PRIMER: Iowa State at Omaha

Who: Iowa State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big 12) at Omaha (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit)

Where: Caniglia Field (3,097) – Omaha, Neb.

When: August 12 – 7 p.m. CT

Kicking Off
The 2026-27 Iowa State athletics calendar officially kicks off on Wednesday, as the Iowa State soccer program heads west to take on Omaha in the season opener. ISU is entering its 31st season of soccer and seventh season under Matt Fannon.

The Cyclones were selected to finish 16th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll following their 2025 campaign. ISU is set to welcome 15 newcomers into the fold, seven of whom are Power 4 transfers.

Omaha finished the 2025 season sixth in the Summit League standings and hopes to improve on its spot. Like ISU, UNO played an exhibition last week, earning a 0-0 draw against K-State at home.

From the Notebook

The Cyclones will look to earn a result in their season opener for the fourth-straight season, having not dropped a lid-lifter since 2022.
Iowa State returns over half its goals scored from last season, led by midfielder Morgan Goodman (4 goals in 2025).
ISU lost over half of its 2025 roster (14 players) over the offseason.
Morgan Struttmann and Giovanna Hansen will miss the season with injury.
ISU coach Matt Fannon announced that he will be retiring from the coaching profession at the end of the 2026 season.

Leading the Cyclones
Iowa State's offense returns impact players Morgan Goodman, Megan Walters and Sophie Forrester, as the three make up nine of the returning 11 goals for the Cyclones. Transfers Breezie Brewer and Izabella Tejeda figure to slot into prominent roles on the offense, with Brewer scoring the lone ISU goal in the exhibition against Minnesota.

For the third straight season, ISU will have a new face between the pipes, as one of Ella Moersch, Eme McClenahan or Sara Gavagan will earn the starting keeper spot. McClenahan played just one contest for Utah last year in her freshman campaign, while Gavagan has 19 contests under her belt from her four-year career at UMBC.

Overall, the Cyclones scored 20 goals in 2025 and allowed 28 goals. The team had 174 total shots, averaging 10.2 per contest, and placed 45.4% of them on goal.

Opponent Outlook
Omaha brings back a pair of All-Summit League athletes in sophomores Kendall Dobberstein and Presley Douglas. Dobberstein had one shot in UNO's 0-0 exhibition draw against K-State.

The Mavericks played a pair of keepers in the exhibition, with former Cyclone Cadence Fagan getting the start and returner Clara Fundus playing the second half. The two combined for five saves in a combined shutout against the Wildcats.

Overall, the Mavs scored 30 goals in 2025 and allowed 32 goals. The team had 198 total shots, averaging 10.4 per contest, and placed 53.5% of them on goal.

Series History
Iowa State and Omaha will meet for the fourth time, with ISU holding a 3-0 all-time record. The Cyclones are 1-0 in games played at Omaha, with the lone other game coming back in 2012, when they won 4-0. In three contests against the Mavs, ISU outscored UNO 9-1.

Up Next
Iowa State will be back in action this Sunday, August 16, when it hosts Kansas City in the home opener. Sunday's tilt also doubles as Senior Day. ISU and KC will square off at 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission, as always, is FREE.

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Players Mentioned

Breezie Brewer

Cadence Fagan

Sophie Forrester

Sara Gavagan

Morgan Goodman

Giovanna Hansen

Eme McClenahan

Ella Moersch

Morgan Struttmann

Izabella Tejeda

Megan Walters

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics