Iowa State Falls to No. 15 Colorado in Big 12 Opener

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State went toe-to-toe with a top-15 power on Thursday night and had No. 15 Colorado sweating to the final whistle. The upset never came, but the Cyclones made the Buffaloes work for every inch in a bruising 1-0 loss in their Big 12 opener.

One whistle changed it.

For 40 minutes, Iowa State’s back line smothered the Big 12’s most prolific attack. Colorado came in leading the league in scoring, yet every early surge met a red wall. Blocks, deflections, bodies thrown in front of shots – the Cyclones absorbed the pressure and refused to break.

Then came the foul.

With the first half winding down and Colorado back in the attacking third, a challenge from Makenna Marshall on the edge of the box drew the referee’s decision. Penalty. Captain Reagan Kotschau stepped up, went low and just out of the reach of a fully stretched Eme McClenahan at 40:16. One clear chance, one ruthless finish, and that was enough for the Buffaloes.

Colorado carried the numbers, but not by much. The visitors outshot Iowa State 13-8 and owned a 4-0 edge in corner kicks, yet never found a second breakthrough. The Cyclones turned the match into a grind, disrupting rhythm and forcing the Buffaloes to settle for half-chances and long-range efforts.

Kotschau drove the Colorado attack all night, finishing with a game-high five shots and three on frame to go with the winning goal. 2025 Big 12 Forward of the Year Hope Leyba added three shots of her own, one on target, constantly asking questions of the Iowa State back line.

McClenahan answered most of them. The Cyclone keeper went the full 90 and piled up six saves, four of them in a frantic three-minute stretch in the first half when Colorado unleashed a barrage. Each time, McClenahan stood firm, keeping Iowa State in the game while the Buffaloes hunted for daylight.

On the other end, Iowa State carved out just enough to make Colorado nervous.

Three Cyclones – Morgan Goodman, Cassidy Corcione and Izzy Kapanke – finished with two shots apiece, accounting for all three of ISU’s efforts on target. Goodman had the first real look for the hosts midway through the opening half, only to see one attempt saved and another drift wide as Iowa State tried to punch back against the early Colorado surge.

The Cyclones went into the break down 1-0, outshot 9-3 and without a corner, but very much alive. Their defensive work rate, led by 90-minute shifts from Maia Soulis and Danica Lunceford, kept the Buffaloes from turning control into a rout.

Second Half

The second half brought more of the same: Colorado probing, Iowa State resisting, waiting for that one clean look.

It almost came in the 85th minute.

With time slipping away, Corcione unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the box that seemed destined for the top corner. Colorado keeper Brooke Goerish just managed to get a hand to it, tipping the ball onto the crossbar. The rebound dropped invitingly to Sophie Forester in front of goal. The stadium held its breath.

Forester’s shot skewed wide.

The chance was gone. So was Iowa State’s best opportunity to drag a ranked opponent into extra time.

Goerish finished with three saves and a hard-earned clean sheet as Colorado opened Big 12 play at 1-0 in the league and 7-1-1 overall. Iowa State, now 4-3-2 and 0-1 in conference action, left with no points but plenty of evidence it can stand up to the Big 12’s elite.

The Cyclones matched Colorado in fight, if not on the scoreboard. If this is the standard they carry through the rest of the conference slate, how many more ranked teams will find Ames a far less comfortable stop?