What a difference a year makes.

At this time last year, the Cyclones were 5-8 and were in the beginning of a seven-game losing streak. Iowa State would go on to only win two conference games.

This year’s team has already matched last year’s conference victory total, compiling a 2-1-1 record in the first four Big 12 games, while amassing an overall record of 6-2-3.

The Cyclones have been competitive in every game this season and beaten a number of NCAA tournament teams from last season. The team also made history beating Oklahoma State; the 16th-ranked Cowgirls was the highest ranked team to ever fall to the Cyclones. The Cyclones followed that up by playing the No. 2 team in the nation, the Texas Longhorns, to a 1-1 tie. Texas was the highest ranked school that had ever played at the ISU Soccer Complex.

Even with what some might call a trap game at Colorado on Sunday, it was just the first loss in the last six games for the Cyclones.