Cyclones Defeated By No. 12 USC, 2-0

LOS ANGELES - The Iowa State soccer team (2-5-1) fell at No. 12 USC (4-1-0) on Sunday at McAlister Field. The defending NCAA champions scored two goals in the first 20 minutes before the Cyclones found their footing and were able to press the Trojans.

Iowa State match the defending national champions nearly shot-for-shot in the second half (8-7), led by junior Brooke Tasker with two. Iowa State also out-cornered the Trojans in the game, 6-2.

Turning Point of the Game
Iowa State fell behind early on an unassisted goal from Leah Pruitt in the game's 7^th minute, but it was USC's second strike in the 19^th minute that changed the outlook of the match. A Trojan corner kick, taken by Savannah DeMelo, pinged around in the box before finding the foot of Alex Anthony right in front of the net. The USC senior was able to finish, putting Iowa State in a 2-0 hole.

Cyclone Game Ball Goes to...
Stella Maris Strohman. The Cyclone senior came off the bench in the 26^th minute of the first half and helped stem the USC tide, giving great energy. Strohman played 33 minutes on Sunday and was critical in Iowa State righting itself after a fast Trojan start. It won't show up on the stat sheet, but the native of Ames, Iowa, won balls in the midfield all game for the Cyclones and was a real bright spot for ISU with effort and energy.

Coach Speak
"We just got off to a slow start," head coach Tony Minatta said. "I don't know if we gave them too much respect or were intimidated. We made some substitutions and Stella Maris Strohman lifted the team with her energy. She was on the ball, created opportunities. In the second half, we really started coming after them and made a game of it."

On Deck
Iowa State returns home, but the schedule gets no easier, as yet another top-15 team awaits the Cyclones. ISU will play No. 9 Florida on Sunday, Sept.17 at 12 p.m. CT at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The game will be televised live on Cyclones.tv.

Next Event

Team Stats

Brooke Tasker

Abigail Harbin

Brianna Johnson

Kasey Opfer

Players Mentioned

Stella Maris Strohman

Brooke Tasker

Players Mentioned

Stella Maris Strohman

Brooke Tasker

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics