Cyclones Finish September Slate Hosting Houston

AMES, Iowa – Following a two-game road trip at both West Virginia and Cincinnati, Iowa State returns to the Cyclone Sports Complex to host Houston in the two schools' first-ever meeting. The Cyclones and Cougars will meet on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. and the action will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

ISU (3-7-1, 0-3 Big 12) will begin a two-game homestand with a pair of Cougars as BYU follows Houston in a Monday meeting. Houston (6-4-1, 0-3 Big 12) is riding a four-game losing streak as it makes its way to Ames.

Tomorrow's match is Pups at the Pitch so if you'd like to check out some Cyclone soccer with man's best friend, register ahead of time here.

The matchup with Houston will be Iowa State's third time this season meeting a new opponent for the first time in school history. Houston is the second leg of a three-game stretch where ISU meets a program for the first time (Cincinnati, Houston, BYU).

The Matchup: Iowa State (3-7-1, 0-3 Big 12) vs. Houston (6-4-1, 0-3 Big 12)
Where: Cyclone Soccer Complex // Ames, Iowa
When: September 28 – 6 p.m.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Live Stats: cyclones.com

Leading the Cyclones
Iowa State has dropped four straight matches entering Thursday's showdown with Houston. ISU has been held to just Leia Khairy one goal during that stretch. The Iowa State defense has been stingy in the past two outings, allowing one goal against West Virginia and Cincinnati.

Mira Emma leads all Cyclones in goals (4), points (10), shots on goal (13), shots (19) and assists (2). The fifth-year senior captain notched her second career brace in the team's outing against Portland State.

Fellow seniors Salomé Prat and Abigail Miller also have more than one score on the year, as each has two. Leia Khairy, Kristin Boos and Lauren Hernandez each have one goal to round out the Cyclone scorers.

Goalkeeper Avery Gillahan is the lone Cyclone to have played all 990 possible minutes this season. Gillahan recorded her second career shutout against Portland State earlier this season.

Scouting Houston
Houston, riding a four-game skid of its own, has had similar struggles to the Cyclones over its last four contests. The Cougars have scored just once in their last four outings, being outscored 7-1 during that stint.

Houston has recorded the third-most saves of any Big 12 team, totaling 46. The Cougars have the sixth-most shots (172) in the conference as well as the sixth-most goals scored (29).

Houston is led by sophomore forward Cameryn Maddox, who has scored the sixth-most goals in the Big 12, tallying seven through 11 matches. Maddox has the seventh-most points in the conference. A trio of Cougars, Caitlyn Matthews, Maddie Bowers and Allie Byrd, each have three scores.

Between the sticks, Olivia Dietrich has 38 saves, the fourth-most in the Big 12, and averages roughly four saves a contest. Dietrich has started nine matches and has one shutout on the year.

From the Notebook

The Cyclones have lost just one match under Coach Fannon when scoring at least two goals. Two seems to be the magic number for the offense.
Iowa State leads the Big 12 in shot accuracy, placing 57% of its attempts on goal. That's good enough for the 19th-highest ranking in the country.
Four Big 12 programs are ranked in the Coaches Poll this week, as BYU is No. 6, Texas Tech is ranked 14th, UCF is 19th and Texas is 21st.
Senior Mira Emma ranks in the top ten in ISU history in points, goals, game-winning goals and assists.
After program legend Jordan Silkowitz was drafted into the NWSL, a new face took the net for the Cyclones this past week, as Avery Gillahan handled goalkeeping responsibilities. Through 11 matches, Gillahan has a pair of shutouts and 31 saves.
Gillahan earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors on August 23rd for her performances during the first week of the season.

Series History
The Cyclones and Cougars will meet for the first time in both programs' history.

Up Next
Iowa State will be back in action on Monday, October 2, when it hosts sixth-ranked BYU. The Cyclones and Cougars will meet for the first time ever, and BYU will be the second ranked program to grace the Cyclone Soccer Complex this season. Monday's match is set to start at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

As always, home matches are FREE to attend at the Cyclone Soccer Complex.

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Players Mentioned

Kristin Boos

Mira Emma

Avery Gillahan

Lauren Hernandez

Leia Khairy

Abigail Miller

Salomé Prat

Jordan Silkowitz

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