AMES, Iowa – Iowa State is back on the road this week as the Cyclones head south for a pair of tests in the state of Texas, starting with Baylor. ISU and BU will face off on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. and the action will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

ISU (4-8-1, 1-4 Big 12) enters Thursday night’s contest coming off a home setback against the top-ten BYU Cougars. Baylor (6-5-2, 1-3-1 Big 12) is coming off a road win over Kansas State, as the Bears secured their first Big 12 win of the season.

The Matchup: Iowa State (4-8-1, 1-4 Big 12) vs. Baylor (6-5-2, 1-3-1 Big 12)
Where: Betty Lou Mays Field // Waco, Texas
When: October 5 – 7 p.m.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Live Stats: cyclones.com

  Leading the Cyclones
Iowa State will look to bounce back from Monday’s home loss to No. 6 BYU in Waco. The Cyclones are looking to earn their first Big 12 road win since 2021.  

Mira Emma leads all Cyclones in goals (4), points (11), shots on goal (14), shots (22) and assists (3). The fifth-year senior captain notched her second career brace in the team’s outing against Portland State.

Fellow senior Salomé Prat notched her third score of the season as well as her third career game-winning goal against Houston, making her the second-highest point scorer for the Cyclones. Prat now has 15 career goals and four as a Cyclone.

Goalkeeper Avery Gillahan has tallied 37 saves and has faced over 160 shots through 13 contests. Gillahan recorded her second career shutout against Portland State earlier this season.

Scouting Baylor
The Bears got off to a rough start in conference play, but understandably so, as Baylor faced three straight ranked teams to begin Big 12 play. After getting through a gauntlet which featured No. 16 Texas, No. 6 BYU and No. 25 Texas Tech, Baylor is 1-0-1. Baylor is just 3-4 at home this season, but three of those losses came to ranked Big 12 foes. 

Baylor’s attack is led by a pair of Bears who each have 14 points on the season. Senior midfielder Ashley Merrill has a team-high seven goals, while sophomore forward Tyler Isgrig has four goals and a team-best six assists. Merrill’s seven scores are the seventh most in the conference, while Isgrig’s six assists are the sixth most amongst Big 12 players.

Between the sticks, Baylor uses a rotation of Makinzie Short and Ashlee Zirkel. The two have played an equal 585 minutes this season and have totaled 66 combined saves, the most in the Big 12. Short has started six matches, while Zirkel has started seven.

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 56% of its attempts on goal. That’s good enough for the 18th-highest ranking in the country.
• Three Big 12 programs are ranked in the Coaches Poll this week, as BYU and Texas Tech are tied for seventh, while TCU reenters the rankings at No. 23.
• Senior Mira Emma ranks in the top ten in ISU history in points, goals, game-winning goals and assists.
  • Should Emma play every game the rest of the season, she will become the school leader in games played.
• 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 13 matches, Gillahan has a pair of shutouts and 37 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
Iowa State and Baylor will meet for the 31st time Thursday evening in a series that has been controlled by the Bears. Overall, Baylor has a 20-8-2 record and has won the last three meetings in Waco. Coach Fannon-led ISU teams are 1-2 against Baylor. 

Up Next
Iowa State will stay in Texas, making a short drive down I-35 to Austin for a Sunday matchup with the Texas Longhorns. Sunday’s match is set to begin at 1 p.m. and will be streamed on the Longhorn Network.