Cyclones defeat Wildcats 1-0, earn Big 12 tournament berth

Iowa+State+and+Texas+Tech+soccer+players+and+coaches+hold+up+signs+of+people+they+know+who+have+had+breast+cancer+during+Pink+Night+on+Oct.+14.

Iowa State and Texas Tech soccer players and coaches hold up signs of people they know who have had breast cancer during Pink Night on Oct. 14.

Adarsh Tamma

Iowa State soccer ended their Big 12 woes on Thursday night in Manhattan, Kansas, with a 1-0 win over Kansas State. In the process, the Cyclones punched their ticket to the conference tournament for the first time since 2018, as well as the first time under the tenure of head coach Matt Fannon.

The Cyclone win, as well as Texas beating Kansas 2-0, guaranteed that Iowa State will be the eighth seed in this year’s tournament.

Like their last match against Oklahoma on Sunday, the Cyclones and Wildcats had to deal with the weather again, as blustery conditions at the Buser Family Park Soccer Stadium made the ball move in unpredictable conditions at times.

Despite trailing in the total shots category 13-12, the Cyclones did land more shots on-goal than their opponent by a margin of 9-5. After a first half that saw a couple missed chances early on, Iowa State struck first in the 53rd minute through freshman forward Anna Lindgren.

Off a cross from well beyond the 18-yard box that trickled through the penalty area, Lindgren was able to get her foot on it and put it past Wildcats goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer. The goal was Lindgren’s first since Iowa State’s first match against UC-Santa Barbara on Aug. 19, when she opened her Cyclone scoring debut in a 2-0 win over the Gauchos.

Iowa State goalkeeper Rachel Vander Hart earned her first career shutout against the Wildcats with a five save performance. Vander Hart made her season debut on Oct. 21 with a three-save outing in the Cyclones’ 2-0 loss to Baylor.

The Cyclones will matchup against top seed TCU in the Big 12 Tournament in Round Rock, Texas. They will kickoff against the Horned Frogs on Oct. 31 at 11:30 am.