It was a battle to the finish that West Virginia soccer took 1-0 when the Cyclones and Mountaineers met Thursday night in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The game saw a hard-fought defensive battle on both sides with neither team being able to gain full control of the game until late. West Virginia’s Maya McCutcheon found the back of the net in the 75th minute for the only goal of the night.

West Virginia held on to a 1-0 victory. The Cyclones dropped to 3-6-1 on the year following the loss.

Outstanding defense on both sides

The Cyclone and Mountaineer defenses came to play Thursday. Neither team could get anything going or gain any big advantage in time of possession.

Elite goalkeeping play by Iowa State’s Avery Gillahan and West Virginia’s Kayza Massey kept most of the game scoreless. The Cyclones had two great opportunities to score but were unable to get it past Massey as she had two fantastic saves.

Only one goal was let up all game, as the defenses were stingy with giving up big plays.

Mountaineers dominate scoring chances

With all the scoring chances the Mountaineers were getting, it was only a matter of time before a shot found its way into the goal. West Virginia outshot Iowa State 19-7 with seven shots on goal including a whopping 13 shots in the pivotal second period.

It was not just the total shots either. The Mountaineers gained a huge advantage in the number of corner kicks as well. West Virginia led 11-5 in that category as well.

Gillahan was strong throughout the night making six total saves including four in the second period. Gillahan’s heroic effort was not enough as she gave up a goal to McCutcheon late in the game which ended up being the game-winner for West Virginia.

Cyclones can’t get out of their own way

West Virginia was great at attacking and putting pressure on the Cyclones throughout the game. The Cyclones did not handle that pressure well.

Iowa State recorded eight fouls in the first period of the game, including two yellow cards.

The Cyclones’ inability to not foul didn’t stop there as they recorded 11 more fouls in the second period. They finished the game with a staggering 21 fouls compared to West Virginia’s three.

The Cyclones will be back in action at 11 a.m. Sunday as they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats.