Sometimes forced changes can have a positive impact and kick-start a team’s season.

The Iowa State women’s soccer team found that out this past weekend, picking up two shutouts against South Dakota State and Missouri-Kansas City with games ahead in California this weekend.

The unbeaten weekend comes after the Cyclones made big changes to the starting personnel, with Courtney Powell, a freshman forward and leading scorer, starting both games over the weekend and getting on the end of through balls from teammates in a new 4-4-2 formation. The new formation highlights the versatility of this Cyclone squad, with players showing the ability to change roles and succeed.

“It’s fantastic. One of our players might play three or four different positions on the field this weekend. It’s been great that we’re able to utilize as many players as we do have to play different positions,” coach Tony Minatta said.

Minatta loves the versatility he has at his disposal.

“What we’re seeing is a lot of players who are getting opportunities and really showing their quality, and that’s really fun to see,” Minatta said.

Young players have been given chances in this new setup and performed admirably, Minatta said.

“I think we played five freshman this weekend, and they all played very well,” Minatta said. “Excited about what they bring to the team. Really excited about the growth that we’re experiencing heading into these next few games.”

Solidity in defense is a key component for the Cyclones, with junior central midfielder Taylor Wagner emphasizing that defense is the foundation of everything they do.

“It’s very competitive to get on the field, so you know whoever is out there is going to be working hard,” Wagner said. “Our defense is pretty solid. I think we’re more defensive minded now [in the 4-4-2].”

A counter-attacking mentality has been instilled in the Cyclones over the past two games, with hoards of chances coming from quick moves after winning the ball in defensive areas.

Minatta said that a quick transition from defense to attack is something the Cyclones will look to continue, and likened the mindset to that of leading Spanish team Atletico Madrid.

“You see how a lot of the best teams play it,” Minatta said. “They will sit back and get behind the ball, but as soon as they win it, they’re breaking out into attack.

“It can be very dynamic going forward, when you make that commitment to defense and then coming out quickly.”

One of the advantages of the 4-4-2 is the use of wide midfielders to shore up the wide areas of the pitch, allowing for pacy forwards to get upfield and into dangerous areas. On Sunday, redshirt junior forward Brooke Tasker and sophomore attacking midfielder Hannah Cade provided assists from wide positions.

Minatta is adamant that pace was another important wrinkle in attack.

“We had Mckenna Schultz, Courtney [Powell], and Tegan [Alexander] up front,” Minatta said. “Tegan didn’t get a lot of minutes at the beginning of the season and wasn’t traveling, but she put a ton of work in and made an impact with her pace.

“We’re gonna keep using our speed on the wings, and we want to run at teams and wear them down.”

Tasker loves all of the attacking aspects of the game and was excited to play at forward and on the wing over the weekend.

Tasker strongly believes that the new style suits the team.

“I love to counter-attack, I think that our best chances come from the counter and I think that’s where we’re most dangerous right now,” Tasker said.

Time will tell, but the Cyclones might have just found their recipe for success in the Big 12.