The Cyclones, sidelined for two weeks, have been waiting to see if they can improve on their offense, which has scored only one goal this season. They have been waiting to play for the first time since the tragedy in New York. Most of all, they have just been waiting to get back to playing some competitive soccer.

When the Cyclones take the field against the Bowling Green State Falcons today in Chicago, their wait will be over.

“They’re very excited to play again,” head coach Stephanie Gabbert said.

The Cyclones (1-3-0) had time to get excited. They haven’t played since they lost to Princeton 5-0 on Sept. 9.

“We’ve worked a lot on our movement off of the ball, trying to be a little bit more active in our attacking third to try to get more people forward,” she said. “We’ve worked on our finishing a little bit too. We’ve created a lot of good chances for ourselves, we just haven’t finished.”

In light of the recent terrorist attacks, the Cyclones have had more on their mind than soccer.

“I think that our entire coaching staff made it a point to expain [to the players] what was going on, so that they could understand the countries involved and, you know, why this was happening,” Gabbert said.

Last weekend’s matches were canceled due to the tragic events in New York, so the team took the weekend off from practice to reflect on what had happened and to spend time with family.

“We took some time off after everything happened, and I think it was good for them,” he said. “It helped them get their mindset to where it needed to be.”

The team used last Tuesday’s events as a way to build team unity. Many of the team members spent time with each other over the weekend, said senior forward Nicole Wilcox.

“It really brought us together,” she said. “We finally had to come together off the field, not just on the field.”

Junior defender Tiffany Belz said it was nice to have her teammates to talk to during the tragedy.

“At that time, that was our family,” Belz said. “We were all together there at a time when everyone needed each other.”

Wilcox said it was no problem staying competitive over the long layoff.

“The energy was high out on the field,” she said. “You could tell we had a break, because our energy was high, but some of our touches and technical stuff was a little off. But we got it back. We’re ready for our game.”

The Cyclones’ excitement may not prove to be enough against the undefeated Falcons (3-0-2).

Led by junior goalkeeper Erika Flanders, the Falcons have been convincing this season, posting three shutouts, including a 2-0 victory over Ohio State. They also came way with a tie against Big Ten Conference power Michigan State.

“They’re [Bowling Green State] a legit team,” Gabbert said. “They’ve beaten a couple of good Big Ten teams.”

He said the Cyclones will focus on being more efficient around the goal and making the most of scoring opportunities.

“I think our game plan is to put pressure on them early and try to play our style and not fall into theirs,” he said.