Iowa State at Utah Primer

Who: Iowa State (3-5-2, 1-1 Big 12) at Utah (4-4-2, 1-2 Big 12)

Where: Ute Field – Salt Lake City, Utah

When: September 26 – 8 p.m.

Kicking Off
Iowa State will look to earn its second straight conference road win on Thursday as it heads to Utah for the first-ever meeting between the two schools. A win would give the Cyclones their 200th program win.

After playing five of its last six – technically four of its last five with UCF being a no-contest – matches at home, Iowa State embarks on its first multi-game road trip of the season. ISU looks to get back in the win column after a hard-fought loss to No. 21 Colorado this past Sunday.

Utah enters Thursday's match having, lost its last two contests. The Utes are 1-0 at home against Big 12 teams this season and are 4-2-1 at Ute Field altogether. Utah, like Iowa State, plays a low shot attempt type of attack, as the two squads are 15th and 16th in the conference.

From the Notebook

In its no contest against UCF, lightning caused a stoppage in the 67th minute at 7:35 p.m. In ISU's last no contest, in 2021 against Oklahoma State, lightning also stopped play in the 67th minute at 7:35 p.m.
For the first time since 2016, Iowa State opened Big 12 conference play with a win, defeating Kansas 1-0 in Lawrence. It was the second straight year ISU beat KU 1-0.
The Cyclones earned their second shutout of the season against Kansas, as keeper Avery Gillahan ran her career clean sheet mark to five.
It took both Magdalena Keck and Morgan Furmaniak just five matches to have at least three goals scored. Last year, it took ISU until the 12th game to have a pair of players with three goals.
Iowa State had eight goal scorers last season and already eclipsed that number (9) against Michigan.
Injuries have played a part in the early season for the Cyclones. Olivia Edwards, Jocelyn Bice and Avery Horner have been held out of all ten games, while senior Hannah Shaw will likely miss the remainder of the season.
ISU's six goals against UNI were its most since 2012, when it put seven on the board against UNI, winning 7-1. The team also posted its most assists in a single game since 2014.
Iowa State head coach Matt Fannon earned career win number 100 against UNI on 8/25.
For just the 16th time in 539 outings, Iowa State scored 6+ goals in a match against UNI to close out August.
Iowa State's 12 regular season home games are tied for the most in a single season in school history. The only other time ISU had 12 home games (1997), the team went 9-3.

Leading the Cyclones
Through ten contests, the Cyclones boast a balanced offense. Senior Magdalena Keck leads the team in points (9), holding a trio of goals while also toting a team-high three assists. Fellow senior Morgan Furmaniak holds the team lead in goals with four.

Senior Hannah Shaw and Sophia Thomas each have a pair of scores to round out the multi-goal athletes for ISU. Defenders Ella Zimmerman, Isabella Agrusso, Adelaide Wolfe and Chloe Broughton all also have goals to their names, along with midfielder Seulgi Lee.

Avery Gillahan has been the primary keeper this season in the net for the Cyclones, having played 880 minutes. Gilly tallied her fifth career shutout and second of the season against Kansas in the Big 12 opener. She currently has 53 saves and holds a 1.50 goals-against average. ISU currently leads the Big 12 in saves with 56.

Opponent Outlook
Utah is led by the most prolific offensive player in the conference in Taliana Kaufusi. Kaufusi has a conference-best nine goals to go along with a conference-high of 19 points on the season. The Utah team shares the ball, as the Utes own the second-most assists in the league.

Katie O'Kane (5) and Callie Blaylock (2) join Kaufusi as multi-goal scorers for the Utes, while Bella Woods also has a score. Lilliah Blum has a team-best four assists, while five other Utes have multiple assists. In the net, Kasey Wardle has been the primary keeper the last seven contests and has 21 saves with a 1.50 goals-against average.

Overall, Utah is outscoring its opponents 17-12 and averages 1.70 goals per game. The team has 100 shots, launching 10 a match, and places 44 percent of them on goal.

Series History
Utah and Iowa State will be meeting for the first time ever on Thursday. Last season, in matches against schools they've never faced, the Cyclones went 2-2.

Up Next
The Cyclones will stay in Utah following the match against the Utes and play again on Monday, Sept. 20, against BYU in Provo. ISU and BYU will kick off at 8 p.m. CT on Monday and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Isabella Agrusso

Jocelyn Bice

Chloe Broughton

Olivia Edwards

Morgan Furmaniak

Avery Gillahan

Avery Horner

Magdalena Keck

Seulgi Lee

Hannah Shaw

Sophia Thomas

Adelaide Wolfe

Ella Zimmerman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics