Oklahoma State Opens Big 12 Play with Resounding Win at Iowa State

(This story originated with Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations and was written by Wade McWhorter.)

AMES, Iowa – Oklahoma State opened Big 12 Conference play with a 4-1 win over Iowa State Thursday at the Cyclone Soccer Complex. With the win, the Cowgirls improved to 7-2-0, while ISU fell to 3-5-1. OSU's four goals were its most in a conference game since scoring five against Kansas in 2019.

Logan Heausler, Alex Morris, Lexi Lee and Xcaret Pineda notched goals, and Laudan Wilson tied the program single-game record with three assists, while Grace Gordon posted a season-high eight saves.

The Cowgirls got on the scoreboard in the 13th minute compliments of Heausler. After taking a quick pass from Wilson, Heausler took one dribble past a defender and blasted a shot from the top of the 18-yard box for her fourth goal of the year and a 1-0 OSU lead.

Gordon helped keep the 1-0 lead intact at the break as she tallied five saves in the first 45 minutes, the most she'd had in any of her previous eight games this season.

OSU doubled its lead in the 54th minute. Again it was Wilson with an assist on the play as she dumped a pass to Morris, who launched a shot from 23 yards top shelf for the first goal of her career. Morris became the 12th different Cowgirl to score a goal this season, and 17 of OSU's 29 goals this season have been scored by players who entered the year without a goal.

The Cyclones would get on the board in the 68th minute to cut the OSU lead in half. After Gordon made a diving save by knocking away a free kick, ISU converted on the ensuing corner kick as Leia Khairy found the back of the net to make the score 2-1.

The Cowgirls sealed the victory with a pair of late goals. In the 87th minute, Morris drove a pass through the box to Lee, who was there to tap it in for her second goal of the season. With the outcome all but decided, Pineda put an exclamation point on the win when she crushed a shot from beyond midfield into the net with four seconds remaining.

ISU finished with a 19-9 advantage in shots in the match, while the Cowgirls edged the home team in corner kicks, 4-3.

The win allowed the Cowgirls to get giddy and celebrate teammate Nicole Ray’s birthday in song.

OSU returns to action Sunday when the Cowgirls host Abilene Christian in their final non-conference match of the season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Neal Patterson Stadium.