It seems to be the theme for the season – a close loss in a game that the Iowa State soccer team definitely could have won – and it happened again on Sunday at the Cyclone Sports Complex.

The women’s soccer team lost its fourth overtime game of the year losing to No. 25 Oklahoma State 2-1 in 97 minutes.

It was the Cyclones’ sixth overtime game this season, though two contests resulted in ties.

“It’s just tough,” said coach Tony Minatta. “The overtime thing is just hard for college soccer because soccer [as a sport] doesn’t go to overtime. It’s a crap shoot. You make one mistake and that’s it. It’s just tough.”

The Cyclones were coming off a game against Oklahoma where they played a full 20 minutes of extra time.

Some players were still feeling that early in the game Sunday.

“You could definitely tell the legs were tired from those players that played the full match against Oklahoma,” Minatta said. “[The reserved players] really stepped up.”

Minatta put in three subs in the first 20 minutes of the game, something he has not done all season, and it would earn the Cyclones a big goal.

Though Oklahoma State striked first to take a 1-0 lead, Iowa State, and specifically Stella Maris Strohman, would respond in a big way.

After a header from Courtney Powell hit the hands of Oklahoma State goalie Michela Ongaro, Maris Strohman sprinted in from outside the goalie box to earn a rebound goal.

The tally was Maris Strohman’s – an Ames native – first goal of her career. Powell was credited with the assist on the goal.

“That was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Strohman said. “Obviously it’s a little disappointing not getting the win, but if I can do something to help us be in a better position to get a result, that’s the most important thing.”

Strohman joined the program after graduating from Ames High School and is still a walk-on with the team.

“She has worked really hard over her career and one of her goals was to score once before her career was over,” Minatta said. “Hopefully she’s got another one or two in her, because we’re going to need that going forward.”

The loss drops Iowa State’s record to 2-10-2 and 0-4-1 in Big 12 play, but that’s not indicative of the talent the team has.

“Our team is so much better than what the record shows,” Minatta said. “I have to look at the big picture, and the big picture is that we’re a very good team.”

Though, Minatta thinks that the close losses and being in a position to win every game will pay off for Iowa State in the future.

“I still believe that this is going to help us become even better in the future, and we’re going to put ourselves in a position to turn some of these one-goal losses into wins,” Minatta said.