AMES — Iowa State Cyclone soccer nearly pulled off a ranked upset Thursday night, battling No. 15 Colorado tooth-and-nail before a late first-half penalty kick proved to be the difference in a 1-0 Big 12 Conference opener.
Iowa State dropped to 4-3-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play, while Colorado improved to 7-1-1 and 1-0 in the conference.
The Cyclone defense kept Colorado’s dangerous attack off the scoreboard during the run of play, but a foul near the edge of the box late in the first half handed the Buffaloes the opportunity they needed.
Colorado captain Reagan Kotschau converted the penalty kick at the 40:16 mark, slipping the ball past Iowa State goalkeeper Eme McClenahan for what ultimately became the game-winning goal.
Cyclones withstand early Colorado barrage
Colorado came out firing, producing three shots during the opening 10 minutes, but Iowa State’s defense blocked two attempts while another went wide.
Morgan Goodman generated a pair of chances for the Cyclones midway through the first half, putting one shot on goal before sending another off target.
Colorado then cranked up the pressure.
The Buffaloes unleashed four shots during a three-minute stretch, but McClenahan stopped all four and kept the match scoreless.
Iowa State appeared headed toward halftime locked in a defensive battle before Makenna Marshall was called for a foul near the box.
Kotschau stepped up for the ensuing penalty kick and converted to give Colorado a 1-0 advantage.
The Buffaloes held a 9-3 advantage in shots at halftime, while McClenahan had already collected four saves.
Iowa State nearly finds late equalizer
The Cyclones became more dangerous after halftime and generated five second-half shots as they searched for an equalizer.
Their best opportunity came during a frantic sequence in the 85th minute.
Cassidy Corcione blasted a shot from outside the box toward the Colorado goal, forcing goalkeeper Brooke Goerish to get a hand on the ball and knock it off the crossbar.
The rebound dropped in front of the net and found Sophie Forrester, but her follow-up attempt went wide.
Colorado escaped the threat and held on during the final minutes to hand Iowa State its first loss against a ranked opponent this season.
The Buffaloes finished with a 13-8 advantage in shots and a 4-0 edge in corner kicks.
Goodman, Corcione and Izzy Kapanke each recorded two shots for Iowa State, with all three putting an attempt on goal.
McClenahan played the full 90 minutes and made six saves. Maia Soulis and Danica Lunceford also went the distance for the Cyclones.
Kotschau led Colorado with five shots, including three on goal. Brooke Goerish made three saves while recording the shutout.
Cyclones enter Big 12 grind
The narrow defeat came one week after Iowa State battled Loyola Maryland to a 1-1 draw in its final non-conference match.
That result capped a 4-2-2 non-conference run for a Cyclone team that has leaned heavily on its defense throughout the opening portion of the season.
Iowa State had also blanked Missouri State 2-0 earlier in September while recording its fifth clean sheet through seven matches.
Thursday’s performance showed that defense can also hold up against one of the Big 12’s top teams.
The Cyclones now hit the road for their first conference road test.
Iowa State will travel to Houston on Thursday, September 24, to face the Cougars. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.