Iowa State University’s women’s soccer team concluded its 2025 season with a 4-9-4 overall record and a 1-8-2 mark in Big 12 conference play, placing the Cyclones 15th in the league standings. Despite the placement, the team recorded its highest goal tally since 2014.
The Cyclones began their season with a strong performance, remaining unbeaten through August and posting a 1-0-2 start—their best opening since 2013. In non-conference games, Iowa State achieved a 3-1-2 record, which was their highest non-conference winning percentage since 2016. The only non-conference loss came against No. 11 Iowa.
Entering conference play, Iowa State won its opener against Arizona for the second consecutive year but did not secure another win for the remainder of the season. The schedule included matches against several teams that later qualified for the NCAA Tournament: Colorado, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Kansas, and West Virginia. The Cyclones managed draws against Arizona State and Kansas State during conference competition.
No. 4 TCU went on to win the Big 12 and reached the College Cup semifinals—only the third time a Big 12 school has made it to this stage of the tournament. BYU captured the Big 12 soccer championship by defeating Kansas in the final match. Overall, eight teams from the league advanced to postseason play.
Throughout their schedule, Iowa State faced seven teams that received NCAA Tournament bids (Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Baylor). A scheduled home game against Memphis—a postseason participant—was canceled due to weather conditions in Ames.
Several notable storylines emerged during Iowa State’s season:
– The team scored most of its goals (15 out of 20) in second halves.
– Iowa State secured its first three-match winning streak since 2016 by defeating North Dakota, UNI and Arizona consecutively.
– Three newcomers contributed more than half of ISU’s goals after significant roster turnover from last year.
– Freshman Megan Walters scored three times—the most by an ISU freshman since Hannah Cade in 2016.
– Transfer Morgan Goodman tied for team lead with four goals after playing limited minutes at Xavier previously.
– Taylor Spitzer also tallied four goals and tied for most points on the team with nine.
– The Cyclones had back-to-back games scoring at least four goals (against UND & UNI), a feat last accomplished in consecutive outings in 1999.
– Against Drake University, ISU equalized with just thirty seconds left—marking both a program record for latest tying goal and one of its latest regulation scores overall.
– The team’s victory over Creighton marked its milestone 200th program win.
Individually:
– Goalkeeper Cannistraro started all seventeen matches in her first full-time season as keeper and logged two clean sheets along with seventy-four saves.
– Ella Zimmerman set a personal best with three goals—all from set pieces—and became one of few center backs to lead ISU in scoring during much of the campaign; she also recorded her first career multi-goal game.
– Megan Walters’ three conference goals were more than any other Cyclone this year; all came during Big 12 play.
– Taylor Spitzer finished her collegiate career leading or tying for team highs in both goals (four) and points (nine).
– Morgan Goodman broke out offensively after transferring from Xavier University.
Six players earned recognition on the CSC Academic All-District Team: Isabella Agrusso, Chloe Broughton, Ella Ciardullo, Lauren Hernandez, Regan John and Ella Zimmerman.
Iowa State ended its season ranked No.139 nationally according to RPI—the highest end-of-season ranking ever achieved by the program. Within conference statistics they placed third among Big 12 schools for both saves per game (4.71) and shot accuracy (.460), figures that also ranked within national top150 performances.
Taylor Spitzer converted her only penalty kick attempt this season; this conversion rate ties her statistically for best percentage nationwide.
