AMES — Iowa State soccer surrendered two goals in the opening 15 minutes and could not recover Thursday, October 29, falling 2-0 to Oklahoma State in the Cyclones’ home finale and coach Matt Fannon’s final match in Ames.
Fannon is set to retire at the end of the season. The loss left Iowa State at 4-10-4 overall and 0-8-2 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma State improved to 7-7-4 and 3-5-2 with its first road victory of the season.
The Cowgirls took control early. Emma Jensen scored at 2:40 off an assist from Laudan Wilson, putting Iowa State behind less than three minutes into the match. Sonora De Fini doubled the advantage at 14:12 with her eighth goal of the season.
Those two finishes proved decisive, even as Iowa State generated more total shots over the course of the evening.
The Cyclones finished with a 14-13 edge in attempts, outshooting a conference opponent for just the second time this season. Five Iowa State players recorded two shots apiece, but Oklahoma State goalkeeper Avery Bass stopped all four attempts on target to secure the shutout.
Oklahoma State held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal and a commanding 9-1 edge in corner kicks. Jensen led the Cowgirls with five total shots, while De Fini put a game-high two attempts on target.
The visitors carried a 9-7 shot advantage and five corner kicks into halftime. Iowa State continued pressing after the break, recording seven more attempts while limiting Oklahoma State to four, but could not find a goal to begin a comeback.
Cyclone goalkeeper Eme McClenahan made two saves, and Iowa State’s defense contributed another stop. Senior Erin Hopewell played all 90 minutes in her final home appearance, making her the only Cyclone field player to go the distance.
The result followed Iowa State’s 3-0 loss to No. 20 BYU, leaving the Cyclones looking to finish their season with a stronger offensive showing on the road.
Iowa State will close the 2026 season against UCF in Orlando. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central, with coverage on ESPN+. The university’s release did not specify the game date.