Season In Review

AMES, Iowa- The Iowa State soccer team's 2016 season was one of the best in program history. Under the direction of third-year head coach Tony Minatta, the Cyclones returned to the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 2013 and just the second time in the last nine years.

Iowa State concluded the season with a 10-8-1 overall record with the 37th toughest schedule in the country. The fearless Cyclones didn't back down against some of the NCAA's best teams in hostile territory. Tying the program record, Iowa State took down No. 21 Auburn and No. 24 Baylor on the road. Nine of Iowa State's opponents were selected for the NCAA Tournament, with West Virginia reaching the championship and Auburn advancing to the Elite 8. The Cyclones went 3-6-1 against teams that went dancing. Iowa State made the second biggest jump in the RPI rankings of teams that finished in the top-50 after finishing No. 198 at the end of the 2015 season. The No. 48 final RPI ranking is the best in school history.

DEFENSE

The combination of the experienced Cyclone back line and junior goalkeeper Lindsey Hendon led the 2016 team to a school record 10 shutouts. The Cyclones conceded just 20 goals for the second least in school history. Hendon was honored for the squad's performance by being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after back-to-back shutouts against SEC foes, No. 21 Auburn and Georgia. Redshirt defender Brianna Johnson had a fantastic season at center back and she will be the foundation of the defense next season. Johnson played a team-high 1,758 minutes for an average of over 90 minutes per game. After playing just 70 minutes against Florida in the season opener, Johnson never left the pitch.

OFFENSE

The Cyclone offense just seemed to score when they needed it the most. Sophomore Klasey Medelberg led the Cyclone offense with four goals. Sharing the ball was the key to Iowa State's success, as 13 of the Cyclones' 17 goals came off an assist, and sophomore midfielder Emily Steil was the catalyst. Steil led the team with five assists and she also scored a golden goal at Milwaukee.

SENIORS

Six seniors (Koree Willer, Madi Ott, Kourtney Camy, Lauren Roeling, Mia McAleer, and Danielle Moore) will be graduating after a four-year rollercoaster as Cyclones (Five years for McAleer). The seniors made it to the Big 12 Championship in their freshman season before going on a two-year hiatus. They leave big shoes to fill as they have combined for many starts at nearly every position. Willer will go down as one of the Cyclones' all-time greats. After two goals and two assists this season, she finished her Iowa State career in the top-five in goals (22), points (57), assists (13) and game-winning goals (8). Ott and Camy have been critical components on the Iowa State back line their entire career.

HONORS

Iowa State had several athletes earn honors over the course of the season. Freshman midfielder Hannah Cade led the Cyclones in accolades, earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors and she was the only player to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Week on two occasions. Medelberg also received conference recognition after game-winning goals at No. 24 Baylor and at UNI. Hendon brought her Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week total up to three in her career.

FRESHMAN

Iowa State's freshman class provided many key components of the 2016 season scoring seven of Iowa State's 17 goals and contributing two assists this season. Hannah Cade led the freshman class with three goals, just one goal behind team leading scorer Klasey Medelberg. Freshman Tegan Alexander also chipped in two goals, and Anna Frerichs scored a goal against South Dakota. Three different freshmen recorded a start.

ACADEMICS

The Cyclones were also impressive in the classroom with 12 different players earning academic All-Big 12 honors. The Cyclones were led by sophomore Riley Behan who posted a perfect 4.0 GPA while studying Materials Engineering. Willer, Ott, Roeling, and McAleer received the award every year in which they were eligible.

Check Cyclones.com for the latest info on Cyclone soccer and look out for our spring soccer schedule.

Players Mentioned

Tegan Alexander

Riley Behan

Hannah Cade

Kourtney Camy

Anna Frerichs

Lindsey Hendon

Brianna Johnson

Mia McAleer

Klasey Medelberg

Danielle Moore

Madi Ott

Lauren Roeling

Emily Steil

Koree Willer

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics