After a weekend away, the big news for the Iowa State women’s soccer team is that it will make its first-ever appearance in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

ISU’s final conference record of 4-6 put the Cyclones in a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference. However, with regular season conference victories over Texas Tech and Missouri, ISU claimed the sixth and final berth in the conference tournament held Nov. 6-9 in San Antonio, Texas.

Making conference play is a tremendous turn-around this season for the Cyclones, who went 0-9 in the Big 12 Conference last season.

“We are excited and proud of this accomplishment,” Coach Cathy Klein said. “Losing our first and our last conference games was a big letdown. If we had won those games, we would have been in fourth place, but we are still capable with our sixth place.”

The soccer team split conference play in Oklahoma this weekend with a Friday win and a Sunday loss.

Friday, the Cyclones defeated Oklahoma in Norman, marking the Cyclones’ first road win of the season. The game started slowly for the Cyclones, and at the half, ISU trailed 2-0.

But the Cyclone women came back strong during the second half, with Jo Hinks and Lindsey Rector each picking up two goals by the game’s end. Hinks scored the first Cyclone goal off a mishandled Oklahoma play which positioned her directly in front of the goal for an easy boot. The assist was dished out by Jun Shen.

Rector then scored the next two goals, and Hinks wrapped up the ISU victory with her final goal.

“Against Oklahoma on Friday, there were very vocal fans. We have never won on the road, but we faced a must-win situation,” Klein said.

Klein said Hinks, Rector and Alicia Rollison were all “brilliant.”

On Sunday, the ISU team headed to Stillwater, where they faced Oklahoma State. The Cyclones suffered a 3-1 loss. Klein said playing in a wind chill of 12 degrees with 25 mph winds was a contributing factor to the loss.

“Sunday the weather was brutal, and our inexperience showed through,” Klein said.

OSU seized three scoring opportunities in the first half and left the Cyclones scoreless in taking a 3-0 lead into halftime.

The lone Cyclone goal belonged to Hinks, unassisted at the 60-minute mark. Hinks blasted the ball inside the box for the only tally of the second half. Hayley Mercer played 90 minutes at goalkeeper, recording four saves.

ISU finished its regular conference season last weekend, but still has two home games remaining. The Cyclones will face Kent State at 3 p.m.and Wisconsin-Green Bay on Sunday at 1 p.m.

On Nov. 6th, the Cyclones trek to San Antonio to face the third-seeded Baylor. The Bears defeated ISU 2-0 in their meeting earlier this season.

Klein said she felt Baylor was fortunate to come away with that victory and is looking to even the score in the tournament.

“We will be much more competitive the second time around,” she said.