AMES – Iowa State fell 2-1 to Houston at home Thursday. The loss was the sixth in a row for the Cyclones, who remain winless in October.
For the Cougars, the win pushed them to 7-3-4 on the year and 2-3-2 in the Big 12. The loss dropped Iowa State to 4-7-2 for the season and 1-6 in conference play.
The crossbar is a cruel mistress
The MVP of the match for Houston was undoubtedly the crossbar. One sequence in particular could have vaulted the Cyclones up 2-1. There were two header shots taken off a corner kick, but both clanged off the top bar.
“On any other day we would have scored five or six goals, and somehow, today we got one, and it wasn’t enough,” Iowa State head coach Matt Fannon said.
As mentioned previously, Iowa State took 19 shots, the most in a home game since its 19-shot, 4-0 barrage versus North Dakota on Sept. 7.
Having opportunities present themselves but walking away empty-handed hurts; for Fannon, it’s a sign that all the hours of hard work are paying off.
“I think they’ve done all the right things,” Fannon said. “They’ve trained really hard, they’ve got after it, they clearly believe in the way we play and what we’re trying to do.”
Looking at the box score without looking at the final results, it would appear that the Cyclones would have been the victors, but that was not the case. It’s a game that’s a head-scratcher and shows that doing all the right things can still end in a loss.
“It becomes something that it’s hard to understand, when again, we’ve pretty much done everything right,” Fannon said.
Freshman forward Megan Walters scores her third goal of the season
No warm-up was required for the Cyclones, getting the action started before the first minute had even ended. Iowa State freshman forward Megan Walters scored in the 46th second, assisted by senior defender Isabella Agrusso.
“It felt amazing that I can contribute to this team and contribute to the success that we are bound to have,” Walters said.
Walters has been on fire down the stretch of the season, getting her second goal in two games. Walters’ goal notched her seventh point of the season, tying her for the team lead with sophomore midfielder/forward Morgan Goodman.
However, the only stat that truly matters is wins. No amount of individual goals can wash the bad taste that losses leave.
“Scoring is obviously awesome … it’s just the hurt of the loss that really digs in,” Walters said.
Turning these losses into learning opportunities is key for a team that has persevered through a difficult slate of opponents.
“We just need to continue fighting,” Walters said. “We need to start finishing our goals better, including me.”
For Fannon, Walters’ goal is a testament to the confidence she brings every game, and that this scoring run is only the beginning.
“I want to take nothing away from her [Walters] this season, but good god, she’s going to be special,” Fannon said. “She’s got three more years that I think we’re going to be seeing her name a lot.”
Cougars bring the physicality
The name of the game for Houston was bringing a rough-and-tumble attitude to the pitch. The team received 11 foul calls at the end of the first half; the Cyclones had five.
The Cougars were not afraid of jostling players; whether it was on-ball defense or creating plays for their offense, they stuck to Iowa State like glue. By the final whistle, Houston totaled 17 fouls.
Iowa State seemed unfazed, as they took 19 shots, four on goal and held possession for 53% of the match.
“I think we fought really well,” Fannon said. “I think overall we certainly had the fight in this tonight, and did a really good job of more than anything fighting and coming out with the ball.”
Looking ahead, Iowa State will play its final home game against Arizona State at 1 p.m. Sunday.
