Iowa State looks to stop the skid in its last home game of the season versus Arizona State Sunday. The Cyclones sit at 4-7-2, with the Sun Devils at 9-4-2.
It was back during the days of Y2K when Iowa State played its only match against Arizona State. It was a 3-1 Sun Devil win at home back in 1999. Now, 26 years later, the second match in school history will take place.
Last time out: Iowa State
The Cyclones’ previous match was a 2-1 loss to Houston at home Friday. It was a physical contest that saw Iowa State do nearly everything right, but it still wound up losing.
Iowa State freshman forward Megan Walters nailed her third goal of the season early in the first minute. Senior defender Isabella Agrusso assisted Walters’ score.
Later in the first half, the Cyclones had a golden opportunity to get another goal. A corner kick towards the goal set up a header towards the goal, but it bounced off the crossbar. And off that rebound, another scoring chance, but it too doinked off the top, leaving Iowa State walking away empty-handed.
By the end of the first half, the Cyclones had taken eight shots, three more than Houston, but had fewer shots on goal than the Cougars. Houston also had 11 fouls to Iowa State’s five.
During the second half, the Cougars did everything in their power to preserve their 2-1 lead. Iowa State continued mounting pressure on the goal, but nothing came of it.
From a look at the final box score, it would appear that the Cyclones had won comfortably. They took 19 shots, the same amount as their 4-0 win over North Dakota earlier this year. However, soccer can be a head-scratcher, where only one goal comes from a technical performance like Iowa State’s.
Last time out: Arizona State
The Sun Devils hosted Big 12 goliath No. 12 Texas Tech on Thursday. They fell 3-2 in a second-half thriller.
Texas Tech junior forward Taylor Zdrojewski put the Red Raiders up 1-0 in the fourth minute of the first half. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Sam Courtwright assisted the goal.
Texas Tech junior forward Storie Sexton tacked on another goal in the 31st minute. It was Sexton’s first goal of the season and was assisted by redshirt senior defender Macy Blackburn and Courtwright.
By halftime, the Red Raiders were running circles around the Sun Devils. They took 12 shots, while Arizona State mustered one. Texas Tech also held the corner advantage three to one.
Down but not out, the Sun Devils came out swinging. In the 51st minute, Arizona State scored its first goal. Senior midfielder Peyton Marcisz scored the unassisted goal, her third of the year.
10 minutes later, Arizona State closed the gap. Sophomore midfielder/forward Sierra Bergen scored the tying goal. Senior midfielder/forward Cameron Valladares and Marcisz assisted the goal.
After a tense stretch of no goals, it was Zdrojewski’s heroics in the 85th minute that lifted the Red Raiders past the Sun Devils. Senior defender Molly Skurcenski and Sexton assisted her 12th goal of the season.
Players to watch
For Iowa State, Walters has been on a hot streak down the stretch of the season. She has scored in back-to-back contests for the Cyclones and sits tied for first in points with seven.
Freshman forward Sophie Forrester is another player to watch for Iowa State. She is one of five Cyclones to score multiple times this season. She has two goals and an assist, totaling five points, tying her for third on the team.
Senior midfielder/forward Tatum Thomason leads the potent Arizona State offense. She has scored six goals and has four assists. Her 16 points sit atop the Sun Devil leaderboards.
Valladares makes up the one-two punch with Thomason. She is a dynamic playmaker for Arizona State, leading the team with nine assists. Valladares also has three goals to boot, and is second on the team for points with 15.
Iowa State versus Arizona State kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Cyclone Sports Complex.
