The state of Oklahoma received a heavy dose of Ann Gleason and the ISU soccer team this weekend.

Friday night, the Cyclones recorded a 3-0 victory over the 16th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls. It was the highest-ranked team ever defeated by any ISU women’s soccer team.

Sunday afternoon, the sophomore goalie Gleason documented another shutout – her fifth of the season out of nine games – and the Cyclones defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 2-0.

The pair of victories has put an exclamation mark on the team’s early season accomplishments and proves to the rest of the Big 12 that they are a force to be reckoned with this fall.

The Cyclones are now 6-1-2 overall and are 2-0 for the first time in the program’s history, which began in 1996.

“I did not know that this was the best conference start in our history,” senior captain Erin Witte said. “I’m not surprised at all though, we all worked really hard, and we come into each game confident that we will come out with the win.”

Against the Cowgirls (6-2-1, 0-1), senior midfielder Stephanie Kaphingst, sophomore midfielder Elise Reid and freshman midfielder Jordan Bishop recorded the team’s goals. All three goals were netted after the 39-minute mark. It was Kaphingst’s second goal of the season, Reid’s third and Bishop’s first of her young career.

Sunday, against the Sooners (4-4-2, 0-2), Reid was a catalyst for the Cyclones, scoring her second goal in as many games and her team-leading fourth of the season at the 14:40 mark in the first half.

The second goal came early in the second half, at 48:09, and was netted by senior mid-fielder/forward Brittanie Waddell. The goal was assisted via keeper clearance, and Gleason picked up her first assist of the season from the goalie box.

On top of assisting a goal, Gleason racked up 14 saves over the weekend, in comparison to only seven by the opposing goalkeepers.

“I’m trying to be as focused as I can this season, and I come out each game and make sure I’m confident in all my decisions,” Gleason said. “I’m communicating as best I can with the back line, and it’s just been a complete team effort. We’re working together very well right now.”

After only two conference wins last season, the Cyclones were picked by the coaches to finish last in the Big 12 in this year’s preseason poll.

Now the Cyclones have equaled their conference win total from last year after as many games, and find themselves tied with Missouri atop one of the best conferences in the nation.

“This start is great for the players’ confidence, but we don’t want to put too much weight in it,” coach Rebecca Hornbacher said. “As long as we get better each day and each game at a time, then I think we’ll be really happy where we are, come November. We don’t want to get wrapped up in how many wins we have or who’s ranked what, or who we’re playing ranked, because it really doesn’t matter. All that matters is the 90 minutes, or however long that we spend on the field.”

Hornbacher’s Cyclones will next be in action at 7 p.m. Friday against the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns (7-1-1, 0-0).