Iowa State faced Baylor Thursday night in their sixth conference match and had a continued goal to secure the first conference victory. After an intense fight, the Cyclones fell short to the Bears 3-2.

Brick by brick

Both teams that came together on the field have gone through a long series of adjustments and building phases that have challenged their season up to the moment.

The Cyclones came with a little more fire than they had approached other conference matches. After a foul by the Bears, the Cyclones gained a free kick, and the opportunity was productive.

The Cyclones took the lead at the 4:38 mark as Mira Emma scored the first goal of the night.

As the game progressed, the Cyclones also demonstrated more control over the ball and determination to dominate the field.

Lauren McConnel thrived at driving the ball down the field and outrunning the Bears’ defense. However, the Bears fired back at the 18:22 mark with their first goal. The Cyclones were in a pressure spot, but that didn’t keep them from delivering for the second time.

At the 37:37 mark, Emma assisted Eva Steckelberg to the second goal for the Cyclones.
The key to remaining in the lead was a tight defense, but the Bears tied the Cyclones for the second time.

At the 43:30 mark, Elizabeth Kooiman scored the second goal for the Bears. As the first half ended, the match stood at 2-2.

On the move

At the beginning of the second half, neither team made threatening plays. The Cyclones focused on moving the ball and applying more pressure on the Bears to make their way to the box. Nonetheless, their plays were frequently rejected.

However, the Cyclones were able to apply enough pressure to force some errors on the Bears. Jada Colbert had many physical encounters with the Baylor defense, which highlighted the errors for the Bears.

However, at the 86:50 mark, the Bears showed their claws and scored the third goal of the night. This goal sealed the game, as time was not in the Cyclones’ favor.

More to come

The Cyclones had victory in their grasp. Therefore, the key to success is an enhanced sense of urgency. Coming up, the Cyclones will go on the road to face Oklahoma State. This upcoming match will be at 1 p.m. Sunday and will also be streamed live on ESPN+.