The beginning of the conference schedule yielded unsatisfying results for ISU’s women’s soccer team as they struggled to find the back of the net and dropped the first two games of the conference schedule.

Oklahoma State took a narrow 1-0 victory on Sept. 26. The Cyclones (6-6, 0-2 Big 12) were unable to rebound on Sept. 28 as they fell to Baylor 2-0.

ISU coach Tony Minatta said the team had plenty of scoring chances against Oklahoma State but was ultimately unable to score. The team even had a shot at an equalizer in the final minutes of the game that was unsuccessful.

“We created a lot of chances … but at the end of the day if you don’t finish those, you lose the game,” Minatta said. “When we have those opportunities we have to finish them.”

The offensive struggles continued two days later as Baylor shut out Iowa State for the second consecutive game.

Minatta was disappointed with the team’s performance against Baylor, saying the team “didn’t play with the same intensity” as previous games.

Starting off 0-2 in conference play has put the Cyclone’s backs against the wall as they hope to make a push towards their second straight Big 12 conference tournament.

“As a team, we didn’t do the things we needed to do to come out with wins,” said sophomore Madi Ott. “Everyone has to step up and come together. We know what our focus needs to be and we know what we need to do to win.”

The team is not ready to hit the panic button yet, however. With two home games this coming weekend, the Cyclones are poised to right the ship and get back on track.

“Our backs are against the wall, not completely, but we need to turn it around and hold strong at home,” Minatta said.

Minatta also said that winning four of the next six games would leave the Cyclones with a 4-4 record in conference play, which would get them into the Big 12 tournament.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Cyclones, however, as they face Big 12 opponents week-in and week-out for the remainder of the season.

“We learn from these games,” said forward Koree Willer. “Obviously we prefer wins, but they still help prepare us down the line. Although we didn’t win, its good to have that constant pressure from really good teams.”

The team feels up to the challenge of winning four of the next six matches against tough Big 12 opponents and ultimately getting a chance to play in the Big 12 conference tournament, which has been a major goal of the team.

“They feel confident that they can compete with all the Big 12 teams [and] it’s time for them to rise up and show it,” Minatta said.