AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (3-3-1) blanked Portland State (1-4) by a score of two-nil on Thursday afternoon behind a pair of scores from fifth-year team captain Mira Emma.

The win pushed Iowa State to its best start since 2016, when it began the year 5-2.

Avery Gillahan recorded the second clean sheet of her career on Thursday, as the Iowa State backline didn’t even allow her to face a shot on goal until the final 15 minutes of play.

The Cyclones outshot the Vikings 14-10, putting seven shots on goal and earning five corner kicks to Portland State’s one.

Emma pushed the issue early and often for the Cyclones, as the senior was tied for the team -lead with three shots on the day with Alex Campana. As Portland State struggled to clear a ball out of its side of the field, Maddie Brant fed a ball inside to Emma who sent a left-footed laser into the back left of the net to put Iowa State up 1-0.

Following the goal, Iowa State withstood a pair of Viking shots before countering with a push of its own. Iowa State was able to push the ball into the PSU box, resulting in a foul which led to an Emma penalty kick – her fourth of the year.

Emma prepared herself and was able to send one past the Viking goalkeeper to notch her second career brace, giving the Cyclones a 2-0 cushion.

Iowa State would continue to test the Viking defense, sending five more shots toward the PSU keeper before the break, but they stood tall. Iowa State went into half leading for the second time this season.

Coming out of the break, Portland State was much more aggressive on offense. After being outshot 9-4 in the first, Portland State put up four shots in the first 20 minutes to try and spark a run.

Gillahan and the ISU backline dealt with the Viking attack, forcing off-target shots and turnovers, securing a 2-0 victory in Oregon.

In the teams’ first-ever meeting, Iowa State took the advantage, downing the Vikings 2-0.

Mira Emma scored career goals 14 and 15 today, pushing her into a tie for seventh-most all-time in school history.

Fannon’s Thoughts 

“I’m really happy with the way we took care of business today. We gave away no chances, we created plenty and we toughed out the moments of the match that we gad to do. It was a complete performance.”

Goals 

Iowa State: Mira Emma 15’ & 27’ (pen.)

Portland State: N/A 

Assists 

Iowa State: Maddie Brant 

Portland State: N/A  

Up Next
Iowa State will return from its trip out west to host the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday, September 10, in the non-conference finale. The game against Kentucky is also ISU’s Senior Day, where eight Cyclones will be honored. The Cyclones and Wildcats will get underway at 1 p.m. and the action will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. 

Oct. 8 will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of former Cyclone student-athlete Jack Trice. He died from football injuries received several days earlier in Minneapolis during a game against the University of Minnesota.

Iowa State’s year-long centennial commemoration of that tragedy and Trice’s legacy opened during Homecoming weekend last fall, Nov. 4-6. It included dedicating artist Ivan Toth Depeña’s Breaking Barriers sculpture north of the football stadium, launching a lecture series, sharing Trice’s story at the university’s Iowa State Fair exhibit and the city renaming a section of South Fourth Street in front of the stadium as Jack Trice Way.

Several more events are scheduled this fall:

• Sept. 10, 1-2 p.m., Program, “Through the Photographic Lens: Interpreting Art on Campus and Jack Trice’s Legacy,” with artist King Au and university museums curators, Christian Petersen Art Museum, Morrill Hall
• Sept. 21, 4:30 p.m., Artist’s talk, “Breaking Barriers,” Ivan Depeña, second floor atrium, Scheman Building
• Oct. 3, 6 p.m., Jack Trice Legacy Lecture, “Moments of Impact,” Jaime Schultz, based on her book of the same name, Sun Room, Memorial Union
• Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., Lecture, “Trice 100: The Name, The Legacy,” George Trice, Trice Legacy Foundation; and Jill Wagner, 1975-76 ISU student body president, Parks Library
• Oct. 7, start time TBA, Jack Trice Legacy Football Game, vs TCU, Cyclones will wear throwback uniforms to pay tribute to Trice, Jack Trice Stadium
• Oct. 8 (100th anniversary of Trice’s death), noon, closing ceremony, central campus

In addition, several exhibits about Trice may be viewed this fall. Special collections and university archives’ “Once, Twice, Trice: Students Tackle Naming Jack Trice Stadium,” highlighting 24 years of student activism to honor Jack Trice and his ideals, is on the first floor of Parks Library through Dec. 31. University museums’ “Honoring Jack Trice” is at the Christian Petersen Art Museum’s Neva Petersen Gallery in Morrill Hall through Oct. 8.

Ames History Museum‘s Jack Trice traveling exhibit will be in the Multicultural Center, 2260 Memorial Union, Sept. 25-Oct. 27.

Iowa sophomore right tackle Gennings (jennings) Dunker says the Hawkeyes hope to find more success running the ball in Saturday’s game at Iowa State. The Hawkeye ground game posted an anemic 88 yards in a 24-14 win over Utah State and has averaged just over 62 yards in the last two games against the Cyclones.

Dunker says the Cyclones have a unique defense but it is up to the offensive line to limit mistakes.

Iowa State sophomore center Jim Bonifas felt the offensive line showed progress in a 30-9 win over UNI.

Bonifas grew up in Dubuque as a Cyclone fan and remember watching these games as a youngster.

Tri-Center won the boys title at the Audubon Cross Country Invitational Thursday. With 35 points the Trojans were just a bit better than IKM-Manning with 38.  Griswold was third with 85 while Exira/EHK was fourth with 102.

The individual champ was Brennan Boden of Tri-Center.  Lane Sams of IKM-Manning was third, Cody Dorscher of Griswold and Austin Rasmussen of Exira/EHK placed fourth and fifth.

BOYS RESULTS

Tri-Center also won the girls title with 34 points topping West Central Valley who had 38 and Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton in third with 51.

Michelle Wilson of Exira/EHK placed second while Reagan Garrison of IKM-Manning took third.  Quincey Schneckloth of Tri-Center was fourth and Lilly Irwin of Underwood was fifth.

GIRLS RESULTS