Fueled by a tenacious defense that pushes and shoves, the ISU Men’s Soccer Club will use its swagger to host the Iowa State Invitational Tournament this weekend at the field by Towers.

The Cyclones [12-2-2] expect to reach the finals on Sunday and seek revenge on Minnesota, ranked third in the nation. The Gophers defeated Iowa State last weekend 1-0 in the semifinals at the Kansas State Ed Chartrand Memorial Tournament in Manhattan, Kan.

“We want to play good soccer and avenge our one-goal loss [to Minnesota],” forward Matt Powers said. “It was a bitter loss last weekend, so we’ll be ready.”

Defense continues to be strong and is the backbone of the team’s success this season, led by central defenseman Jeff Montieth.

“Our defenders are the meanest, hardest hitting defenders in our league,” Montieth said. “It seems that the whole team feeds off our aggression.”

With intensity proven, midfielder Eric Sanders said the team needs to improve on staying mentally sound throughout the game in order to be successful this weekend.

“When the game gets close, we tend to get more physical and lose it mentally,” Sanders said. “We tend to hold the possession of the ball better when we’re focused.”

There were several red cards and an ejection during the loss to the Gophers.

“We definitely need to improve our relationship with the referees,” Powers said.

Capitalizing on missed opportunities and playing sound soccer are two improvements the team has worked on.

“Last weekend we dominated the possession of the ball most of the game,” said midfielder Patrick O’Donnell. “But we couldn’t score, having several shots bank off the framework.”

Six teams will participate in the tournament: Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Northern Iowa and Bradley. The Cyclones are undefeated against Nebraska, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin-La Crosse this season.

Playing in Ames may seem to give the Cyclones an advantage, but field conditions at the Towers are not favorable to the team. The field resembles cement, Powers said.

“Our funds are allocated through the [Government of the Student Body] and the field we have to play on is not good,” Sanders said.

“Other schools we’ve played at allow us to play on the women’s varsity soccer field, but we’re not allowed to here. You can’t play good soccer on a hard field; it’s going to turn into a grudge match.”

On a bumpy field the passes may not be accurate, Montieth said.

Despite field conditions, the Cyclones have set high expectations for the tournament.

“This is my fourth year playing for Iowa State, and this is by far the best team we’ve had,” Sanders said. “There is no reason why we can’t take this tournament.”