Emotions ran high as the Iowa State women’s soccer team took on the Oklahoma Sooners in the final home game of the season Sunday.

A record crowd of 450 watched the Cyclones and Sooners duel to first half scoreless tie.

Then the fireworks began.

Head coach Cathy Klein received a red card and was ejected from the contest at 72:13 in the second half for arguing with the officials.

After the game, Klein said that she was only trying to protect her players.

“I feel like it’s part of my responsibilities to protect my athletes and that’s what I tried to do,” Klein said. “All I did by getting the red card was increase the pressure on them.”

However, the Cyclones responded to the absence of their coach, as junior midfielder Lindsey Rector assisted sophomore Ali Sullivan on her third goal of the season at 79:11 in the second half to give the Cyclones a 1-0 victory.

“This game was won on effort and could have been lost on a lack of effort,” Klein said. “The Big 12 is tough, physical and combative, so you have to be ready to play under extreme conditions and they did that. They played hard and deserved to win.”

Sunday’s game was also senior day and marked the last home game for defender Ann Davy, the squad’s first four year player.

Davy said that the game was emotional, but the victory made it sweet.

“It was exciting, yet sad because it was my last home game,” Davy said. “I’m glad we won, and I’m just excited about the win.”

On Friday, the Cyclones faced off with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. After a scoreless first half marked by physical play and timely goalkeeping, the Cyclones got on the board first, as sophomore midfielder Krista Odenwald set up Rector at 55:51 for her fifth goal of the year.

The Cowgirls responded at 63:08, as junior forward Missy Moss scored a breakaway goal on the Cyclones to tie the score at 1-1.

Once again, the Cyclones displayed late game heroics as Odenwald again set up a teammate, this time freshman Erica Florez, for the game winning goal at 77:29.

The goal was Florez’s team best ninth goal of the season and also her fourth game winning goal this season.

Klein said she was very pleased with her team’s effort in the 2-1 victory.

“I thought that we played a hard fought contest,” Klein said. “I feel like we’re climbing up the ladder, piece by piece, and right now we are going to have to fight and claw to win every game.”

Klein said that this game was full of defining moments for the Cyclones.

“We talk about our ‘defining moments,’ and I thought that maybe we had six or seven defining moments to win the game, and we scored on two of those,” Klein said. “Oklahoma State tried to do everything in their power to get themselves into the game, and fortunately for us, we had one of our defining moments, and Erica Florez found a way to win the game.”

The Cowgirls displayed a very physical nature in the game, providing a larger challenge for the Cyclones, Klein said.

“OSU is a hard, disciplined team, and we’ve never beaten them until now,” Klein said. “All indications were that they believed in themselves and they were a well-coached team, and they were exactly that.”

“There is no doubt that that team is one of the most physical we have ever faced,” Rector said.

Rector added that she was also pleased with the team’s effort in the victory.

“I think we played as a team, and we were possessing (the ball) and passing to each other,” Rector said. “We were giving a 100 percent because we knew we had to win this one.”

Freshman goalkeeper Lynley Hilligoss, who made five saves in the victory, said that the defense gave a strong performance for the Cyclones.

“We worked together as a unit, and we were solid,” Hilligoss said. “We work hard and came out prepared to play.”

With an overall record 9-6-1 and 4-4 in the Big 12, the Cyclones must prepare for a pair of road games next weekend against Baylor and Texas Tech.

Rector said that in these crucial games it will be important for the team to stay focused.

“We have to stay motivated and positive, but we also have to keep having fun,” Rector said. “If we have fun with it, then they’re all easy, and we’ll be able to play well.”

The team’s postseason future is in its own hands, Klein said, and a special effort will be required to win next weekend.

“We are in charge of our own destiny,” Klein said. “4-6 (in the conference) got us into the tournament last year, and in my opinion, it’s going to take one more this year to get back there.

“Neither one of those games next weekend are gimmes at all,” Klein said. “We absolutely have to win them.”