AMES- Iowa State ended its final home matchup of the season in a 1-1 draw against the Baylor Bears. The Cyclones opened with early momentum but struggled to hold up in the closing minutes.
Early momentum
The Cyclones dominated in the opening minutes and found the back of the net after a corner kick taken by Ella Ciardullo found the foot of Lauren Hernandez. Hernandez’s goal was her first of the season and set the tone throughout the first half.
“This was a really interesting game,” Iowa State head coach Matt Fannon said. “Once we got ahead, the women were searching for another one.”
Iowa State outshot the Bears 9-7 in the first half, three of which were on target. Baylor took five corners in the first half, all of which were neutralized by the Cyclones on the back foot.
“Overall, we got the balance right,” Fannon said. “We played both sides of the ball really well, especially in the first half.”
Attacking mindset
Iowa State finished its final home matchup with 16 shots, a number that tops nearly 50% of their matchups this season. A shot by Ella Zimmerman in the 29th minute found the woodwork, followed by two later chances created by Ella Ciardullo in the 57th and 58th minute.
“We knew they were going to try and stretch us out,” Fannon said. “We filled those spaces and created the chances that we needed to score.”
Cyclone goalkeeper Avery Gillahan was credited with two saves in the first half and four in the second. A shot off the top woodwork by Baylor forward Tyler Isgreig bounced out and kept the Bears scoreless in the seventy-second.
“Stuff like that always happens,” Fannon said. “We’ve limited them to difficult chances, and our women were great.”
Momentum fizzles
The Iowa State attack fizzled out in the closing minutes after a goal by Baylor midfielder Skye Leach scored in the 84th minute. The Bears made a late push that controlled possession in the closing thirty minutes, firing off six shots to create second-half chances.
“Once you’re ahead, you have to keep pushing,” Fannon said. “Our women feel the stress, but they’re human beings.”
The Cyclones created two runs in the closing five minutes that seemed promising. A shot by forward Magdalena Keck was saved in the final minute sealed the fate of Iowa State and ended the season short of the program’s 200th win.
The Cyclones will look to rebound next season in hopes of returning a number of their starters for the 2025 campaign. Should he return to Iowa State, Fannon will enter his sixth year with the program and year 13 of his collegiate coaching tenure.
The Big 12 tournament will start on Oct. 30 in Kansas City, Missouri, at CPKC Stadium. The preliminary matchups of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.
