The Iowa State Cyclones suffered a 2-1 loss in their second game of the season against California State University, Northridge on Sunday. This loss comes following their 2-0 season opener win over UC-Santa Barbara on Thursday.

It was a tough outing for the Cyclones as they could not get much going in the attacking third nor solidify a defensive presence from kick-off. The Cyclones allowed CSUN to score within the first twenty minutes of the game which saw the momentum switch early.

The goal was scored by graduate student Ashley Cruz as sophomore Christiane Sundstrom whipped a ball in from the left flank and Cruz finished from 12 yards out. The ball took a few touches in the box as Iowa State was unable to clear the danger which lead to the easy tap in for CSUN. 

Despite falling behind early, the Cyclones made a swift reply as Mira Emma scored her first goal of the season as she was a stand out performer for the team. An over the top through ball saw freshman Lauren McConnell register her first assist of the season as she squared the ball in to Emma for the tap in.

Following the first half, the second half was more of the same from both teams but CSUN was able to find the back of the net again. A CSUN set piece from 30 yards out was crossed into the box as sophomore Kacie Garrity was able to finish from the center of the box.

The Cyclones were able to get more shots off than the Matadors but ultimately had less on goal. In addition, the Matadors earned six corner kicks to the Cyclones one which further emphasized the Cyclones struggle in the final third. 

Mira Emma had a game high of five shots as she was the focal point of the Cyclones attack. Emma has always played a key role in transitioning defense to attack from midfield and has already gotten herself off to a good start this season. 

The Cyclones will try and bounce back in their next game as they face rival school, University of Iowa. This installation of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series will be played on Thursday evening in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes are currently 2-0 and have kept two clean sheets in their first two games of the season. They will be looking to extend their win streak to three against the Cyclones while on the other hand, the Cyclones will be hoping to earn a win over their rivals.