Cyclones stunned by late second half goal

Iowa+State+and+Texas+Tech+line+up+before+their+match+Oct.+14.

Iowa State and Texas Tech line up before their match Oct. 14.

Adarsh Tamma

A bounce off the post and tap-in by Bri Amos did the damage for Oklahoma on Sunday. On a rainy afternoon at the Cyclone Sports Complex, the Sooners defeated Iowa State 1-0.

The 89th-minute game-winner by the Sooners concluded a match that saw both teams battle the elements and each other.

The match came down to the chances provided. The Cyclones and Sooners combined for 27 shots during the 90 minutes. The Sooners had a 19-8 advantage in that aspect. Oklahoma also looked to press early and had 12 of their shot opportunities end up on goal.

Head coach Matt Fannon spoke of the offensive play after the match.

“We just need to be a bit more decisive in both penalty areas,” Fannon said. “Especially as the game wore on, it’s very clear to me that we’re doing a lot of things right and playing well. But at the end of the day it’s what happens inside the areas that matters and that’s where we were a little bit behind.”

Iowa State was backed up in goal by junior Jordan Silkowitz, who made her return to the starting lineup Sunday after having suffered an injury against TCU on Oct. 17.

Against the Sooners, Silkowitz looked to be one of the main reasons Iowa State stayed in the game. Silkowitz ended the 90 minutes saving 11, tying her career-high. The Fairfax, Va., native came up big in the 61st minute when she blocked Megan Reilly’s shot attempt on an 18-yard free kick.

Silkowitz dove to the right and punched out the ball from a corner kick, keeping the score knotted at 0-0.

“Silk’s a leader,” Fannon said of his goalkeeper. “She’s important for our team in ways other than just soccer and she did a great job again [today].”

The Cyclones looked to run their offense through the midfield, with juniors Kenady Adams and Claudia Najera leading the Iowa State attack with two shots each.

“I think we did really well with the battle and were smart in midfield,” Fannon said. “We were able to move and find spaces and close down their spaces, and for the most part dealt with everything they threw into the box.”

The Sooners’ winning goal came at the wrong time for the Cyclones, as redshirt senior Erika Yost’s cross from the left side managed to evade Silkowitz’s outstretched fingertips and bounce off the left post.

From there, it was a golden chance for fellow senior Bri Amos. Amos took advantage of an Iowa State defense caught out of position to slot home the winner 1 minute and 30 seconds from the final whistle.

“Those things happen in games,” Fannon said. “I’m not going to blame our luck, which we’ve clearly had absolutely none of this year, but you make your own. We’re just not in a place where we’re getting any, and it’s got to be our own doing; we have to be able to figure out how to get that right.”

Iowa State will conclude the regular season at 7 p.m. Thursday in Manhattan, Kan., where they will face off against Kansas State.