ISU Soccer Falls To Western Illinois, 2-0

AMES, Iowa ? Western Illinois (11-1-1) scored a pair of first-half goals to defeat the Iowa State (6-4-3) soccer team, 2-0, Sunday afternoon at the rain-soaked ISU Soccer Complex.

“Defensively today, we just didn't have accountability for our marks,” said ISU head coach Rebecca Hornbacher. “We made mistakes that cost us the game by not staying with our marks on two plays. We came out with fire in the second half, but we have to come out with the intensity and show that effort from the very beginning.”

Ashley Hoch scored the first goal, her fourth of the season, just over seven minutes into the match after Ann Gleason got both hands on a cross five yards in front of the box, but the wet ball slipped through her gloves. Hoch was there to pick up the easy marker just a few feet in front of the net.

“We talked about the conditions being sloppy before the game,” said Hornbacher. “The ball came in and Ann made the initial save, but in conditions like this, it is very difficult for a goalkeeper to handle the ball cleanly. We didn't have anybody on the line to try to clear it off and we didn't have anyone following the runner that put the ball in the back of the net.”

With just under six minutes left in the initial half, Hoch's free kick from 10 yards in front of the midfield stripe in the WIU offensive zone found Katelyn Wisner. Wisner won a header in the box with her back to the goal, deflecting the ball into the net over Gleason. The marker was Wisner's sixth of the season.

“(Western Illinois) had a brilliant set piece off a free kick and we had nobody going up and challenging the player in the box,” said Hornbacher. “It's our mistakes defensively that cost us the game.”

The second half went scoreless as Western Illinois packed eight or nine defenders deep in the ISU offensive zone for the majority of the half. The Cyclones had a few opportunities at headers in front of the net, but they either hit the post, went wide or sailed high.

The Cyclones outshot the Westerwinds, 18-9, for the game, including a 13-1 margin in the second half. ISU also held a 12-3 advantage in corner kicks on the afternoon.

Meghan Tyk (8-0-0) made 11 saves to earn the shutout for the Westerwinds. Gleason (6-4-3) made four saves for the Cyclones.

ISU returns to action next weekend as they conclude the home portion of their schedule against Big 12 foes Texas A&M and Baylor, Friday and Sunday, respectively.

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Players Mentioned

Ann Gleason

Ann Gleason

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