Iowa State Soccer gears up for Cy-Hawk game

Iowa State sophomore Emily Steil handles a pass during the first half against Drake on Oct. 18.

Connor Ferguson

Simply put, it’s a Super Bowl game.

Well, that’s at least how some in-state fans might describe this Friday’s Iowa – Iowa State soccer game.

The two teams will square off in Iowa City for a chance to put the first two points on the scoreboard in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.

“This is going to be a defining moment for our season,” senior Stella Maris Strohman said.

Strohman, an Ames native, said that the Cy-Hawk game is always a special one.

“It means a little bit more to me, coming from Ames, and growing up with that rivalry,” Strohman said. “It’s definitely my favorite game that we play. It’s a huge rivalry. They’re going to be a tough team.”

Others on the team are just treating Iowa like it’s another game.

“We look at it like any other game,” sophomore Hannah Cade said. “I just want to get a win on the schedule.”

Iowa is 1-0 after one of their first two games was cancelled.

However, in the exhibition game, Iowa took down the Kansas Jayhawks, who were picked to finish as the runner-up in the Big 12 Conference.

The game will usually get a lot of buzz solely because of the Cy-Hawk factor, putting the spotlight on the soccer team for the night.

In last season’s matchup, the Hawkeyes took down the Cyclones 2-0.

While some might feel pressure, coach Tony Minatta said the team is looking to keep their play consistent.

“We’re working to get better,” Minatta said. “We’ve just got to play a full 90 minutes.”

In the first game of the season on Aug. 18, the Cyclones took down the Creighton Bluejays 3-0, getting off to a 1-0 start.

The team suffered their first loss of the year Aug. 20, losing 2-0 on the road against Missouri.

“Coming off the loss, I think we’re going to be really fired up for that game,” Strohman said.

In both games, the team started off hot and got a multitude of shots early. Iowa State came out firing, but the play declined as the half went on.

“That’s one of our biggest challenges,” junior Klasey Medelberg said. “Starters would start, then they would drop off, then subs would come in.

“We’re just looking to play our game. When we get stuck playing another team’s game, that’s when we become weaker, so as long as we stay true to ourselves and play our game, we’ll be fine.”

The game will be played at Iowa and will kick off at 7 p.m.

“I think this week we need to get in the mindset that everyone needs to go hard, everyone needs to do their job,” Medelberg said.

“I just want to win.”