Cyclones Midway Through Camp; Prepare for Exhibitions

PRACTICE PHOTO GALLERY

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State soccer team is one week away from its season-opening match against Drake, and a squad loaded with experienced players is ready to travel to see its first competitive action tomorrow in a pair of exhibitions.

The Cyclones return their top five point producers from last season and all but one starter on a team that is infinitely more seasoned than it was a year ago. Entering her fourth season as the Iowa State head coach, Wendy Dillinger is excited about what her team has shown during the preseason and hopes her team starts the 2011 season the way it concluded 2010 when the Cyclones downed defending Big 12 Conference champions Missouri 5-0.

"Overall the team looks good," Dillinger said. "The returning players are fit, confident and playing fast. We have created incredible goals the two times we have played full field at practice. The tempo of the game is high."

Adding to Dillinger's strong feelings about her squad is that she will not be forced to play as many freshmen as she did last season when 10 first-year players cracked the Cyclone starting 11. Conversely, the experience this year's sophomores gained last season should prove invaluable.

"The experience the sophomore class returns with after playing big roles in the 2010 season is priceless," Dillinger said. "They all are playing with poise and maturity."

The upperclassmen on the squad are also providing valuable roles during the early stages of the 2011 campaign.

"We have a solid core of returning players that have raised the bar yet again," Dillinger said. "They are setting good examples with their work ethic and positive attitudes. I can't say enough about the chemistry and unity of this group."

The Cyclones will get a chance to see how much they have progressed this weekend with a difficult Saturday when they will play two 90-minute matches in one day. Iowa State travels to St. Louis to play Southeast Missouri State at noon in a match that will be played at Mary Institute Country Day School. The Cyclones will then have little time to recover before facing Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 7 p.m. in Edwardsville, Ill.

"The games this weekend are important for us to evaluate our weaknesses and areas that we need to focus on in the next week before our opening games," Dillinger said. "Both games also give us a chance to see a number of different player combinations all over the field. It's a chance too for our youngsters to play in a college game to get a glimpse of what it's going to be like. Our upperclassmen have raised the bar and are playing with a great deal of confidence and fire right now so it's going to be fun to watch them. I hope to see lots of goals and solid, consistent play on both sides of the ball. The team has been training hard and is ready for some competition against other college teams."

While the Cyclones appear ready to fire on all cylinders this season, Dillinger still feels there is work to be done during the preseason.

"The ball is moving very fast in our scrimmages, and we have a number of players running dynamically off the ball creating great chances around the goal," Dillinger said. "We have seen some top-notch finishes and a number of high-quality chances but we still need more consistency in finishing the chances we create. We have a variety of different looks in our attack depending on who is playing. Of our nine forwards, we are looking for a couple more to step forward as consistent goal scorers."

Iowa State University Athletics

Cyclones Midway Through Camp; Prepare for Exhibitions

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