Iowa State collected its eighth loss of the season after a 3-0 defeat Thursday at the hands of Oklahoma State. The loss comes just four days after a defeat in Lubbock, Texas, and marks the third consecutive game without a goal.
Offensive attacks put pressure on Oklahoma State early
Iowa State led the charge in the opening minutes. The Cyclones controlled possession for most of the opening 20 minutes and finished the first half with eight shots, two of which were on goal.
Early shots by Iowa State redshirt sophomore forward Jordyn Herrera and junior forward Ella Ciardullo put pressure on the Cowgirls backline, but the Cyclones were unsuccessful in finding the back of the net. Iowa State forced two first-half saves by Oklahoma State goalkeeper Grace Gordon.
Possession in the majority of the first half belonged to Iowa State, limiting chances for the Cowgirls and maintaining a clean slate after the first 45 minutes.
Late defensive struggles bury Iowa State
The Cyclones gave up all three goals in the second half. Oklahoma State midfielder Laudan Wilson found the back of the net in the 54th minute of the matchup and added an insurance goal two minutes later. A third goal was scored by forward Logan Heausler in the 68th minute to extend the lead.
Defensive tendencies came into effect for Iowa State after seeing substantial advances from Oklahoma State forward Gracie Bindbeutel. Bindbeutal’s pressure forced the defense to widen and resulted in scoring opportunities for the Cowgirls.
Iowa State redshirt sophomore defender Ella Zimmerman kept busy, halting the late momentum pushed by the Cowgirls. Zimmerman cleared out numerous scoring opportunities and was vital in limiting the opposing scoring chances.
Saves slip through the Cyclones’ fingers late
Both goalkeepers had their hands full for most of the matchup, especially Iowa State redshirt sophomore Avery Gillahan. Gillahan and Gordon played the entire 90 minutes, recording three or more saves a piece.
Gillahan’s resilience in the first half saw three saves. A diving reach by Gillahan blocked a shot by Bindbeutel in the 54th minute of the matchup before things went south for the Cyclones.
Gillahan’s three goals against is tied for the second-most she has allowed this season, tying a road game against both BYU and Iowa.
Following the defeat, Iowa State will return home to take on No. 8 TCU. The Cyclones will again search for their first-ranked win of the season as conference play ends.
The matchup will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday from the Cyclone Sports Complex. It will also be streamed on ESPN+.
