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IOWA STATE DAILY
PAGE 7 An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
ISU PITCH COMPETITION
From 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Iowa State students will be pitching business ideas in front of judges in the Maintenance Shop. ONLINE THURSDAY 09.21.2017 No. 023 Vol 213
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SOCCER
UNCERTAINTY CENTRAL Looking into the Big 12 soccer season BY NOAH.ROHLFING @iowastatedaily.com Welcome to uncertainty central. The Big 12 women’s soccer season promises to be entertaining. The conference is a tossup all the way from second to ninth place. Kansas State, being a new team in the Big 12, is projected to finish 10th in the conference. The Cyclones have had a difficult start to the season, but coach Tony Minatta is optimistic.
“No one in the Big 12 is gonna scare us,” Minatta said. “Last season, second through ninth was decided on the last day. Every game in the Big 12 is a toss-up at this point.” From the unanimous pick to win the conference to a brand-new program entering the fray for the first time, here’s how the league is shaping up so far, keeping in mind the unpredictability of a round-robin schedule.
West Virginia The prohibitive favorite to win the conference and 2016’s national runner-up, West Virginia, has gotten off to a fast start, posting a 7-2-0 record in non-conference action. The highlight of the Mountaineers’ season so far was a 2-1 victory against then-No. 1 Penn State, cementing the Mountaineers’ status as possible national title contenders. West Virginia is coached by Nikki Izzo-Brown, who is in her 21st season at the helm. Over her tenure at West Virginia, she has led the team to a record of 119-41-20. The Mountaineers like to play in a normal 4-2-4 formation, and have a goal differential of +7. The team has four wins over ranked teams and will be tough for anyone to topple.
Texas Tech Texas Tech has gotten off to a great start, posting a 7-2-0 record against modest opposition. Wins against San Francisco and Arizona State have been countered with losses to Arizona and Pepperdine. The Red Raiders have posted four 1-0 wins this season and look like they could challenge for a top-3 conference finish. Coached by Tom Stone, who is 123-69-23 in 11 seasons, the Red Raiders line up in a 4-2-4 and are led by freshman forward Ally Griffin, who has averaged a goal every three games. The Red Raiders are dangerous this year.
Oklahoma Oklahoma might be the most underwhelming team in the Big 12 heading into conference play. Picked by the coaches to finish third, the Sooners have stumbled in with a 2-6-1 record in non-conference play. The Sooners have struggled to beat strong opposition and have suffered losses against Boise State and San Francisco as well. Goal scoring is a huge area of weakness, with the Sooners only scoring six goals in nine games. Coach Matt Potter is in his sixth season at the helm, and he came into the year with a 45-45-14 record. Oklahoma plays with a 4-3-3, and will be looking for the forward line to provide goals if they hope to make a late run for the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa State Iowa State has been very unlucky this year. Losing four first-team players to injury, the Cyclones have had to change lineups again and again. With a 2-6-1 record, the Cyclones are tied at the bottom of the Big 12 with Oklahoma. Conference play needs to be the platform for Iowa State to make a late run to the NCAA Tournament. Tony Minatta is in his third year on the job, and he’s carved an identity for the Cyclones as a tough, defensive outfit. An early season switch to a more traditional 4-42/4-4-1-1 hybrid has seen the Cyclones use the pace and solidity at their disposal. The counter-attacking ability they displayed against the likes of UMKC and Florida will have to be consistent if Iowa State wants to finish in the top half of the conference. Junior midfielder Emily Steil says the Cyclones will play with a chip on their shoulder after being tapped by coaches to finish ninth in the league. “We love being the underdogs,” Steil said. “No one respects us, but at the end of the day we know what we can do.”
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State waited until its final non-conference game to record a defeat, losing 3-0 on the road against No. 13 California. The Cowgirls had drawn with San Francisco on Friday and go into Big 12 play ranked 14th. Picked to finish sixth by Big 12 coaches, the Cowgirls have ridden into the top-25 on the back of a powerful attack. A 6-0 win over Texas-San Antonio and a 4-0 victory over Creighton have underscored their ability. Coach Colin Carmichael is in his 13th season with Oklahoma State, compiling a record of 171-70-36. The Cowgirls utilize a 3-4-3 formation similar to the setup popular with many English Premier League teams as of late, and they use it to great effect. Simply put, Oklahoma State is a team to watch this year.
Kansas State Kansas State, the newcomers to the Big 12, have started off the season with a record of 5-3-1. Surpassing their win total from last season already, the Wildcats have improved greatly in their second year as a program. Whether or not the Wildcats will continue that into conference play is yet to be seen. Coach Mike Dibbini is building a team from the ground up, and it might take a couple of seasons for Kansas State to fully adjust to the level of competition the Big 12 has to offer. The Wildcats’ 4-3-3 formation has produced some goals, but it’s the defense that will have to improve for them to have any success in their maiden season. Expect them to put up a fight against bigger teams, but not challenge for anything higher than a seventh place finish. Cade said she’s excited to play a new opponent this year. “It’s exciting,” Cade said. “I’m excited to play whenever [I can], so it’s one more game on the schedule.”
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