “This team should already be there with some wins, not just on the cusp of winning.”

Coach Wendy Dillinger said she is also feeling good about the team’s chances for the stretch run of conference play.

“We got the win with Illinois State, and we were in the game against Texas A&M, taking it to them in the first half, and in the second half we just made two mistakes that cost us the game,” Dillinger said.

Hill’s five shots in the Texas A&M game were a large reason that the Cyclones were able to keep pressure on the Aggies, and the offense was able to keep possession of the ball on a highly-ranked squad. A native of Allen, Texas, Hill went out with a point to prove against No. 7 A&M, and the team was close to coming away with a huge upset.

“I came out with intensity because I knew that could have been my last chance to potentially play them. The team knew [the Aggies] weren’t as good as their ranking, and we wanted to show we could compete, and I really wanted to put one away,” Hill said.

A key contributor to the Cyclones’ troubles in the Big 12 has been the team’s inability to create corner kicks and defend the set pieces that opposing teams are gathering in bunches. Part of the statistical discrepancy has to do with team priorities, but in part also deals with intensity.

“Our formations and strategies are based around keeping possession of the ball inside the 18-yard box, not just launching up a prayer from outside the box,” Dillinger said.

She also acknowledged that the team needed to improve on judging the ball better from the corner, and to work on not jumping late, but this late in the season, changing formations was not the issue.

“We felt confident after the Texas game, and now the defense is solid,” Hill said. “We’ve picked it up against tough competition, and we just need to get the opportunities to put goals away.”

The recent trend for the ISU defense has been exchanging all-time saves leader, junior Ann Gleason, for sophomore Ashley Costanzo after halftime, and it had mixed results through last weekend. Costanzo held on to the 1-0 win over Illinois State on Friday, but Texas A&M scored two quick goals on Costanzo after 80 minutes of shutout soccer, mainly because of two mistakes on defense.

“Ashley has earned her spot out on the field, training really well, and she and Ann are both doing a great job,” Dillinger said.

Costanzo, the four-year letter winner from West Des Moines’ Valley High School, brings a different focus to the field. After playing clean-up minutes earlier in the season, Dillinger has granted her the second half of the last two games.

“Ann and Ashley are very different goalkeepers, and bring their own strengths to the field,” Dillinger said.

Texas Tech is the next team on the schedule, and a squad that boasts only two victories in conference play. Dillinger acknowledged Texas Tech as physical, aggressive and “very direct.” She also said Iowa State will need strong play from the offense to maintain possession against an attacking squad, and part of the responsibility is on Hill and the upperclassmen looking to close the year strong.

“This is kind of a rebuilding year, but I want to contribute positively to the team and provide a sort of stepping stone for the younger players,” Hill said.

Iowa State has been starting younger players the last few games, with four freshmen in the starting lineup the last two matches. Dillinger is looking for the other freshmen to come along soon enough, but for now, the team focus is on beating the squads in front of them.