The ISU women’s soccer team will finish up nonconference play this weekend with dual matches in Amherst, Mass., before starting its Big 12 Tournament march against the top two teams in the conference.

Iowa State (3-2) will go head to head with Massachusetts Friday and Fairfield Sunday at the UMass Classic.

The Cyclones have never faced either team.

“Both teams are in different conferences,” ISU senior defender Tiffany Belz said.

“It will be a test to prove that we deserve to win more games this year than we won last year.”

It will be a homecoming of sorts for interim head coach Rebecca Hornbacher.

She was an assistant coach at the University of Hartford in 2001 before coming to Iowa State in June.

Last Friday, Iowa State lost to Minnesota, 1-0.

Goalkeeper Beth Chapman recorded a season-high six saves in the loss.

The Cyclones will try to remain perfect on the road after playing two games away from home without a loss.

Whatever happens this weekend, Iowa State knows there are big challenges ahead.

The Cyclones will face their two toughest opponents of the year next weekend when they play Texas and Texas A&M, Belz said.

“Texas and Texas A&M are very strong teams,” Belz said.

“It’s going to be a big weekend because they are the hardest teams we will face.”

Hornbacher agreed.

“The games next weekend will set the tone for conference play,” Hornbacher said.

“They will be a good measuring stick of where we are at in the conference.”

The women’s soccer team ended the season last year 5-11-2 and Belz said they look to improve on that record this year.

Ultimately, they have one goal in mind, she said.

“Our number-one goal this year is to make it to the Big 12 Tournament,” Belz said.

“We have gone two of the past three years and it’s really an awesome experience.”

Belz said the team is trying to focus on placing in the middle half of the conference to qualify for tournament play.

Currently, Iowa State is sitting at sixth place in the conference.

The top eight teams qualify for the tournament.

“The future is now,” Hornbacher said.

“We are looking ahead instead of thinking about how we did last year.”

Hornbacher said this year’s squad has a lot of positive chemistry and camaraderie.

Belz said that the team members’ personalities are very similar and everyone is working toward the same goal.

“Everyone is giving 110 percent,” she said. “Not any one person is working harder, it’s a whole team effort.”

The effort the team has shown has caught Hornbacher’s attention.

“A lot of people have been contributing to our success,” Hornbacher said.

“We have already had two freshmen named as Big 12 newcomers of the week.”

Overall, Belz said that the team has an optimistic view on the season.

“We shoot to win,” Hornbacher said.

“We go into every game knowing that we are prepared physically and mentally. We play like warriors and expect to win every game.”