Iowa State picked up their first win of the season Thursday night against No. 24 Michigan, now they have their sights set on the University of Kentucky.

This game will mark the end of a long road trip for head coach Matt Fannon’s team, as they have played the last four regular season games on the road.

Both teams are in different situations coming into Sunday’s match. Although the Cyclones picked up their first win Thursday night, Kentucky lost their first match of the season Thursday against Western Kentucky, 1-0.

Kentucky brings a high-powered offense and aggressive defense to the field as they average 18.4 shots per game while allowing opponents to have an average of only 6.2 shots per game. Iowa State had six shots in their 3-2 victory against Michigan.

The Wildcats have scored 13 goals this season while allowing three goals for opponents. Iowa State is allowing their opponents to have 17 shots per game this season and Kentucky’s offense could spell trouble for the Cyclones.

With that said, Iowa State plays more disciplined than Kentucky, having been issued four yellow cards on the season while the Wildcats have been issued seven.

The Cyclones can expect an early offensive assault from the Wildcats after Kentucky failed to score a goal for the first time this season in their loss against Western Kentucky.

The Wildcats will want to right the wrongs of Thursday’s loss and they will want to do it quickly against a building Cyclone team riding the wave of their first win of the season.

The Cyclones should be prepared to face an aggressive Kentucky defense that allowed 10 shots to Western Kentucky.

This will be a unique test for Iowa State as this is the first game they will play coming off a win. If the Cyclones can survive the early onslaught from Kentucky and continue to play disciplined soccer, they have a chance to build a winning streak before returning to Ames.

With the Hawkeyes next on the schedule after Kentucky, the Cyclones will need to stay focused on the task at hand in Lexington or it will be a long Sunday afternoon. The Cyclones will face the Wildcats at noon on Sunday.