When the ISU women’s soccer team takes the field in the Cyclone Classic today at 4 p.m. against the University of Northern Iowa, the Cyclones will bring a 2-0 record with them, a record no other ISU women’s soccer team has enjoyed since the program’s inception in 1996.

“This past weekend was huge for us,” interim head coach Rebecca Hornbacher said.

“Those wins will hopefully set the tone for the whole season. We worked hard in the preseason and to get those wins on the road is good for our confidence.”

Senior defender Tiffany Belz said she doesn’t know if the team has ever won two games in a row on the road.

“I can’t remember it happening, but it is even better to be the first week,” Belz said.

“The coaching staff has made the atmosphere comfortable. It is more fun and has been enjoyable. It hasn’t been a job to any of us.”

Hornbacher was named assistant coach by head coach Stephanie Gabbert at the end June, but when Gabbert stepped down as head coach of the Cyclones, Hornbacher took over the interim role.

Hornbacher said she isn’t taking much stock in the preseason Big 12 coaching rankings which picked the Cyclones to finish 10th out of 11 Big 12 Conference teams.

“I threw them away,” she said.

“The Big 12 is the toughest conference in the nation. As long as we focus on our program, our conference will provide us with an opportunity to be more competitive at the national level.”

Wisconsin will also be in town and will face the Cyclones Sunday at 1 p.m.

“Both teams have a lot of new faces,” Hornbacher said of her team’s opponents.

“They are going to be coming in looking for a victory in our tournament.”

A bright spot in the first two games of the season was freshman Kristina Baumann.

The forward from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill. has made the transition to collegiate soccer look easy, stepping up right away in her first games as a Cyclone.

Her first goal propelled the Cyclones to a 2-1 win in overtime against Gonzaga.

The goal also allowed the team to capture the crown in the Falcon Invitational.

Baumann also added an assist in the season opener against Air Force. For her productive weekend, she was named Big 12 soccer newcomer of the week.

“I was shocked to get that,” Baumann said.

“It hasn’t been easy to go from being a senior and then now a freshman. Not being a leader and not knowing anything, I had to follow the leadership from the upperclassmen. They help out so much.”

Baumann said sports and school are tough to manage, but it is something she is getting use to.

“It is very time-consuming,” she said.

“It is sometimes hard to manage school, soccer and study tables, but I like it and it keeps me busy.”