PRIMER: Iowa State at UCF - Iowa State Athletics

Who: Iowa State (4-10-4, 0-8-2 Big 12) at UCF (10-4-2, 5-3-2 Big 12)

Where: UCF Soccer Complex (2,475) – Orlando, Fla.

When: Thursday, November 5 – 6 p.m. CT

Kicking Off
Iowa State's season is set to come to a close Thursday evening in Orlando. It will be the final game of Coach Fannon's tenure, as he's set to retire from the profession. ISU will look to end the season on a high note and snap a five-game skid.

ISU comes into the contest off a 2-0 loss to Oklahoma State in its 2026 home finale. The Pokes punched in a pair of scores in the first half and were able to shut out the Cyclones to hold on to a two-goal victory.

UCF enters the regular season finale having lost and drawn in its last two contests and aims to get back in the win column. The Knights have already secured their spot in the Big 12 Tournament and are looking to improve seeding.

From the Notebook

Eme McClenahan has been a revelation in net for the Cyclones.
- The redshirt freshman leads the Big 12 in saves (85) and has three clean sheets plus two combined shutouts.
- She has three double-digit save outings this year, collecting a career-high 12 saves against Kansas State.
Through 1187 games, 12 different Cyclones have scored goals.
- That's the most Cyclones to have scored in a single season since 2012.
Iowa State shut out five of its first seven opponents, marking the first time since 2015 an ISU squad has done so.
Iowa State's 2-1-1 start to the season was tied for the best four-game opening stretch by an ISU team since 2016.
Iowa State's two highest-scoring games under Coach Fannon have come against UNI. A 6-0 win over the Panthers in 2024 marks the most in a game, while the 5-0 win from August is the second-most.
Morgan Goodman recorded the first three-plus-assist game by a Cyclone since Ashley Johnson in 2012, when she collected a trio of helpers against Kansas City.
- Goodman finished with five points against the Roos, the most by a Cyclone in a game since Emily Goldstein at Oklahoma in 2013.
Iowa State scored four goals in the win over KC. It was the fifth game of the Fannon Era that ISU has netted at least four goals in a contest.
Iowa State drew nine corner kicks against Omaha. It was the team's most in a single game since 8/20/23.
Iowa State earned a season-opening result for the fourth consecutive season, as it dispatched Omaha, 1-0.
After two seasons with San Francisco without earning a point, Danica Lunceford scored her first career goal in her first contest with the Cyclones, which would prove to be the game-winner.
ISU lost over half of its 2025 roster (14 players) over the offseason.
Morgan Struttmann, Giovanna Hansen and Maia Soulis will miss the remainder of the season with injury.

Leading the Cyclones
Through 18 outings, Morgan Goodman and Alaina Villa lead all Cyclones in points with six. Goodman leads the team in assists (4), while Villa is tied with Megan Walters for the lead in goals (3). Fellow sophomore Sophie Forrester is the lone other multi-goal scorer with two. Erin Hopewell leads the team in minutes played (1,512), while Forrester leads in shots (28).

Eme McClenahan has started each contest between the pipes for ISU. The redshirt freshman has three clean sheets and a pair of combined shutouts to her name this year. She has 85 saves so far, tallying a career-high 12 saves against K-State.

Overall, the Cyclones have scored 17 goals and allowed 21 through 18 contests. The team has 201 total shots, averaging 11.2 per contest, and has placed 41.8% of them on goal.

Opponent Outlook
UCF's offense is powered by senior forward Naomi Clark, who owns 11 goals and 25 points, the most of any Knight. Six other UCF student-athletes have multiple scores, while Ainsley Moy leads the team in assists with eight.

Kaïna Cesar has handled the majority of keeping duties for UCF, starting 12 of the team's 16 contests. She's allowed 14 goals, resulting in a 1.167 goals-against average, and has 46 saves.

Overall, the Knights have scored 27 goals and allowed 23 through 16 contests. The team has 179 total shots, averaging 11.9 per contest, and has placed 41.9% of them on goal.

Series History
Iowa State and UCF met once prior back in 2024, but there is no all-time series result because the 2024 match was ruled a no contest after constant lightning caused a cancelation in the 67th minute.

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Players Mentioned

Sophie Forrester

Morgan Goodman

Giovanna Hansen

Erin Hopewell

Danica Lunceford

Eme McClenahan

Maia Soulis

Morgan Struttmann

Alaina Villa

Megan Walters

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics